Greer Resigns
Kyle Trygstad is reporting that Florida GOP Chairman Jim Greer is resigning from his post:
Florida Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer announced today he is stepping down from his post amid complaints about his service, including the misappropriation of money, though he maintained he was not asked to resign by the governor or any other GOP leader. Greer admitted the party’s internal battle between the conservative and moderate wings weighed on him, and he finally decided over the last couple days he could no longer effectively lead.
In stepping down, Greer left in a less than graceful manner:
“Over last six months there have been a very vocal group in our party that has been very active in seeking to oust me as chairman,” he said. “They have distorted facts, the misspending of money, and talked about my support of Governor Crist for the U.S. Senate race…These distractions and attacks within the party is not what we should be doing.”
First, let’s look at Greer’s campaigning for Crist. This post highlights what Greer was willing to do to get Gov. Crist elected:
Is it so hard for Charlie Crist to simply say he supported the stimulus package and that while it was far from perfect, he thinks it did a lot of good for the people of Florida? Now, state party chairman Jim Greer is adding to the credibility gap.
“If [Crist] had been a congressman, he has said many times, he would have voted against it,” Greer said on Ron Sachs’ video show.
Wrong.
“Gov. Charlie Crist, now a U.S. Senate candidate, said Tuesday he would have made the “pragmatic” decision to vote for the $787 billion federal stimulus bill, differentiating himself from fellow-Republican opponent Marco Rubio and the man he is trying to replace, Mel Martinez.”
This proves that Chairman Greer isn’t a man of integrity. It’s important to note that it’s a longstanding tradition for chairmen of political parties to not endorse candidates. That’s a bipartisan tradition, too, borne out of the belief that people should decide, not leadership.
Greer’s statements, combined with his association with Gov. Crist, gives undecided activists more reasons to support Marco Rubio. Let’s remember that Gov. Crist hasn’t been consistent about the stimulus plan. First, he campaigned with President Obama in support of the plan. Obviously, he’s quoted as saying that, had he had a vote, he would’ve voted for the stimulus plan.
That’s before reminding ourselves that Crist once made the foolish argument that he didn’t endorse the stimulus legislation:
“I didn’t endorse it,” Crist told CNN host Wolf Blitzer. “I — you know, I didn’t even have a vote on the darned thing. But I understood that it was going to pass and I wanted to be able to utilize it for the benefit of my fellow Floridians.”
Here’s what Crist said on Hardball:
Speaking of the stimulus, Crist said, “It’s going to help (Floridians’) children. It’s going to help their traffic situation. It’s going to help produce more jobs here in the Sunshine State. That’s a perspective that I have to have as, in essence, the CEO of Florida. And that’s why I support it.”
It’s time for Chairman Greer to exit stage left. It’s time for Gov. Crist to follow Greer’s lead.
I’m not on a political purity purge. I’m just interested in putting people of integrity in leadership positions.
Technorati Tags: Scandal, Jim Greer, Resignation, Charlie Crist, RINO, President Obama, Stimulus, Corruption, Marco Rubio, Conservatism, Election 2010
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog