The Crist-Ballard-McCain axis of influence

Gov. Charlie Crist is campaigning out of state for the next two days with John McCain in advance of the Super Tuesday election results. Joining them is Tallahassee lawyer-lobbyist Brian Ballard, a Crist ally and leading Florida fund-raiser for McCain. Read the full story here.

Comments

who's your daddy Steve?

Chuck doesn’t even know he’s “out of state”, cause he’s never actually been here. HEY CHUCK!… Any chance you might actually stop by your office in 2008?

This over-tanned schmuck has surpassed pathetic.

Hey Steve, wasnt Smith Ballard doing pretty well befor Charlie? To be fair they have paid their dues for a long time.

I believe the article accurately reflected that.

Thank God for McCain. The more time he keeps Cristi out of our state, the better!

Interesting story. Pretty funny. But how is this news?

[zzenator]

No question that Brain is the big dog and deserves to be, since he is smart, hard working and tough. He also knows how to raise the coin better than anyone. It also seems that he knows how to work the press. Who else could have gotten a puff piece like this out of the SPT?

I'm sure Charlie pays just as much attention to the state as he does his daughter.

What able all the guys at Smith & Ballard who actually do the work, the guys responsible for that $8 million last year? I wonder if they would give the same glowing commentary about Brian? Those guys work hard but Brian gets the glory because completely self-focused in all that he does.

Hey Steve, how much insider information did Brian Ballard agree to leak to the St Pete Times in exchange for this story?

The only way I will vote for McCain for President is if CC is the running mate. I see this as the only way to get rid of CC before the next election.

[Sal]

Can someone ask Brian if he has any clue as to who is running our state? We obviously do not have a Governor, and we have a collective of corporate puppets that goes by the name of the Legislature… but most people don’t know who is in charge.

Ballard owns the governor's office, and ALL 160 legislators. Enough said.

I think bousquet got a room in ballard's new mansion. Can i get one too?

FAC pays Ballard $50,000 a year, even though he worked for Amendment 1, thus cutting into their bread and butter? Wow, what a perverted system.

Jim Greer is the greatest leader our state has ever seen.

Jim Greer is the worst leader our state has ever seen.

[Dee]

as a conservative I am done working for and donating to the Republican Party of Florida. McAmnesty will not get my support or vote either.

I hope the Amnesty & North American Union triangle of crist/Fidel Mel/McAmnesty goes down before the state and nation do.

you want higher property taxes just keep bringing in the illegal aliens and others who don't pay enough in taxes of every kind to send a single child to school much less get everyone medicated and otherwise provided for in one foreign language or another.

what do these guys have against the rule of law. why do they think all these people want to leave south america and mexico if it is such a great place full of wonderful productive people? we are importing their corruption not creativity and competence just take a look at MS-13 and the mexican drug cartels. great job mel and the rest of the cubans with the right to vote who support him, great job!

You'd think that Steve Bousquet might ask his buddy Brian how he can provide service to that many clients. Perhaps he knew he wouldn't like the answer. Ballard's clients complain all the time that he won't even return their phone calls. I know this because I used to work for one of those clients. In the long haul, success is measured by serving your customers, not just accumulating them. There's a novel idea.

11:53 - Are you actually asking that Steve do some real work?

Here's what I don't get. Brian spent all of this year "fund raising" for Amendment 1. All across the state, counties have been freaking out because the amendment is going to steal money their budgets.

Here's the kicker, Ballard REPRESENTS the Florida Association of Counties! How do you take money from your clients and then lobby against them?! Even worse, why hasn't the media questioned this?

Steve, no mention of George? No comments about how the Maestro strategically advised Governor Crist on the exact timing of his endorsement of McCain. Now talk about his influence and leadership in the passing of amendment 1?

Oh, that's right. That's because your boy Brian knifed George in the back and usurped his role as Charlie's chief adviser. That doesn't make for warn fuzzy reading in your article, does it. "Greedy lobbyist climbs over the still-warm bodies of former friends to advance his career" just doesn't have the same ring to it.

That would be a question for the FAC - maybe they are just hedging...

There are a lot of wild imaginations on this blog

Why skirt around the real issue? Is everyone content with the fact that this is a story of pure and unapolgetic influence peddling? That the special interests who can afford to pay for access run Florida government and the ordinary citizen gets screwed? Does anyone realize that this is the basic reason why Florida insurance and taxing systems are totally out of whack? I am disgusted with the lightweights who always want to talk simple politics and totally miss out on the larger issues. There simply is no share in Tallahassee or on this blog site. Signed - A very disgusted Republican

I heard Crist was a Rudy supporter and he had Greer raise money for Rudy. What happened?

1:56 - What happened was that Brian Ballard waited for George to step away (meeting secretly with Rudy's people and Mitt's people). He then seized his power-play opportunity by convincing Charlie to abandon his Maestro and trade his endorsement for a guaranteed VP short listing. He made Charlie look like a champ and George look like a chump, in one swoop.

Ah, politics at its worst...

yeah wasnt greer all over the Rudy people at P4?

greer was for rudy???

No one is more loyal and been a bigger help to Charlie. All the folks attacking Brian on this blog would love to have what he has earned. I have worked with him fo years and he is a great guy and one of the hardest workers I know. Good job Daddy!!!!!!!

George and the Ballard are good friends despite the crap on this thread. They supported differant people for prez but big deal. George wins his share so please stop all the BS about how George got screwed, George is fine.

Turbo rules!!!!!!!!!

3:18, With friends like Ballard, who needs enemas?

6:07 your comments just show where your mind is. Not everything is about sex. There are support groups for people like you.