GOP to Hang Crist Out to Dry?

The news just keeps getting worse for Florida Governor and Senate candidate Charlie Crist: Republican leaders who endorsed Crist months ago—when he was considered a lock to be the next senator from Florida—are now walking back their endorsements in light of the challenge mounted to Crist by rightwinger Marco Rubio. “Selfishly, given the limited resources we have and the national scope of our responsibilities here, I didn’t want to have to spend any money in Florida if we didn’t have to,” said NRSC chairman John Cornyn, explaining his endorsement. “So Charlie Crist seemed like the ideal candidate. This had nothing to do with Marco Rubio, whom I subsequently met and have a lot of respect for.” A new poll by Public Policy Polling shows that, not only would a mere 14 percent of Republicans like to see Crist in the Senate next year; but only 19 percent would like to see him still as governor, and 56 percent want him out of elected office altogether.