Rubio’s campaign says the issue has been resolved since court documents were filed Monday. But a call to the bank’s attorney wasn’t immediately returned.
Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos said the two federal candidates from Miami had not paid their mortgage since January because of a dispute over how payments on their adjustable rate mortgage would be calculated when the interest-only period expired in April.
The two men bought the 1,200 square foot home for $135,000 in 2005 to use while they were in Tallahassee while they were state legislators. Court documents show they now owe about $138,000 on the home, including interest and late charges.
It might be a little early to suggest Republican Marco Rubio or Democrat Kendrick Meek have a problem with older voters (you know, the type who turn out on Election Day…), but a friend of the blog points out this cross tab in the Mason-Dixon poll released Thursday:
But the new Mason-Dixon poll concludes Gov. Charlie Crist’s lead in the U.S. Senate race may be short lived. Pollsters believe hefty support Crist is getting from Democrats won’t hold up.
Jon Stewart: “I’m beginning to think ‘the American people’ is a meaningless phrase, cravenly used as a cudgel to project whatever provincial concerns any particular interest group may want to advance, and as such, perhaps should be struck from public utterance, along with such other false monolithic projections as ‘the Founders intended,’ ‘our children deserve,’ and ‘nobody doesn’t like Sara Lee!’”
The Florida Senate race appears to be a whole new ballgame with Republican Governor Charlie Crist’s decision to run as an independent.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Florida Voters finds Crist earning 38% support to Republican Marco Rubio’s 34% and Democrat Kendrick Meek’s 17%. Eleven percent (11%) are undecided.
Two weeks ago, before Crist announced his decision to run as an independent candidate, Rubio held a seven point advantage in the race.
Since then, Crist has gained eight (8) percentage points in the poll while Rubio and Meek have each dropped three (3) points. It remains to be seen if this is a temporary bounce or a lasting change in the race.
The response from Florida Republicans to Charlie Crist’s newfound independence has been sharp and quick.
Here’s a recap from the past few days:
• The Florida Republican Party sent out another tough press release last night telling supporters that “You can’t spell Charlie without ‘lie.’” The release reminds voters of Crist’s ties to disgraced attorney Scott Rothstein; includes a picture of Crist partying at a Tallahassee night club during his first year as governor; recycles the President Obama hug; and refers to the past year of troubles at the party as the “sad era of Charlie Crist and Jim Greer’s leadership.”
• Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio released a web ad this morning that shows that the “I-know-you-are-but-what-am-I” debate between these two is one thing that hasn’t changed in this race.
• Finally, Florida Federation of Republican Women President Cindy Graves sent an open letter to Crist blaming him for John McCain winning the Republican presidential nomination and warning him of their next meeting on the campaign trail.
House budget chief David Rivera, who’s also a close pal of former House Speaker Marco Rubio, blasted Gov. Charlie Crist for abandoning the Republican Party and avoiding a GOP U.S. Senate primary against Rubio in favor of running as an independent.
“In the annals of political history in America, the biggest betrayal since bendict Arnold,” Rivera, R-Miami, said this morning, hours before Crist’s anticipated announcement that he will run with no party affiliation. It “just adds to the disillusionment that many voters find in the political process,” he said.
Rivera, who is running for Congress, said that “an overwhelming defeat and an overwhelming victory for Marco Rubio” is the way for state Republicans to heal.
“That’s the best message we can send that politicians need to keep their word. And the ones that don’t need to be rejected in overwhelming fashion,” he said.
Sen. John Thrasher, chairman of the maligned Republican Party of Florida, has a lot to contend with.
Things are heating up in the legislature with less than 10 days to go before the session’s end.
Federal investigators are snooping around former high-ranking GOP officials, including his predecessor at the Party Jim Greer, and their credit card spending.
And Gov. Charlie Crist is considering abandoning the party that helped him to victory in the state Senate, two Cabinet seats and the governor’s mansion.
Crist’s consideration of dropping out of the GOP primary against former House Speaker Marco Rubio and running as an independent in the fall has Crist’s former allies (and those who weren’t big fans of the governor to begin with) coming out in droves to distance themselves from the former sure-bet for U.S. Senate.
Thrasher offered some advice to Crist’s critics, including House Speaker Larry Cretul: Chill. (more…)
Gov. Charlie Crist‘s campaign says his website hasn’t changed at all now that the U.S. Senate candidate is openly considering dropping out of the GOP primary and running as an independent.
“No Republican references have been scrubbed from our website, period,” Crist’s campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul said in an e-mail.
Rep. Tom Grady resigned as Crist’s regional campaign chairman today and quit his finance team, citing the website that makes no reference to the governor’s GOP affiliation.
Grady, a Naples Republican who was elected to the House in 2008 at Crist’s urging, is the latest GOP ally to distance himself from Crist and his U.S. Senate campaign after Crist admitted he is considering abandoning the Republican primary race against former House Speaker Marco Rubio and running instead in the general election in November with no party affiliation.
“This evening, as I reviewed your updated campaign website, I noticed a disheartening fact. Your website has eliminated all references to our Republican Party, or as you frequently refer to it, the party of Lincoln,” Grady wrote in a letter to Crist today distributed to the media by Trey Communications.
Once a sure shot to win in the primary against Rubio, recent polls show Crist trailing the Miami Cuban-American by about 20 percentage points.
Yesterday, National Republican Senate Committee Executive Director fueled speculation that Crist would abandon the GOP race saying there was “zero chance” Crist would run against Rubio.
Grady was one of the few Republicans who attended the governor’s press conference at which Crist announced he would veto SB 6, the contentious teacher merit pay measure pushed by GOP leaders in the legislature.
Former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack III, Crist’s mentor whose name the governor frequently invokes, withdrew as Crist’s campaign chairman after the veto Thursday.
Mitt Romney will stump with Marco Rubio in Tampa on Monday, Rubio’s U.S. Senate campaign announced today.
Former Florida House Speaker Rubio is likely trying to capitalize on GOP outrage over his primary opponent Gov. Charlie Crist’s veto of SB 6, the contentious teacher merit pay bill.
Rubio’s garnered the endorsements of both Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, whom Rubio threw his support behind in the 2008 presidential campaign.
Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC is also giving the maximum $5,000 contribution to Rubio, according to his campaign.
The aggressive new ad comes after news this morning that Gov. Charlie Crist is trailing former House Speaker Marco Rubio, 57-28, according to a Rassmussen poll.
Republican Marco Rubio announced today he collected $3.6 million in campaign contributions during the first three months of the year.
It’s a huge amount: it doubles his collections from the fourth quarter of 2009, surpasses the $2 million his U.S. Senate rival, Gov. Charlie Crist collected in the final months of last year and and should well exceed Crist’s 2010 total so far.
“I proudly endorse Marco Rubio for the U.S. Senate and look forward to working with him in Washington. His genuine principles and proven record are evidence that he will come to Washington and be a consistent advocate for fiscal responsibility, individual liberty and the traditional values that have made America great.” –Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.
Here’s the breakdown so far for endorsements from the 41 Republicans in the U.S. Senate:
Gov. Charlie Crist says he’s scheduling a trip to The Villages (pictured right) as soon as possible after FOX News Sunday host Chris Wallace indicated that Marco Rubio may have a problem brewing with some tea party folks there. “At The Villages, they’re not happy with you, sir,” Wallace told Rubio.
“It was a bit surprising to me,” Crist said about that moment in their debate. “Maybe the speaker has miscalculated again as it relates to the electorate.”
Sounds like the problem is Rubio hasn’t responded to some questionnaires, according to the Talking Points Memo.
But Rubio received the message. From the minutes of the Tri-County Tea Party (Villages) meeting on Monday:
[President Pam Dahl] asked for a show of hands from all who had written letters and emails to Fox, and many hands went up in the air. Pam said those letters and emails really were heard and she received a call from Fox News to find out what was going on, and Joe Angione had received a call, too. When Marco Rubio’s campaign manager heard about TCTP sends out messages to over 1,000 people and those communications go out to over 35,000 people, they said they would like to arrange to Marco Rubio to come to one of our meetings to address TCTP in person.
Rubio is already scheduled for a visit to The Villages, when he and U.S. House candidate Allen West are “special guests” April 13 on Sean Hannity’s book tour. (And speaking of tea parties, Rubio is headlining the April 15 Tax Day Tea Party at the 10,000-seat Sun Dome at University of South Florida.)
Gov. Charlie Crist and then-House Speaker Marco Rubio embrace in this 2007 photo from the state archives. The two celebrated the ‘Largest Tax Cut in Florida’s History,’ after a special session devoted to property taxes.
UPDATE:Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos just e-mailed: “After Sunday’s strong performance, Marco looks forward to debating Charlie Crist again, whether it’s in the GOP primary, or in the general election with Crist running as an independent.”
We have yet to hear back after several inquiries to Marco Rubio‘s campaign about whether Rubio wants to wait until May for a second debate with Charlie Crist. (AP‘s Brendan Farrington tweeted Sunday that Rubio wants to wait until after both candidates officially qualify for the race, which can happen anytime between noon on April 12 and noon on April 30.)
Such a tactic enables Rubio to fan speculation that Crist will either abandon the race or switch his party affiliation. But it’s also a departure from his position in June when Rubio called for about a debate per month before the primary. “One debate is not enough,” Rubio wrote at the time.
Crist, who has repeatedly denied any plans to switch parties, accused Rubio of trying to “run and hide.” Of course, Crist didn’t show much interest in lining up debates before the roles reversed in the race and he was cast as the underdog.
“This is a guy who says he’s willing to stand up to Barack Obama, but he won’t sit down with David Gregory on Meet the Press?” Crist said in an interview, referencing an invite Rubio declined for the NBC show. “The hypocrisy and inconsistency from Marco Rubio is appalling.”
Club For Growth Action released a radio ad today that criticizes Gov. Charlie Crist for his plan to buy U.S. Sugar land in the name of Everglades restoration. Club for Growth PAC has endorsed Crist’s Republican U.S. Senate primary rival, Marco Rubio.
*Rubio voted at least five times for property tax increases, as defined in 200.065(2)(d) and 200.065(3)(a) of state law, during his two years on the city commission.
*Rubio seconded the motion on four of those five votes.
*Before the final vote on the tax rate, the city manager explained each year to the commission that they were increasing taxes despite keeping the tax rate the same, because property values had increased.
*Rubio also voted at least once to double garbage fees to $250 per residential customer.
The campaign for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio is attempting to set expectations for the debate this Sunday with primary rival Charlie Crist on FOX News Sunday (reminder: that’s 11 a.m. on the local Fox29 affiliate in West Palm Beach, not the cable channel).
In the press release, the campaign listed some “facts about Sunday’s debate.”
It’s Rubio’s first statewide campaign, his first campaign debate ever and his first debate on a nationally televised Sunday show. Meanwhile, Crist is an old pro at these: It’s his fifth statewide campaign and he’s has participated in “numerous” debates.
But a series of old e-mails from the Rubio campaign paint a little different picture of Rubio’s ability.
In Florida, that means free publicity for Suzanne Kosmas of New Smyrna Beach and Allen Boyd of Monticello, both
facing tough re-election campaigns this year. The two changed positions after citing a government report showing the plan would cut the deficit by $1.2 trillion over 10 years.
Rubio’s campaign says the issue has been resolved since court documents were filed Monday. But a call to the bank’s attorney wasn’t immediately returned.
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