May 19, 2010

Here's proof that Gov. Charlie Crist is enjoying his newfound freedom as a candidate untethered to a party platform. On Tuesday he met with the promoters of the Fair Districts amendment and did what no powerful Republican would ever do: he endorsed two constitutional amendments that would ban incumbency protection when the Republican-controlled legislature rewrites the political boundaries after the 2012 reapportionment.

“I like Fair Districts, I signed onto it yesterday with Ellen Freidin and my friend Phil," Crist said Wednesday at a Miami Herald editorial board meeting. Freidin is the director of the Fair Districts Florida, and her husband Phil Freidin, is a Miami trial lawyer. The group, supported heavily by Democratic organizations, has put Amendments 5 and 6 on the November ballot to force lawmakers to redraw the district lines without favoring incumbents or the political party in power.

Crist said he opposes the alternate redistricting amendment put on the ballot by the Republican-led legislature, Amendment 7. Lawmakers said it was needed to "clarify" and preserve minority districts but supporters, including most minority Democrats in the legislature, said it guts the amendments.

The governor called the legislature's amendment a "silver bullet" and said he would have vetoed it if the Constitution hadn't allowed lawmakers to escape his reach by putting it directly on the ballot. Meanwhile, Crist was asked to assess the legislative session. He smiled, paused and said, “They can all always be better. I think the members try hard. I think it took a hard right turn...at the end though, that was disappointing. It wasn’t necessary.''