Carlos Lopez-Cantera Goes on the Attack Against Charlie Crist

The Florida Legislature may have taken a week off for Passover and Easter, but the Florida gubernatorial campaign showed no signs of slowing down on Monday as former Gov. Charlie Crist exchanged fire with Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera who played a traditional role for the running mate by going on the attack.

Crist, the favorite for the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Rick Scott despite spending most of his political year in the Republican ranks, spoke at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches on Monday.

Lopez-Cantera, Scott's new running mate, was in attendance to keep tabs on Crist.

Despite the lieutenant governor's presence, Crist had kind words for Lopez-Cantera, calling him a friend."

"I know he has a good heart, Crist said.

Crist offered his own take on why he was seeking a political comeback after foregoing running for a second term in 2010, and instead opting to run for the U.S. Senate.

Bringing up conservative statesman Edmund Burkes contention that all that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing, Crist said he had major problems with the way Scott was running things in the Sunshine State.

The new Democrat also looked to get his liberal credentials in order as he looked to win over voters in his new party, jabbing Scott for his attack ads against then-state CFO Alex Sink in the 2010 gubernatorial contest and defending President Barack Obamas federal health-care law.

I'm the guy who says Obamacare is great, because it is, Crist said.

But others weren't too convinced by Crist.

"I feel like I'm watching a bad political movie, said Lopez-Cantera in response to the former governor's remarks. Charlie has become the unpleasant stereotype of a politician willing to say anything, do anything to further ambitions. When the state was in really bad shape, he didn't care about leadership. He left to pursue his own ambition.