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Nov 5, 2009 9:22 pm US/Eastern
Crist Facing Questions Over Stimulus Support
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) ―
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Florida Governor Charlie Crist speaks to the media during a visit to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Hurricane Center September 4, 2009 in Miami, Florida.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Governor Charlie Crist is facing a stiff challenge from his more conservative rival Marco Rubio in the race for the U.S. Senate. One area that Crist is having trouble with is his support for the $787 billion stimulus package enacted earlier in 2009. Crist endorsed the bill at the time and asked congressional Republicans to vote for, but now says he wouldn't have voted for it, but still embraces it.
Crist, like other politicians who voted against the stimulus but then accepted billions from the federal government, has tried to tap dance around the issue. But, Rubio has been hammering away at Crist, using a picture of Obama and Crist embracing against the governor.
The problem Crist faces is similar to the one that appeared for the Republican candidate for the 23rd Congressional District in New York last Tuesday. The Republican candidate was outflanked for being too moderate and eventually dropped out of the race and supported the Democratic candidate.
Conservative activists like Sarah Palin and Fred Thompson all pushed for the more conservative candidate to win. A Democrat eventually won the race, marking the first time since the Ulysses S. Grant administration that a Democrat represented that district.
Governor Crist has used a nuanced argument saying that once the bill passed, a politician should do everything they can to secure the money for Florida, regardless of whether or not they supported the bill. Over a three-year period, Florida will receive $15.7 billion in stimulus funds. Without the funds, massive spending cuts would have been needed across the board for state of Florida workers.
(© MMIX CBS Television Stations. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report)
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