• Barack Obama,  Charlie Crist,  economics,  Jeb Bush

    Jeb Bush on the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus Bill

    Jeb bush June 2008

    Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush answers questions at the Excellence in Action conference, a national summit on education reform, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., June 19, 2008

    Former Florida GOP Governor, Jeb Bush was in the Capitol today while Governor Charlie Crist was sucking up to President Obama in Southwestern Florida.

    Why was the former Florida Governor AWOL from the Presidential visit?

    Bush does not support the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus Bill or PORKULUS.

    Former Gov. Jeb Bush is wandering the halls of the state Capitol today, advocating for his Foundation for Florida’s Future education package because Gov. Charlie Crist canceled a lunch with Bush and other former governors so that he could introduce President Barack Obama in Fort Myers. Crist wants the stimulus package. Bush thinks it’s bad news, as evidenced by this brief interview as he hustled away and drove off in a family wagon driven by Foundation chief Pat Levesque along with lobbyist John Thrasher.

    Q: Why not go to Fort Myers?

    Bush: “It wouldn’t be right. I don’t support the bill. It’s a whole lot of spending and it’s not very stimulative. You know, $800 billion used to mean something.”

    Q: What would you do to stimulate the economy?

    Bush: “Broad-based tax cuts for individuals and business and spending on truly shovel-ready infrastructure.

    Q: What’s wrong with the package in your view.

    Bush: “Gigantic amount of money being spent that is not stimulative. There’s enough history to suggest something like that at best won’t have the desired effect. Worse: it could prolong the economic downturn. So I think it’s bad policy. Plus, it will create more inflation down the road you can’t sustain. We’re talking 9-10 percent GDP for the budget deficit. That’s a lot. These guys (Legislature) are struggling to balance the budget because they have a constitutional requirement to do so. To their credit, they’re doing the best they can under extraordinary circumstances. In Washington, they just crank up the printing press.”

    Although Jeb has taken himself out of a 2010 race for a Florida open seat in the U.S. Senate, Flap thinks that Jeb will be back – and back soon into the political arena.


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  • Charlie Crist,  John McCain,  President 2008

    Florida Governor Charlie Crist Engaged to Be Married

    charliecristandcarolerome

    Fiancee Carole Rome and Florida Govenor Charlie Crist in April 2008

    Florida Governr Charlie Crist has announced that he is engaged to be married.

    Florida’s most powerful bachelor is getting hitched.

    Gov. Charlie Crist, single for nearly three decades, on Thursday morning became engaged to his girlfriend of nine months, Carole Rome.

    “She’s special in every way. She’s brilliant, beautiful and sweet. I’m very, very lucky,” Crist told the St. Petersburg Times in an exclusive interview.

    Crist said he picked out the sapphire and diamond ring on Wednesday at the Gold and Diamond Center in St. Petersburg’s Northeast Shopping Center.

    No date has been set for the wedding, but Crist, 51, said it would be in St. Petersburg, where he is a member of First United Methodist Church. There probably also will be a reception in Tallahassee.

    Speculation has been rampant for months about Crist and Rome’s future, as the two have been steady companions. Two weeks ago Crist tamped down a rumor that the engagement already had happened, saying “Not yet. … Stay tuned.”

    This is an interesting development, particularly in the Veepstakes for John McCain’s running mate. Crist has been rumored to be at the top of McCain’s Vice Presidential selection list but the thirty years of bachelorhood for Crist led to speculation that he was gay.

    Congrats to the Governor and many happy times with your new family.

    Flap continues to believe that Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska would be the best Vice Presidential pick for McCain.


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