Despite only joining the Democrats in December 2012 after spending most of his political life as a Republican, former Gov. Charlie Crist continues to ignore former Florida Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich in the primary. Polls show Crist is far ahead of Rich and, despite just joining the party, he has refused to debate her.
Crist has kept his fire squarely on Scott in recent days, starting a tour of the Sunshine State on Wednesday to hit the governor on education.
Were launching a three-day school bus tour across Florida to talk to parents, students, teachers, and administrators about how Rick Scotts $1.3 billion cut to education -- including $20 million to pre-K -- has hurt our schools, Crist noted, promising to invest in education by restoring those cuts and returning per-student funding to the same record levels as when I was governor.
Crist has also hit Scotts record in the private sector in recent days. But while Crist continues to go after Scott, Rich is firing away at her fellow Democrat as she tries to catch him in the primary.
This week Charlie Crist told the Palm Beach Post that he hasn't changed but Florida needs a change, Rich told supporters on Wednesday. When Charlie Crist was our Republican governor, he signed every bill the NRA wanted and vetoed the ones they didn't. He appointed the two most conservative members of the Florida Supreme Court, and he expanded the voucher program that gives millions in tax breaks to big corporations and takes millions out of public schools. Charlie Crist sure is the same the same as Rick Scott.
Rich has continued to contrast her time in office with Crists record, noting she has backed same-sex marriage and abortion while the former Republican has been on both sides of the issues. Insisting Crists refusal to debate her was beyond arrogant and disrespectful to Democratic primary voters, Rich has also hit the former governor on that front as well.
On the Republican side, Scott and the GOPs fire has mostly been focused on Crist. With the former governor in Tampa on Thursday to hit Scott on education, the GOP called on three state legislators -- Sen. John Legg, R-Lutz, the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, Rep. Neil Combee, R-Auburndale, and Rep. Jake Raburn, R-Valrico -- to attack Crist.
Charlie Crists desperate attempt to mislead Florida voters about Gov. Scotts record can only mean one thing he doesnt want to talk about his own record, Legg and the two state representatives said in a joint statement. Charlie Crist was a disaster for Floridas education system, cutting state funding to schools by over $1 billion and raising tuition on Floridas students. Gov. Scott has a strong record of helping our students, increasing educational opportunities, giving teachers raises, and creating pathways to success.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
