Phil Ammann
As Charlie Crist announces his bid for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, opponents once again gear up for battle with the former GOP governor.
Coming from the pro-Republican America Rising PAC is a handy primer on the “Top Five Things to Know about Charlie Crist.”
Calling Crist “ever the political opportunist,” the list dusts off several charges levied over the years against Florida’s newest Democratic congressional candidate; none of which are unfamiliar (or unexpected) to those who have followed Crist’s political career.
Among the attacks: Crist – a “perennial loser” – will say or do anything to get elected; that he has no ideological core, particularly after switching parties “several times,” and he is a “flip-flopper extraordinaire,” especially when confronted on his record and motives.
Yadda, yadda, yadda.
The brief website blurb ends by suggesting that after a decade of electoral losses, Crist should actually apologize to Florida voters instead of asking for their vote. To hammer home the point, the post shows a GIF of Crist throwing a pitch that is considerably high and outside.
“At his announcement today, Charlie Crist said, ‘Washington does not listen to the people,’ but Crist might want to consider the fact that he’s the one not listening to the people, who have rejected him statewide twice in four years. His career is a political embarrassment, which in politics is saying something,” Jeff Bechdel, America Rising PAC communications director, said in a prepared statement Tuesday. “The people of Florida deserve better than a man willing to flip-flop on every issue under the Florida sun to get elected.”
America Rising was created in spring 2013 with a mission to “expose the truth about Democrats” through tools such as video tracking, opposition research and communications. On its website, the group vows to “catalog every Democratic utterance,” to hold them accountable.
Since they are an Internet-based organization, America Rising has a long memory, and are certainly unafraid to use it.
