GOP activist’s motion to censure Crist slated for August vote
by George Bennett | July 20th, 2009
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- Obama, Crist at Fort Myers stimulus rally
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- Taylor
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- Dinerstein
County GOP Chairman Sid Dinerstein opposes Republican Executive Committee member Steven Ledewitz’s censure measure, but says “I don’t know if I can prevail on that” when 100 or so Republican Executive Committee members vote on it Aug. 12.
Ledewitz drew applause, but was ruled out of order by Dinerstein, when he raised the censure motion at a February GOP meeting. At the time, many Republicans were boiling at the Republican governor for appearing a few days earlier with Democratic President Obama at a Fort Myers pep rally for the $787 billion economic stimulus bill.
Ledewitz brought up the Crist censure again at the April GOP meeting, but the committee voted 66-24 to table the matter until August. Now the August meeting is approaching, and Ledewitz isn’t backing off. In fact, he says there’s a new reason the local GOP should condemn Crist: the governor’s appointment this month of Democrat Priscilla Taylor to fill a vacancy on the county commission.
Ledewitz, a convention and meeting planner, accused Crist in his origninal censure resolution of failing to support three local GOP congressional challengers in 2008 (Allen West, Ed Lynch and Marion Thorpe), being “less than enthusiastic” in backing Sen. John McCain, appointing too many Democrats and a “liberal” state Supreme Court justice (James E.C. Perry), and cheerleading with Obama at the Fort Myers stimulus event.
Now that Crist is running for the U.S. Senate, Ledewitz says, “I don’t believe that the Senate needs another Arlen Specter,” referring to the longtime Pennsylvania Republican who switched to the Democratic Party this year.
Dinerstein has been critical of the stimulus bill and says he was “very disappointed, with a capital ‘very’ ” that Crist appointed Taylor rather than a Republican to represent the overwhelmingly Democratic commission District 7.
But Dinerstein says it would be a bad idea to censure Crist and make Palm Beach County “a rebel county.”
“Charlie Crist is our governor. I don’t have to agree with 100 percent of the things he’s done to support him,” Dinerstein said. He added: “I would never want a Republican governor to feel unwelcome at our REC.”
Tags: Palm Beach County Republicans, Priscilla Taylor, Sid Dinerstein
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July 20th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Just more Republican infighting. These idiots are turning on each, because the rest of the country isn’t buying their tired line of bull any longer.
July 20th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Charlie Crist is unwelcome in the Palm Beach County REC. He should be censured and RPOF Chairman Jim Greer should be recalled.
July 20th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
We need to purge the REC!!!! Our leadership is horrible. Just another good boy system. We are unorganized and have a defeatist attitude! We are just fighting each other when we should be repairing ourselves from within. If we don’t change our attitudes we will lose this party for ever! Wake up people! Wake up Sid and stop worrying about what people will think because we are “REBELS” and let’s revolt together and take back WASHINGTON!
July 20th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Mr. Dinerstein doesn’t want to be the Chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee that censures Governor Crist. But he is! This is democracy at it’s best, grass roots level. Mr. Crist has his hand picked RPOF Chairman, Mr. Greer to do his dirty work. The grass root Republicans, that actually do the hands on work, to get Republicans elected don’t favor Governor Crist any more. They fear he is no different than Melquiades Rafeal Martinez, or good ol’ “Mel” as the Senator likes to be called. Individaul Republicans can write out their “Statement of Principles & Positions” but the RPOF bosses will not. That is what Republicans fear the most. Electing more RINO’s (Republicans In Name Only) To further illustrate my point Chairman Greer is hauling a dozen Republicans that don’t agree with him into a grievence committee hearing in Kissimmee on July 24th and 25th. This is nothing but a witch hunt and he is trying to boot these people out of the GOP. The grass root Republicans in Florida will not be opening up the wallets or working for anyone they question in the future election cycle.
July 21st, 2009 at 12:21 am
What good is it to vote for Charlie Christ when has is not fiscally responsible and votes for Keynesian economics like a liberal Democrat. Does he even have a clue about the tremendous pressure against the US dollar with the Federal Reserve Printing press?
July 21st, 2009 at 8:19 am
If the Rep. Party wants to get back into the good graces of the grassroots and hard core republicans, and start winning elections again, they need to take a stand on RINO’s like Crist now! We will NOT support these type of people anymore who do not follow our core values. Crist has dissappointed many and the RPOF will not get one more cent from people like me ever again!
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:55 am
Nancy Pelosi thanks Charlie Crist
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this morning sent out a gaggle of quotes from governors touting the economic stimulus package, which Republicans and others have begun to criticize as ineffective. Not Gov. Charlie Crist.
“I think it’s pretty incredible that 26,000 teachers will continue to be able to work for Florida’s children because of these additional moneys … and that’s really the point: this is to help people, to help our education system, to help people with health care needs, and it’s the people’s money so they deserve it,” Crist is quoted as saying in the Pelosi news release. The quote came from this Times/Herald story.
Crist continues to defend taking the money but has said a second round is not necessary.
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Crist talked the talk to get elected, but doesn’t walk the walk. I’ve never been as disgusted with a Governor of this state, as I am with Crist. His blatant support of the stimulus, his ignoring constituents that write him imploring him for help with the broken child protective system of this state & shoving us back at the broken system that is HIS responsibility to investigate & fix & his obvious liberal agenda have left me with a nasty taste in my mouth. Just these few reasons are enough for me to do what I can to turn votes for Senate away from Crist. We need an overhaul in the entire government system. One that listens to “the people”. After all…..we do pay them & pay for all their asinine turkey funds.