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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsCharlie Crist to support legalization of medical marijuana. His law firm leads the campaign in FL.
ONE on ONE with Gov. Charlie CristVideo at the link.
"I am the same guy, I come from a party in my past, the leadership really has gone so hard right, it is not recognizable to me anymore, Crist says, and pretty intolerant to be honest, most Republicans are pretty main stream like my mom and dad who are still Republicans."
Crist says he is in favor of legalizing gay marriage and medical marijuana . He also says he would do a better job of taking care of teachers.
(My aside comment: Whoever wrote that first paragraph has one long huge run-on sentence. I taught my primary grades better than that.)
John Morgan of Morgan and Morgan law firm has lead the legalization campaign in Florida.
John Morgan, Obama fundraiser and Crist boss, to lead medical-pot initiative in FL
John Morgan, a major President Obama fundraiser and the boss of former Gov. Charlie Crist, is taking the reins of a Florida medical marijuana initiative, promising to pump major money and political muscle into the popular issue.
...Morgan said he hasn't spoken about the issue with Crist or Obama, with whom he had dinner Monday. And, he said, he doesnt care whether they support it or not.
...Morgan, head of the Morgan & Morgan firm, said hes going to lead the initiative for personal reasons: His father had struggled with cancer and emphysema, and only marijuana helped him.
He was tethered to machines and on all these drugs that he had no appetite, Morgan said. One of my brothers was able to get marijuana for him so he could eat and be happy.
Nan Rich, also a Democratic candidate, supports the issue as well. The problem for Nan is that Crist is the one leading Scott by 10 points.
Also posted at Twitter
searchingforlight
(1,401 posts)He was as bat sh-t crazy as the rest. How has he been rehabilitated?
madfloridian
(88,117 posts)I took advantage of Skinner's permission to advocate for him when he was an independent. You really have to consider the stances of most of our Florida Democrats before calling Crist bat-shit crazy.
If Bill Nelson jumps in the vote will split, and Rick Scott will win.
Bill opposes medical pot.
http://www.examiner.com/article/bill-nelson-s-response-to-my-letter-on-marijuana-legalization
Nelson has never responded to any of us who thought outside the Democratic box here, I mean those of us who have been labeled liberal.
There are many of us who support Crist this time around, knowing full well we do not agree with all of stances. That's the key....some of his stances are more to the left than those of the FL Dem leaders.
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)elections. Maybe then they will reconsider. That is the only thing they understand, besides dollar signs.
madfloridian
(88,117 posts)They must not refuse to consider a change of mind.
Eleanors38
(18,318 posts)As Florida goes, so goes the nation. The Marijuana Policy Project is using the "Lotto Model" of legalization: ""Hell, I ain't gonna watch our state's revenues go over the border to ___________."
tavernier
(12,368 posts)He carries little weight with me.
madfloridian
(88,117 posts)Maybe because I am not much of one to toe the Florida Democratic line. The experiences we had during the Dean campaign, the way they treated us, nearly drove us out of the party then. Not once have I had a satisfactory conversation with his aides.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)madfloridian
(88,117 posts)retread
(3,760 posts)madfloridian
(88,117 posts)It was stating a fact. I have written post after post through the years about how the party has, with the help of national Democrats, pushed progressive after progressive out of primaries. Good people, intelligent ones.
retread
(3,760 posts)in a 50-50 state like Florida. The state Democratic party is one of the major ones.
Because of voter dislike of Rick Scott, the state party will have to work hard to
snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Nominating Chain Gang Charlie is a huge step in
that direction.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)retread
(3,760 posts)Chain Gang Charlie has. He is nothing if not a political wind sock.
liberal_at_heart
(12,081 posts)it's what popular or ignoring the voters who you represent you and not changing your stance on an issue that is important to your constituents. Whether Crist is genuine or not, voters are pissed that democrats refuse to address the marijuana issue and they will begin to pay for it at the polls.
NCTraveler
(30,481 posts)He has become a democrat and changed many positions simply because he is power hungry. The democrats in this state and nationally have enabled him. He is a asshole of the highest magnitude. I am sick to death of embracing true republicans. It is not his law firm. He took a cushy position after he left the Governors Mansion.
madfloridian
(88,117 posts)Through the years I have contacted his office and been rebuffed every time...starting with the Iraq invasion.
FloriTexan
(838 posts)madfloridian
(88,117 posts)Thanks.
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)Florida residents, have you signed the petition?
www.unitedforcare.com
madfloridian
(88,117 posts)stevenleser
(32,886 posts)I say that as someone who has met him, who knows people who went to H.S. with him and who has met and spoken with his father.
IMHO, he was never a Republican. Actually, I take that back, he was at most an Eisenhower Republican and that is well within the Democratic Party as of the last 33 years.
madfloridian
(88,117 posts)Most in my family are Republican. I would call them Eisenhower Republicans. My parents were the exception in being Democrats. I have no problem voting for him at all. He is a very nice person who was in the wrong party.
retread
(3,760 posts)Feb 9 2010 press release: "Crist: I'm a True Blue Reagan Conservative."
Interview with Newsmax: "I'm an anti-tax, pro-life, pro-gun Republican"
2010 Crist website: "Charlie Crist supports making the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent."
A- rating by NRA
2006 run for Gov.: "anti-abortion politician"
2010 when asked if he supported Obama's budget:"Absolutely not. It's unbelievable. They just
spend and spend and spend and tax and tax and tax. That's
exactly the opposite of what we're doing in Florida."
Opposed "Obamacare": "Number one, it would raise the rates people would have to pay
for health insurance. Number two, it would raise taxes..."
His record on "school choice" initiatives is extremely poor and last year at the Democratic convention he referred to
himself as a"Jeb Bush Republican."
Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)That means he'll tailor his agenda to suck up to his base, in this case it would be Democrats.
He also had glimmers of decency as a Republican--he worked on making it easier to vote and to protect the Everglades.
Was full of shit on other issues on which he's now flip-flopped, but, that was him being a hack, not a true believer wingnut.
Tuesday Afternoon
(56,912 posts)thanks for posting it.
madfloridian
(88,117 posts)Share away.
Tuesday Afternoon
(56,912 posts)I mean ... I already did
madfloridian
(88,117 posts)fredamae
(4,458 posts)"Chain Gang Charlie"???
retread
(3,760 posts)madfloridian
(88,117 posts)Thankfully it had only 4 recs and 8 tips. It was not appreciated by most there at the time.
fredamae
(4,458 posts)I thought that reference was just "snark".
Thank you for the link...
Ganja Ninja
(15,953 posts)The Republican AG Pam Bondi is thoughtlessly trying to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot to stop medical Marijuana. A move no doubt motivated by cynical political calculation rather than any real evaluation of the merits medical Marijuana.
madfloridian
(88,117 posts)Unfortunately the judges there will most likely agree with her.
Ganja Ninja
(15,953 posts)My bad.