Crist says stimulus support ‘unforgettable,’ not ‘unforgivable’
by Michael C. Bender | February 24th, 2010Former Gov. Jeb Bush leveled his harshest criticism yet of fellow Republican Gov. Charlie Crist in an interview with Newsmax, saying Crist’s support of President Obama’s stimulus plan was an “unforgivable” mistake.
Crist, whose support for the stimulus helped plug a $5 billion hole in the state budget this year but also helped launch his rival’s primary campaign, laughed when asked about the quote. “Well, it’s certainly unforgettable. I don’t know if it’s unforgivable.”
Bush condemned Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate for endorsing Crist in his primary with former House Speaker Marco Rubio. But Bush for months has been thinly veiling his support for Rubio, one of the “farm team” members that Bush recruited to preserve his legacy in Tallahassee.
“It’s fine,” Crist said. “I have enormous respect for my predecessor and respect for his right to voice his views. So it doesn’t bother me at all.
“What would bother me is if 20,000 educators were out of work. What would bother me is if 87,000 fellow Floridians didn’t have gainful unemployment because we hadn’t utilized those in a prudent, responsible way.”
Tags: Charlie Crist, Jeb Bush, stimulus
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February 24th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Crist shold be ashamed of himself… he was only trying to get national recognition for his run for senate, and at the time the wind was blowing in the direction of bi-partisanship… when the iwnd direction changed, where did choo choo Charlie go? He disappeared off the radar screen and did nothing for this State… wake up poeple of Florida and get this socialite out of public office…