With Gov. Charlie Crist leaving the Republican Party to continue his campaign for the U.S. Senate as an independent, leaders at the national level warn Florida conservatives that Crist can't be trusted on the issues -- especially a measure requiring women considering abortions to have an ultrasound.
Crists veto of a plan to reform teacher performance pay angered Florida conservatives. So did his support of President Barack Obama's nomination of Solicitor General Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. But national leaders of the conservative movement weren't shocked. They claim they never felt Crist truly stood with them.
Im not surprised, said Ken Connor, chairman of the Center for a Just Society. I think its fair to say many people doubted Gov. Crists conservative credentials and I think their apprehensions were confirmed.
I always had my doubts about him, said former Republican presidential candidate Gary Bauer, chairman of the Campaign for Working Families, a political action committee that endorsed Republican Marco Rubio over Crist. Hes ended those doubts by moving more openly to the left.
Bauer added that Crist should have joined the Democrats when he left the Republicans instead of becoming an independent.
We at ACU have felt from the beginning that Charlie Crist was not a very good Republican, said David Keene, chairman of the American Conservative Union, which endorsed Rubio. He didnt seem to have an ideological or philosophical anchor at all. Hes the kind of politician who waves in the wind.
Keene said that Crists remaining support among Florida Republicans would erode as he continued to embrace liberal positions on social issues. He said Democrats would eventually return to their partys nominee instead of backing Crist.
Social conservatives may soon have another reason to oppose Crist as he ponders vetoing HB 1143, a measure passed by the Legislature that requires women considering having an abortion to have an ultrasound.
Both supporters and opponents of legalized abortion have maintained that ultrasounds reduce the number of abortions. They also say that the increased number of ultrasounds has led to the reduction in the number of abortions in Florida, with 2009 seeing the fewest abortions since 1997.
While Crist claims to be pro-life, national conservatives doubt this claim, especially with the governor hinting that he will veto HB 1143.
It allows the women of Florida to have all the information they need before making life or death decisions, said Bauer. I dont see how the governor can claim to be pro-life and veto such a modest proposal.
This is a very pro-family law, said Michelle Combs of the Christian Coalition. His record has been fairly pro-family. This is pro-life legislation and if he vetoes it, it will severely hurt his pro-family credentials.
The right to life is the basis for all other rights, said David Whitney, a senior instructor at the Institute on Constitution, in reference to the Declaration of Independence. The purpose of government is not perhaps understood by the governor.
Connor, who ran for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 1994, and headed up Florida Right to Life, said that Crist was not active in the fight against abortion during his time in the Legislature.
It was very rare, extremely rare, you could count on Charlie on any pro-life issue, said Connor.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859
