Gov. Charlie Crist issued a two-sentence statement, voicing disappointment with House Speaker Marco Rubio's decision to challenge the Seminole gambling compact -- and to ask the Supreme Court to decide whether lawmakers should ratify it. Crist's chief of staff, George LeMieux, wasn't so restrained.

"It's easy to be a critic," LeMieux said Monday, as he plopped a copy of Rubio's court petition on his desk. "It's disappointing because the governor is trying to show leadership, and it's not an easy situation ... We were put in a situation with the federal government where the governor felt like he didn't have a choice." LeMieux said Crist negotiated the best deal he could with the state, including a guarantee of at least $100-million a year in revenue to the state.

Whether Crist had a choice is vigorously debated. What is clear is that the gloves now appear to have been pulled completely off in the long-simmering tensions between the two Republicans in the House speaker's office and the governor's office.

"Often times, it's easier to throw rocks than to be a leader," LeMieux said.