On a conference call with reporters in a few minutes, Florida Republican Party Chair Jim Greer is expected to step down from the chairmanship Gov. Charlie Crist gave him in 2007. The move leaves Crist without one of his most important allies, and supporters of Marco Rubio with real hope they can defeat Crist in this year's primary.Why wouldn't the GOP chair honestly be supporting the incumbent Governor in a Senate run...especially one who appointed him to the position? But the Teabaggers have Hoffmaned Greer right out of the party. The problem is, Crist is still Governor. This means whoever Crist appoints, the Rubio guys are going to attack, or demand that the state GOP stay out of the primary altogether.
It's hard to overstate the importance of this resignation to the national GOP landscape.
Florida is shaping up to be the epicenter of the intraparty GOP war in 2010, and the resignation of Greer suggests the battle is tilting toward the ultra-conservatives on the tea party side of the line. Ever since Crist entered the Senate race, Rubio backers have accused Greer of turning the state party into an arm of the Crist campaign. Crist and Greer are longtime political friends, and Greer made it clear from the get-go that he supported Crist over Rubio (he promised to run the party objectively, however.) Rubio backers began to attack him and call for his resignation. Now -- over Crist's objections -- they appear to have gotten their wish.
Yeah, that'll motivate the Republican machine in the Sunshine State. Support the teabagger whackjob or we bury you!
Crist is starting to get into real trouble here in Florida, and Kendrick Meek is wisely staying out of the mess. The problem is Rubio's now winning against Meek, too.
The whole race therefore is moving to the right, really quickly.
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