Charlie Crist is no progressive.
"I'm as conservative as any governor. I'm chain gang Charlie. I'm pro-gun. I'm pro life,"
There is a true progressive in the Florida Senate race, and he is being all but ignored by the progressive community. Kendrick Meek needs and deserves the support of everyone who is looking to put better Democrats in Congress.
Meek is the one Florida Senate Candidate who remains just as committed today as he has always been to keeping oil rigs away from Florida's fragile coasts. Unlike Charlie Crist who
... even evoked childhood memories of cleaning birds after an oil spill in Tampa Bay. He has expressed adamant opposition to drilling throughout his career, from state senator to education commissioner to U.S. Senate candidate to attorney general.
But on Tuesday, he joined presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain in calling for an end to a 26-year federal ban on drilling, saying states should decide whether to allow rigs off their coasts, subject to safety and environmental restrictions.
Well, let's just say Charlie wants us to believe that he's back with us right now, but we know that Kendrick Meek has always been on our side against offshore drilling.
Meek is now and always has been a strong progressive and he comes down on the right side on an impressive number of issues.
- Meek strongly supports repeal of DADT.
- Supports gay marriage.
- Pro choice.
- 100% NARAL rating. Rated 10% by Christian Coalition.
- Strong environmental record.
- Voted against oil refineries, for energy independence.
- Strong pro working families record.
- Co-sponsored Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
- Voted against CAFTA.
- Progressive on immigration.
- Progressive on taxation
- NO on retroactive telecom immunity
- Defender of Social Security
And as a State Senator
he became famous for championing the Class Size Amendment and for leading a sit in Governor Jeb Bush's office to protest the One Florida initiative that basically did away with affirmative action at state schools.
The list goes on. Pick an issue. I found that Meek shares my values and ideals many of my priorities. Even on issues where we disagree, I find that his reasoning is fact based and defensible.
No Party Charlie Crist is no progressive. It's true that he's not exactly a raging right winger like Rubio (or is he?) but he will never amount to a reliable progressive vote.
So, we can have in Senator Crist another Lieberdem - a guy who might sometimes vote our way, but who will always have great leverage over us and our priorities, or we can support a true progressive candidate.
Meek is not a compromise candidate - he is progressive. He is not a typical triangulating centrist, and certainly not a right-center wishy washy GOP today Dem tomorrow flip flopper like Charlie Crist. Kendrick Meek is a true progressive champion who we can count on for the next 6 years.
The truth is that we really have no idea how No Party Charlie might vote. On the other hand, we know we can count on Kendrick Meek to support our causes. But only if we support him now.
Kendrick Meek is and always has been a strong progressive. He believes in and fights for progressive ideals. He deserves the support of this progressive community.
The Kendrick Meek Campaign needs money and volunteers.