Crist: 'Zero' chance of leaving Senate race

It's the rumor that won't go away: In the face of a tougher-than-expected primary challenge from Marco Rubio, right, Charlie Crist could drop out of the Senate race and run instead for re-election as governor.

Last week alone Joe Scarborough raised the prospect on his MSNBC show, and former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley spread the rumor on his Facebook page.

Forget it. We asked Crist about the chances of that happening a couple of months ago. "Zero," said Crist, who again last week brushed off the rumor. "There's nothing to it," he told the Palm Beach Post.

Republican gubernatorial frontrunner Bill McCollum also has considered the prospect of Crist running for re-election. Asked this weekend if he would step aside out if Crist ran for re-election, McCollum did not hesitate: "No."

No party change, either

The other Crist speculation is that he could decide he's in so much trouble among Republican primary voters, that he pulls an Arlen Specter and runs as a Democrat or under no party affiliation. Or even that if he loses the Aug. 24 primary he might pull a Joe Lieberman, and after losing the primary run again as an independent candidate.

Again, forget it. Candidates can't change the party affiliation within seven months of qualifying for federal office, and April 30 is the final day for qualifying.

Meek on 'Connections'

Check out Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek on Political Connections today on Bay News 9 at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Meek was the main force behind the class-size amendment that many school administrators and state leaders wish offered more flexibility. He argues that lawmakers do have the ability to provide added flexibility without actually amending the state Constitution, but that rolling it back would be a disservice.

Meek's family is not living with class-size restrictions because his kids go to private school in the Washington area. He makes no apologies, saying the amendment was never about him.

"Yes they do go to private school in D.C., and I'm proud they are there with me and my wife," he says in the Political Connections interview. "But we spend most of our time in Florida, but I can tell you this. I'm concerned about all these kids. I was a (state) senator when that passed. My kids were going to be fine: 'Sure, senator, we'll put your kids in an ideal situation.' And many elected in power have that (advantage).

Day leads GOP field

If the election for state party chairman were held this weekend, it's likely Republican National committeewoman Sharon Day of Fort Lauderdale would have won, because of her long connection with party activists. State Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, is the choice of most party elites, but he's not so well known among the county GOP leaders.

Day is well respected by all sides, but Thrasher supporters invariably ask the same question: Is she capable of raising the $40 million that party intends to raise over the next seven months?

At the time, not such a bad idea

Thrasher faces some criticism for having donated a $500 check to Democrat Alex Sink. Then-lobbyist Thrasher wrote that check in February to Sink's chief financial officer re-election campaign. In June, a few weeks after Sink started running for governor, she refunded Thrasher $460, apparently the pro-rated amount of his donation.

Adam C. Smith can be reached at asmith@sptimes.com and followed on Twitter at adamsmithtimes.