Despite the censure vote on Governor Charlie Crist last week that evenly divided Palm Beach County Republicans (it failed to pass as the group deadlocked at 65 votes apiece), the head of the Palm Beach County Republican Executive Committee says his membership is united.

They’re ALL disappointed in Governor Crist.

“There was not a single person last night out of 130 votes, and about 30 or 40 speakers, who got up there to tell us what a good job the governor is doing,”  said Sid Dinerstein, the chair of the Palm Beach County REC.

That vote comes a week and a half after the Volusia County GOP voted “overwhelmingly” in a voice vote to censure the governor.  The list of his perceived transgressions is long, including the governor’s enthusiasm for Barack Obama’s stimulus package and his failure to endorse certain GOP Congressional candidates. But for many, the most damning was his selection of liberal Justice James E. C. Perry to the state Supreme Court last March.

From speaking to several conservatives last week, it seems to be the selection of Perry to the high court that rankles most severely.

That was the last of the unprecedented four new Supreme Court Justices that Crist has had the opportunity to select, more than any previous governor in state history.  And after nominating several solidly conservative justices (among them former Polk County-based U.S. Congressman Charles Canady, best known nationally for being one of the 13 House Managers who argued before the Senate for the impeachment of Bill Clinton),  Crist emphasized his centrist credentials by selecting the 65-year-old Perry, only the second black to be named to the Supreme Court.

But Perry’s selection was part of the old Charlie Crist, the raging moderate who debated Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal earlier this year on Meet The Press regarding what philosophy best represented where the GOP should move next in the wake of its shellacking at the polls last November.

The new Charlie Crist is one strongly motivated by the stirrings in the state party for his rival, Marco Rubio.

Although the governor is thoroughly whipping the former House Speaker when it comes to fundraising, it is the 38-year-old Cuban-American from Miami who is turning on the base, not the man who is collecting censure votes from various county political parties.

In recent weeks the guv, celebrated by environmental groups throughout Florida for being in the small vanguard of GOP leaders with a vision regarding global warming, has strongly hinted that he will cancel his climate change summit, and is also backing away from advocating a cap and trade energy policy.

This follows his failure to veto Senate Bill 360, the controversial anti-growth management bill that has engendered the wrath of both liberals and conservatives throughout the Sunshine State, but was strongly supported by the developer community.

And then there’s the strange case of his lack of support for recently appointed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Last month, while the whole nation was buzzing (pro and con) about the self-proclaimed “wise Latina,” Crist originally told reporters when asked his opinion that he had no opinion about her, even as the Senate Judiciary Committee began their hearings.

Then, after his close ally Mel Martinez spoke movingly in support of her in what was ultimately a valedictory of sorts, the governor aligned himself with the other 31 GOP senators who somehow found her to be outside the mainstream of contemporary American jurisprudence, alienating some Latino groups.

As University of Central Florida Political Science Professor Aubrey Jewett said last week, “I found it interesting that when he didn’t really have an actual vote, he took the symbolic gesture of going out of his way to say he would not vote for her if he was in there.  Yet, when he had the chance to put a conservative on the Florida Supreme Court (which he did the first couple of times), the last person was a more liberal judge from Central Florida.  So, it’s interesting to see the Governor maneuver.”

Interesting, indeed. Crist has apparently learned his lesson of appearing to be too close to Barack Obama.  After being one of the few noted Republicans in the country to embrace the federal stimulus package this winter, the Governor is staying far away from any type of endorsement of the health care proposals that the president and Congressional Democrats are stumping for.

No, instead, he is touting his own Cover Florida proposal as a “national model that the feds could be wise to emulate as a private sector alternative.”

One problem, though —  hardly anybody in Florida is on the system.  As the Miami Herald reported last week, in a state with nearly 4 million uninsured people, only 3,757 have signed up (less than 1 percent).

And what about the stimulus plan that the governor has taken so much heat for supporting?  Although conservatives nationally have already declared the bill a failure, most neutral analysts have reasoned that too much of it is designed to kick in later this year and much of next year to give it a final grade.

But it doesn’t help to learn that the state ranks dead last in the country when it comes to spending highway money approved in the program (though Crist and other state officials have denounced that finding, claiming that the state’s spending has been characterized by “integrity, rather than speed”).

Nevertheless, the twisting and turning of positions could expose independents and Democrats to what hardcore Republicans (like PoHo contributor Chris Ingram) have been saying for a while — that Crist’s integrity, if not his overall record, is spotty, and he may not deserve a coronation to the U.S. Senate next year.

But the maxim in state politics for the past couple of years in Florida has been that Charlie Crist is untouchable. Marco Rubio and Kendrick Meek certainly don’t think so.  The question is whether the rest of the Florida electorate will follow them.

By Chris Ingram
PoHo contributor

My prediction has now come true. Mel Martinez is resigning his senate seat. Give it a couple of days, and I expect you’ll be reading about our oh-so-tanned governor announcing he is appointing himself to Martinez’s seat because (sorry to John Morgan), he’s “for the people.”

Yes, this is legal.

For the record, our spineless governor has stated he won’t appoint himself. This is the same guy who said he wasn’t going to run for the senate, said he wasn’t interested in being McCain’s running mate, and said he was going to make our taxes “drop like a rock.” You get the picture? His word is no good.

While certainly a political backlash will occur if Mr. For the People appoints himself, it will be brief. A couple of weeks of criticism, slams from the editorial pages, and letters to the editor from people outraged at the selfish opportunism (not that anyone should be surprised at Chuckles’ political opportunism) and that will be it.

Voters have a short attention span, and an even shorter memory. Barring Marco Rubio winning the Power Ball lottery and self-financing his campaign with his new-found millions, he won’t be able to run enough TV ads before next September’s Primary Election to remind voters about Mel and Charlie’s end-around to get Chuckie to the U.S. Senate.

In short, there is very little downside to the Chuckster taking advantage of the opportunity his pal Mel has handed him. Politics 101 dictates being an incumbent rocks when it comes to getting reelected. I’ll bet a case of Starkist Tuna Charlie realizes this and appoints himself.

I expect Too-tan Charlie will argue that in these serious times we need someone who will be the “people’s senator.” He’ll point out that it is in Florida’s interest for him to be senator before the election because he will have a leg up on the seniority ladder compared to the other freshmen senators elected in November.  He’ll get others from the establishment wing of the GOP to help him make his case that “better committee assignments will improve the lives of the people of Florida,” and “Florida needs Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate.” Blah, blah, blah…

The voters may smell a rat, but the real question is will they bring rat poison to the ballot box? Call me a cynic, but I doubt it.

On a related note, someone ought to look into when “Smel” Martinez becomes eligible for the very generous federal retirement benefits graced upon our esteemed former members of Congress. I think we’ll find it is strikingly close to his resignation date.

But regardless of Mel’s pension benefits, it looks more and more likely Charlie Crist will fulfill his life-long dream of being a U.S. Senator. So we’ll be saying “Senator Crist” real soon — instead of “Sorry Charlie” if the people had gotten their chance to have a truly fair opportunity to make the choice themselves.

I’m ready to burn my voter ID card because if what I suspects will happen happens, the casting of a vote in this race will be nothing short of a sham.

At least now maybe Marco Rubio will see fit to drop his longshot candidacy against Chuckles and will take on Bill “Howdy Doody” McCollum for governor. He ought to consider it because the fat lady just walked on the stage.

Now if I’m wrong about all this and Charlie appoints someone else as a “care-taker” senator who might it be? Admiral LeRoy Collins who ran against Katherine Harris in the GOP U.S. Senate Primary in 2006 would be a great call. Collins is intelligent, thoughtful, capable, and competent. I worked on Collins’ longshot campaign and I can say he is one of the greatest public servants I have ever known. And Charlie knows this. Admiral Collins is the governor’s appointed director of the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs.

I’d be happy to eat some crow, and what they heck, I’d even eat a case of tuna if I’m wrong should Charlie do the right thing and appoint LeRoy Collins. But I don’t think it will happen and either way, Charlie will still remain sorry.

Chris Ingram is the president and founder of 411 Communications a corporate and political communications firm, and publisher of www.IrreverentView.com. Ingram is a frequent pundit on Fox News and CNN, and has written opinion columns for the Washington Times, UPI, Front Page Florida, and National Review online. E-mail him at: Chris@411Communications.net.

UPDATE at 1 pm: Martinez will hold a 3pm newser and then Crist is expected to name former Secretary of State Jim Smith as the an interim replacement before the summer recess ends. Leading candidates so far include former Secretary of State Jim Smith, former Tampa Mayor and FLA Gov. Bob Martinez, former US Sen. Connie Mack and former Speaker Allen Bense.

After months and months of flat-out denying he would quit his Senate post before his term was up (ever since he announced he wouldn’t seek re-election in 2010), Mel Martinez today made a liar out of himself and announced he will step down now.

That leaves the appointment in Gov. Charlie Crist’s hands. Now, before everyone in the Democratic Party grassroots starts freaking out (too late, judging by my Facebook and Twitter account traffic), yes, Charlie can appoint himself but, no, he won’t. It would be political suicide to do that.

In 2005, CL’s then- Sarasota reporter Allyson Gonzalez gave Martinez a freshman report card. He didn’t do too well:

The 109th Congress is now in session and first-term Senator Mel Martinez is three months into his stay in Washington, D.C. For a progress report on the senator’s early legislative performance, we compared some of his recent votes with that of his original campaign promises, as outlined both in interviews and on his campaign website, www.melforsenate.org.

So far, it’s clear that our junior senator has some serious homework to do. Were this a school report card, we’d have to issue a note home saying that – although he may be a joy in class – Mel Martinez needs some serious help with his grades.

IMPROVING HEALTH CARE: F

Medicaid cuts: Martinez supported.

You won’t read about this on his current website, http://martinez.senate.gov. Martinez failed to join the seven other Republicans who rejected the majority Republican platform swiping $14 billion from Medicaid over the next five years. While some form of Medicaid reform is needed to ensure the viability of the program and the health of its recipients, the proposed cuts were blunt and short-sighted and in reality would have hit children the hardest. Ultimately, most of the Senate realized that fact with their 52-48 vote; too bad Martinez supported the hack job.

Veterans’ medical care: Martinez supported.

With veterans’ needs dramatically rising, the $410 million voted on by the Senate and Martinez functioned merely as a symbolic action. Why talk big about veteran support and then participate in a 47-53 vote to turn down a $2.8-billion veteran assistance bill that could have staved off future long-term costs? Was the $410 million intended as some middle ground?

PROTECTING NATURAL RESOURCES: F

Oil drilling in Alaska: Martinez supported.

After accepting some $123,000 from 35 different oil and gas groups like Halliburton and the Independent Petroleum Association of America during the 2004 election – making him the senator to receive the fifth-greatest amount of contributions from the industry – Martinez voted to open up drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The vote can best be described as a Faustian bargain that failed, as Martinez hoped that drilling for Alaskan oil reserves would spare offshore drilling in Florida, at least for a while. But the deal he struck may have made things worse for Florida, by possibly permitting oil companies to drill in areas more than 100 miles offshore – something that wasn’t previously allowed.

As Martinez explained in a March 16 statement following the 51-49 Senate vote, he made his ANWR decision with assurances that the existing moratorium of offshore drilling on Florida’s Gulf Coast would be extended to 2012. Interior Secretary Gale Norton wrote to Martinez that no new drilling leases have been made within 100 miles of Florida coastline and that “we will continue this policy.”

What Martinez did not apparently know is that the existing leasing bans already extended to 2012, and covered a full 200 miles offshore, not the 100-mile confirmation Martinez had received.

Senator Bill Nelson is now playing cleanup by trying to hold up President Bush’s nominee for the deputy Interior secretary in the hopes of securing a clear promise that the eastern Gulf of Mexico remains drilling-free.

Read the rest of Gonzalez’s story and Martinez’s report card.

Answer: not much.

The big news out of the trip heralded in a news release from the Governor’s Office last year – and the only point Crist mentioned to me when I asked him last week about results of his travels – was that Spanish solar energy company Renovalia would consider building a Florida plant.

Renovalia and Tampa-based Seminole Electric Cooperative signed an agreement to discuss that possibility.

Today those discussions don’t appear to have gone very far.

The formal agreement expired in December, and the two companies didn’t bother to extend it, though talks are still “ongoing,” said Seminole Electric spokeswoman Michele Collet Kriz.

And this man wants to be our next US senator? Can you say, junket??

The landmark US Sugar-Everglades deal fashioned by Gov. Charlie Crist – limping toward the finish line, a fraction of its once grand scale – could have received a shot in the arm this week with three new appointees to the South Florida Water Management District.

Crist appointed three new members to the district board that oversees and approves the deal to purchase more than 78,000 acres of US Sugar property and eventually take them out of farming production as a means of lowering pollutant runoff into the Everglades.

The Miami Herald reports:

Gladys Perez, who has worked for Crist as a civil rights and environmental counsel, will join a Treasure Coast real estate agent and manager for the agricultural giant Lykes Brothers as members of a board overseeing a powerful, often controversial, agency that manages the water supply for 16 counties and directs Everglades restoration.

Kirk Fordham, chief executive officer for the Everglades Foundation, praised the appointments and predicted they would bolster sometimes shaky board support for Crist’s $536 million land deal with the U.S. Sugar Corp.

“It’s my understanding these appointees all share the governor’s vision,” he said.

I reported on US Sugar’s sweet deal in an August 2008 Creative Loafing cover story. At that time, the purchase was set to be three times larger than what remains on the table to day:

The deal? The taxpayers of South Florida would pay $1.75 billion for the Everglades-polluting U.S. Sugar Corp., for its 187,000 acres of farmland and the world’s largest raw sugar mill. Within six years, U.S. Sugar would cease to exist, and its property would be converted into wetlands and holding ponds to help restore the natural flow of water back into the ailing Everglades.

Take a look.

For more news and reviews of the summer’s biggest movies, check out the CL Movies & Television site.

Screening information: Outrage is screening exactly once, Wed., July 15 at 7 p.m. at Tampa Pitcher Show, 14416 N. Dale Mabry, Tampa, 813-963-0578. The film carries no MPAA rating.

If there’s a central message to Kirby Dick’s Outrage, it’s that living life denying one’s sexual orientation is an awful existence. Not only is the closeted person lying to their family and friends — often at great emotional cost to everyone involved — they are lying to themselves. There’s a lot of self-hatred hanging in the closet, and it’s an old saw that the most homophobic folks are the most in denial. Still, a person’s choice to keep their preference private is their own. But what about politicians living in the closet who work to advance anti-gay-rights legislation? Don’t they deserve to be exposed?
Michael Rogers certainly thinks so. Rogers is an activist and writer who works to out closeted gay politicians, and he’s kind of the hero of Outrage. One of his early scores was Republican Congressman Ed Schrock of Virginia, a sponsor of a bill banning gay marriage, who was caught on tape soliciting sex with men by leaving messages on a telephone hook-up service. Schrock never copped to being the voice on the tape, but the evidence was compelling enough that he resigned. Rogers has the goods on many more.

Outrage appeals to our base cultural instinct to speculate on the sexual preferences of the rich and famous (it’s practically sport online), and Schrock is far from the most notable politician in the film’s crosshairs. Some are obvious, like Sen. Larry Craig, he of the airport bathroom “wide stance,” who comes across as an incredibly sad man. More surprising (for me anyway) were ex-New York City Mayor Ed Koch, singled out for his awful response to the Big Apple’s 1980’s AIDS crisis, and Fox News anchor Shepard Smith, who’s front and center on a network that works daily to undermine the LGBT community.

Closer to home, Florida Governor Charlie Crist is one of Outrage’s big fish, and the film spends a good amount of time laying out the case against his heterosexuality. Props to reporter Bob Norman of Miami New Times, a vet of the Mark Foley affair, who dug up much of Crist’s backstory after being contacted by multiple unrelated sources claiming Crist staffers had been bragging at dinner parties about sexual relationships with the then-still-future governor. Crist is shown repeatedly denying the rumors, with each denial slightly creepier than the last. (His take of the famed Seinfeld riff, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” comes across as oddly angry.)

But the case against Charlie ultimately lacks a smoking gun as potent as the Schrock tapes. Is it interesting that Crist was married to first wife Amanda Morrow for only 6 months, and his ex found post-breakup comfort with new partner Mildred Harrison? Or that another ex, Kelly Crosby Heyniger, told the film’s producers, “I think I should just keep my mouth shut. … Call me in 10 years and I’ll tell you a story.” Absolutely. But it doesn’t exactly prove Crist is gay.

So, yes, much of the information presented in Outrage is circumstantial. But that by no means sinks the film. Director Kirby Dick knows the salacious nature of this material will attract an audience, but he’s ultimately after a larger point about the vicious cycle of our public discourse, where leaders responsible for making the laws deny their own nature and essentially persecute themselves in an effort to keep their own truth hidden. In particular, I’d point to the scenes featuring former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey, with McGreevey and his wife talking candidly about the Governor’s resignation from office after his affair with a male Homeland Security appointee came to light. There is truth and power in McGreevey’s words. And pain.

Ultimately, outing someone is a tricky thing. As the film angrily points out, the media will often go out of its way to avoid discussing someone’s sexual orientation — even when it’s germane to the subject. Even the LGBT community is divided on whether or not outing is over the line. Though Outrage is clearly in favor of exposing the hypocrites in D.C., the film does offer some conversation on the subject. Among the points of view, Journalist Andrew Sullivan expresses sympathy for the exposed and Congressman Barney Frank argues that hypocrisy by those passing the laws ought to be routed out. In the end, I agree with Frank, and as such I enjoyed Outrage. How you feel about the question should tell you whether this is a movie for you.

Applicants Sandy Murman, left, and Victor Crist.
As Charlie Crist looks to appoint an interim replacement for the late Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections Phyllis Busansky, the governor has trimmed a list of 22 applicants to six people — four Republicans, two Democrats — who will get job interviews.

The list includes some frontrunners for the position — Republicans state Sen. Victor Crist (no relation to Charlie) and former state House member Sandy Murman (full disclosure: both are past clients of my former political consulting firm). Others who will get some interview time with the gov and/or his staff are Republicans Chris Hart, a former Hillsborough County commissioner, and Earl Lennard, former superintendent of Hillsborough County Schools; and Democrats Craig Latimer, a former high-ranking Sheriff’s Office official and Busansky’s No. 2 in the current office, and Bob “Coach” Henriquez, a high school football coach, teacher, state bureaucrat and former state House member.

As I wrote in our print edition this week, I expect Gov. Crist to have to appoint a Republican, as he is embroiled in a primary election for the U.S. Senate nomination in 2010. If there is any good news for Latimer, a favorite among those who mourn the loss of Busansky, it is yesterday’s fundraising ass-whupping that Crist put on his challenger, Marco Rubio, that will take some pressure off Crist’s need to appoint a conservative Republican.

By Chris Ingram
PoHo contributor

An Open Letter to Sen. Saxby Chambliss:

Dear Senator:

We have known each other for many years, and I have always admired your conservative values and principles.

However, due to your recent endorsement of Charlie Crist in the open Florida U.S. Senate seat, which is a contested race among more than one Republican (including Marco Rubio), I now doubt your sincerity for honest and fair elections, not to mention good leadership and responsible government.

While perhaps you may have been too preoccupied finding ways to get yourself re-elected and weren’t paying attention when Charlie Crist fully embraced President Obama’s reckless and fiscally unsound “stimulus” plan, Floridians were watching.

And while Obama and the Democrats’ plan stinks, I must admit you and your fellow Republicans in Congress did a terrible job controlling spending during eight years of Bush Junior. I have previously referred to Congress’ spending ways as the PIMP (Plan for Incumbent Member Protection), as most congressional spending bills are basically nothing more than pork bills designed so members of Congress (and governors like Chuckles who embrace them) can get re-elected. In any event Chuckie went down to Ft. Myers, Florida earlier this year and PIMPed with Obama where they hugged and kissed Obama and America’s children got screwed. For that reason alone, I question your judgment and commitment to conservative values for having recently endorsed such a fraud of a candidate in Charlie Crist.

Additionally, you may not be aware of the fact that Too-Tan Charlie has nearly single-handedly wrecked free-market economics with what he has done with the state of homeowners insurance in this state. Florida you see is a peninsula surrounded by warm waters and is frequently hit with hurricanes (which are basically large masses of rapidly spinning air that destroy most things in their paths). Most experts (those are people who know more than you or say, Charlie Crist) say if Florida experiences a strong storm that hits a major metropolitan area, the economic damages will bankrupt the state because of Charlie’s policies and reliance on underfunded “Citizens Property Insurance.”

Furthermore, our state’s economy and local governments are in shambles due in part because of Charlie’s support of a constitutional amendment called Amendment 1. This change to our state’s constitution (that’s the governing document of the state — the U.S. has one, too, and you should read it) has long-term negative economic consequences, which Charlie probably is too dumb (I’m told he failed the State Bar twice) to even be aware of. But his pal Jim Greer knows how to read a poll – and not just the kind of pole found in strip clubs, but that’s a different matter you wouldn’t be aware being from Georgia and all. So anyhow, I reckon ol’ Jimbo has been telling Charlie Boy he shouldn’t want to be governor much longer because he’s really screwed things up and probably doesn’t know how to deal with the consequences when they come to light.

In short, back-slappin’ Charlie has been a terrible governor and would make an even worse U.S. senator — although at least in the Senate he would only be one of 100 and arguably would do far greater damage than as governor. Trouble is, most of the rest of you in Congress don’t show much spine or leadership either, so collectively he would be a bad addition to an already pathetic body.

In closing, Senator, let me remind you that last year in your general election run-off I made a donation of $250 to your campaign (I also raised several thousand dollars on your behalf from friends in the Tampa Bay area). I regret it now. In fact, I hereby request you return my contribution. I will then forward the money to the Marco Rubio campaign, as I believe Mr. Rubio represents the type of leadership, backbone, and conviction our country and my state so desperately need in these challenging times.

My address is on file with your campaign. Send the check there.

Sincerely disappointed in you and 99 percent of the rest of the G.O.P. “leadership,”

Chris Ingram

P.S. If you’re having trouble reading between the lines, my message is this: Butt out! You and your ilk have created the mess we’re in and we don’t need you telling us we need more like you to solve the problems you got us in.

Chris Ingram is president and founder of 411 Communications a corporate and political communications firm, and publisher of Irreverent View. Ingram is a frequent pundit on Fox News and CNN, and has written opinion columns for the Washington Times, UPI, Front Page Florida, and National Review online. E-mail him at: Chris@411Communications.net.

Rubio does have some interesting facets to his numbers. His campaign indicates he raised $144,000 through online donations, and contributors come from all 50 states. These numbers show a donor base that has clearly not reached its potential to give. Federal law limits campaign donations to $2,400 per person or political action committee for the primary and general elections. So most of Rubio’s supporters could give “again and again and again.”

Of course, if Crist reports $3 million this quarter, Rubio has to spend time asking “again and again and again,” while Crist can work to expand his donor base and reach out to more people.

The real problem

A recent poll indicated that Rubio can compete very well with Crist, polling in a virtual tie with the governor among Republicans who know both of them. But only about 2/5ths of Republicans in Florida have even heard of Rubio. And it will take a lot of money to raise that number substantially.

Florida has ten media markets where Rubio will have to buy advertising, including three of the top 20 in the nation. We are among the most expensive states in the country, and Crist will have enough money at his disposal to swamp Rubio on television.

To further add to Rubio’s problem, the National Republican Senatorial Committee has endorsed Crist, adding most of the national political action committees to Crist’s side of the ledger. Crist, as sitting governor, can also soften Rubio’s very strong base of groups on Tallahassee.

Rubio’s campaign is doing its best to make this sow’s ear look like a silk purse. He needed a strong first quarter and didn’t get it. I don’t think he will quit the race anytime soon, but if he doesn’t reach the $1 million this next quarter, he could be in for a very long, very brutal campaign that may not be good for the Republican Party.

In closing, I want to add that I like Marco Rubio. I personally wish Governor Crist had decided to run for re-election. If Rubio’s fundraising doesn’t improve, I hope he considers switching to run for Attorney General — a race without a strong GOP candidate.