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Jeb Bush on the Democrat/Obama Economic Stimulus Bill
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.
Technorati Tags: Jeb Bush, Charlie Crist, Barack Obama, Economic Stimulus Bill
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Florida Governor Charlie Crist Engaged to Be Married
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.
Technorati Tags: Charlie Crist
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John McCain Watch: VP Sweepstakes – Crist, Jindal and Romney? Part Two – With VP Poll
Vice President contenders? Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Florida Governor Charlie Crist and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal
The “purely social”get together of Senator and presumptive GOP Presidential nominee John McCain at his Sedona, Arizona ranch Saturday with GOP leaders has “nothing whatsoever to do with the vice presidential selection process” according to Charlie Black, a key McCain campaign strategist.
Right.
But, what is interesting is the emphasis (leak) now on Fox News that “other” perspective Vice President candidates have either ALREADY visited with McCain at the Hidden Valley Ranch, like Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty OR were invited this weekend and had other committments, like Mike Huckabee. Looks like the campaign was caught flat-footed on this “purely social” event.
Others mentioned to attend the Memorial Day weekend BBQ include:
- Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
- Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas
- Former e-Bay Chief Executive Meg Whitman
- FedEx Corp. Chief Executive Frederick W. Smith
Ok, so maybe this is a “meet and greet’ and not a serious series of interviews. But, what better way to create some “BUZZ” over the Vice Presidential sweepstakes and at the same time begin the pundit vetting of potential candidates – all on the cheap of an Arizona BBQ grill.
So, Flap will go one step further and rip off this poll idea from Marc Ambinder except Flap will name names.
Vote for John McCain’s Vice President:
[polldaddy poll=”632471″]
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John McCain Watch: VP Sweepstakes – Crist, Jindal and Romney?
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John McCain Watch: VP Sweepstakes – Crist, Jindal and Romney?
Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., waves after arriving in Burbank, Calif., Wednesday, May 21, 2008.
Are the McCain VP Sweepstakes on for this weekend in Arizona?
Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, on Friday is scheduled to meet with two Republican governors who have been prominently mentioned as potential running mates, according to Republicans familiar with McCain’s plan.
The two governors, Charlie Crist, of Florida, and Bobby Jindal, of Louisiana, have both accepted invitations to meet with McCain at his home in Arizona, according to Republican familiars with the decision. One Republican said that Mitt Romney, a former rival of McCain for the presidential nomination wasalso expected to visit him this weekend. Romney’s advisers declined to comment.
McCain, after a week of campaigning, is heading home on Friday for three days without a public schedule. His campaign declined to comment on the meetings.
“We don’t talk about the V.P. selection process,” said Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser.
Still, the names of McCain’s visitors and the timing — coming three weeks after the Arizona senator told reporters that he had a list of 20 potential running mates — strongly suggested that he was moving into an intensified phase in his search for a vice presidential candidate.
Let’s see:
- Charlie Crist, the unmarried Governor of Florida is “rumored” to be gay.
- Bobby Jindal was just elected to be Governor of Louisiana and is young and inexperienced.
- Mitt Romney is the former one term Massachusetts Governor with high negatives because he is a flip-flopping opportunist.
McCain is not starting out well in the Vice President selection process. Should he choose any of the above it would be a drag on the ticket.
Should Romney be the Vice President selection, Flap would have to reconsider whether he would vote for McCain for President.
Update:
Team McCain says it is a social get together. But, look who else will be there?
Among other guests expected were Sens. Joe Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., close confidantes of McCain.
Right.
And, why is the campaign unhappy the story got out?