From a fundraising solitication from Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek: Former state House Speaker Marco Rubio has struck a chord with some Floridians by articulating an ultra conservative vision for our state.  Though I disagree with my potential opponent's positions, I appreciate his conviction.

The governor, in contrast, belongs to the Charlie Crist Party where public policy decisions are poll driven and focus group tested.  To call Governor Crist a moderate is unfair to true moderates who are guided by political philosophy rooted in principle, not political calculation....

...As I travelled the state this August in a rental car talking to Floridians who are undergoing real life challenges, the governor was jetting across the state in a plane paid for by our tax dollars interviewing would be replacements for the Senate who didn't stand a chance of receiving the appointment - making a mockery of the high responsibility he was afforded.  The Tampa Tribune editorialized, "Gov. Charlie Crist did what he usually does: what's best for Charlie."

Republicans engaged in a heated primary are getting to know the true Charlie Crist.  Similarly, the rest of us are learning the smiling Charlie Crist we see on our television sets a little too often continues to put his agenda before the state's needs.

Florida doesn't need a perpetual candidate representing us who is more concerned with climbing the next rung of the political ladder than leading during trying times. They need someone who fights for all of us.