Tampabay.com
AUGUST 11, 2007

GOP backs Greer

Buzz is at the Iowa straw poll today (where Ron Paul and Mitt have huge shows of support and where Pinellas' Bobby Schindler is campaigning for Sam Brownback), but talked to Jim Greer about today's RPOF quarterly meeting in Orlando. By a 28-4 vote, Greer said, he party regulars agreed he should:

1) Push to send a full slate of 114 delegates to the convention in Minneapolis. 2) pick the 57 delegates himself if the state GOP is penalized for its early primary and 3)that those delegates would be at large - representing the statewide Florida vote, rather than results by congressional district.

"I dont believe any national political party is going to penalize a state like Florida and stifle the voters of a state like Florida,'' the chairman said.

UPDATE: The Rudy Giuliani campaign, the likely chief beneficiary of a winner-take-all delegate scenario, is first with a statement: “Rudy Giuliani is the Republican candidate who will win Florida’s primary and general elections.  We applaud the actions that Chairman Greer and the Republican Party of Florida have taken to strengthen Florida's position in the nominating process and look forward to competing throughout the state,” said Giuliani Senior Advisor Tony Carbonetti.

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