Greer: RPOF is 'neutral' in U.S. Senate primary
Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer, facing intense and growing backlash over meddling in the U.S. Senate primary, is backing off.
In a letter to party supporters tonight, Greer defends his actions but said the party is now "neutral" in the contest between Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio.
"Now it is true that my conversation with my National Committee colleagues, although considered to be confidential at the time, was immediately disclosed to the press for motives I do not understand, let me conclude relating to this issue that the rule letter 11 matter is over, the National Committeewoman did as reported, refuse to sign and I do not intend to pursue the matter any further. As it relates to the Senatorial primary, the State party is neutral, no resources have been provided to one candidate over another and although I will personally support Governor Crist, I have great respect for former Speaker Rubio and his long service to our Party."
Greer's full letter, which also addresses the governor's race, is in the jump.
Dear State Committee Members,
I wanted to take this opportunity to provide each of you as brief update on several initiatives that the State Party has undertaken along with addressing certain concerns relating to Florida’s upcoming elections.
First, I am currently in Washington D.C. at the RNC State Chairmen’s meeting and I was honored to be asked by the RNC to speak to other State Chairs regarding best practices of our State Party and some of the other projects which Florida has implemented which continues to make the Florida GOP a recognized leader among the states. Each member of the state committee can be proud that through your leadership many people here at the conference comment to me that Florida’s programs such as minority voter outreach, fundraising and communications are among the best.
In addition our DriveTheDiscussion.com website and upcoming kick-off is getting much attention and we have had over 10,000 hits to the website with many new contacts along with preparation for our upcoming youth conference. I believe that this DriveTheDiscussion.com communications network along with other components will become recognized nationally which will once again show that the RPOF leads the way.
As many of you know, I have always focused on issues I believe are important to the Party’s overall success and, ultimately winning elections. Maintaining my focus on these important issues and ensuring that the staff did the same has kept me from engaging in issues that some wished to promote for motives that may not have always been in the best interest of the Party, or in many cases simply was due to a lack of credible information. This brings me to the discussions surrounding the party’s endorsement and support during potential primary’s and RNC Rule 11 along with our own RPOF Rule 9. While a small group apparently has promoted certain information which has caused concern, I wish to take a moment to clarify and provide you with accurate information.
As Governor Crist made his decision to seek the Senate seat, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) made a decision to endorse and fully support Governor Crist in the Senate race regardless of primary election considerations. In addition, many leading Republicans immediately followed with their individual and collective endorsements. In as much as the Senatorial Committee endorsed Charlie Crist and because he is an incumbent Republican Governor who has provided unprecedented support of the Party’s financial needs and grassroots programs, it was appropriate in my opinion, to inquire if the National Committeewoman and National Committeeman would be in support of a Rule 11 letter (which has been done before in other GOP federal elections primaries, most recently for Congressman Bill Posey). I would also note that a rule 11 letter has nothing to do with the state party. It is simply a designation by the RNC and in fact due to the Senatorial Committees endorsement had little relevancy but would have been more of a procedural matter. Now it is true that my conversation with my National Committee colleagues, although considered to be confidential at the time, was immediately disclosed to the press for motives I do not understand, let me conclude relating to this issue that the rule letter 11 matter is over, the National Committeewoman did as reported, refuse to sign and I do not intend to pursue the matter any further. As it relates to the Senatorial primary, the State party is neutral, no resources have been provided to one candidate over another and although I will personally support Governor Crist, I have great respect for former Speaker Rubio and his long service to our Party.
Now as it relates to the Governor’s race, I have from the very beginning believed that the Democrats would unite around Alex Sink as they have done, avoiding a costly primary and be fully financed and prepared to challenge our Republican nominee in the general election. As Chairman, I met with and had several discussions with all the potential candidates for Governor and emphasized my belief that in this unique time, and with redistricting approaching, I needed to promote and provide leadership in insuring that our Party was unified behind one candidate for Governor and that all resources be available to combat the democrat campaign which would be formidable. After, meeting with and evaluating all of the circumstances, it became my belief that Attorney General Bill McCollum was the candidate in which “all rivers were flowing towards”. I then proceeded to insure that the Attorney General had a strong showing of support including myself at his announcement this past Monday! While my attendance did not convey official party support, I did make it clear that as Chairman all steps would be taken to unite behind General McCollum while at the same time recognizing the public service of Commissioner Bronson and the other great Republicans who considered running for Governor. I make no apologies for this decision, as I believe to do anything less would have provided our party with a significant disadvantage in the general election due to having a costly and combative primary! I would note that 15 minutes after Alex Sink declared her candidacy for Governor, the Chairman of the Florida Democrat party along with other leading democrats issued a state of endorsement and united support.
In conclusion, I would first like to thank those of you that have spoken with me by phone and email regarding these issues including those in support of my decisions and those adamantly opposed. I have been committed since becoming Chairman to providing information to the state committee more than ever before and seeking opinions and dialogue to the decisions that I am required to make as your Chairman. This is why I have taken the time to communicate to each of you through this email. It is time that our party and its leaders focus on what is important and that is winning elections and discussing the issues that are important to the voters such as the economy, health care, employment opportunities and education. Primary elections are in most cases good and provide for political discussion as in the Senate race and others, but in unique circumstances such as the Governor’s race where the Democrats will have none, I and all of us have a responsibility to WIN!!!
It is an honor to serve as your Chairman and I thank you for taking the time to read this important correspondence.
Thanks,
Jim
From the writers of the St. Petersburg Times, The Buzz offers the latest news in Florida politics. This is a public forum sponsored and maintained by the St. Petersburg Times. When you post comments here, what you say becomes public and could appear in the newspaper. You are not engaging in private communication with candidates or Times staffers.
Interestin'.
Posted by: Paul D. Harvill | May 20, 2009 at 08:24 PM
Mr. Greer, your actions have hurt the party. Resign now.
Posted by: bye bye | May 20, 2009 at 08:27 PM
I smell blood - this sorry SOB is running scared - Charlie backed off and told him to back down. He got smacked like the whiping boy he is.
Posted by: RPOF Member | May 20, 2009 at 08:28 PM
Oh and by the way jim ol'boy it is rule 8 not 9 you would think as chairman you would know the rules. I guess those rules are for other people though and not you.
Posted by: RPOF Member | May 20, 2009 at 08:32 PM
This letter is hostile to Sharon Day, a great American who stood up to this bully. If Crist doesn't remove Greer which he has the power to do, blame Crist for this entire mess.
Posted by: May Day! | May 20, 2009 at 08:35 PM
Why was the conversation confidential? What BS is that? Crist needs to remove this dolt of suffer the consequences.
Posted by: dolt | May 20, 2009 at 08:37 PM
Democratic Party co-chairs are Chang and Eng
Posted by: If u think Mormons are icky wait until you see Sink | May 20, 2009 at 08:42 PM
Jim, how much pressure was placed by you and yours on local party chairs for speaking their mind in this matter? A whole lot... the party needs better leadership now.
Posted by: go | May 20, 2009 at 08:48 PM
Greer you are a disgrace to the Republican party! We are tired of your bully tactics, unscrupulous behavior, lying, and money fraud! Do us all a favor and leave Florida! Go fishing in the Bermuda Triangle and take Crist, Rubio, Martinez, Sansom, Rivera, Zapata and all the weak RINOs with you! Don't forget to invite all of Charlie's Democrat buddies and Obama bin Laden! GET OUT!
Posted by: GOP Committeewoman | May 20, 2009 at 09:04 PM
This letter once again shows Jim Greer is a great Chairman and the Anti-Greer and Crist haters are morons... Thank you Chairman for providing real leadership. We might just win !!!
Posted by: Minney P | May 20, 2009 at 09:53 PM
Who cares, if none of the parties wanted spirited primary campaigns to gin up the base, then lets support a constitutional amendment eliminating primary elections and just let the parties tell us our nominees will be.
Of course, I'm changing my status to NPA. I'll beat them to the punch.
Posted by: Really? | May 20, 2009 at 09:58 PM
Perhaps Greer, and all those who aspire to leadership via concent of the governed, should read some Hobbs, whi states quite simply: "A multitude of men, are made one person, when ther are by one man, or one person, represented...And if the number of respresentative consists of many men, the voice of the greater number, must be considered the voice of them all."
Authority is granted in "stint" or it is limited, according to Hobbs. Since there is an RPOF constitution and rules, it is by stint. Too many "I's" in Greer statements to subcribe to the above as he should have.
I digress and we should move on. Many have spoken, and the river has altered course. Activism works.
Posted by: ipsofacto | May 20, 2009 at 10:20 PM
It isn't going to work this time. The stakes are too high and the tired old political games won't work. Crist is going down.
Posted by: | May 20, 2009 at 10:23 PM
When past chairs cleared the field, it was done quietly, not in the newspapers. What a buffoon.
Posted by: Samuel | May 20, 2009 at 10:28 PM
Lets all thank the BIG Mouth Sharon Day for making this issue public!!!! Kick her out NOW......
Posted by: Broward 1 | May 20, 2009 at 10:33 PM
The state party is now "neutral" and Charlie Crist is now a "conservative".
Posted by: right | May 20, 2009 at 10:33 PM
Too little too late! Too much 'explaining' in this letter, not enough apologizing. Too critical of others, and too much 'tooting your own horn'. Way too hard to dig your way out of this one. Especially with this letter. You need to go!
Posted by: Arrogance will bring down this Party, Look at Sansom! | May 20, 2009 at 10:42 PM
Too little too late! Too much 'explaining' in this letter, not enough apologizing. Too critical of others, and too much 'tooting your own horn'. Way too hard to dig your way out of this one. Especially with this letter. You need to go!
Posted by: Arrogance will bring down this Party, Look at Sansom! | May 20, 2009 at 10:43 PM
The fact is that Crist is in trouble and he tried to use party rules to accomplish what he is seemingly afraid he can't do on his own. There is time for Crist to shape up, but if this continues, Rubio will win.
Posted by: Crist the Coward | May 20, 2009 at 10:46 PM
10:33
Although I don't really care too much for Sharon Day, at least it's about time she pulled her head out of her doo doo hole and did the right thing.
We'll give her a little repentance.
Posted by: terminator | May 20, 2009 at 10:49 PM
Terminator, that comment sums up all of the dignity and decorum of the republican party. Perhaps, instead of an elephant, the new rebranded symbol of the republican party should be a baby rattle.
Posted by: Your party is a bad joke. | May 20, 2009 at 11:03 PM
This letter was lacking in humility and a genuinely apologetic tone.
What one does not possess one cannot give.
Posted by: The party needs leadership badly | May 20, 2009 at 11:17 PM
STOP TRADING BLOOD FOR OIL! NO MORE BLOOD FOR OIL!
Posted by: J. Kritch | May 20, 2009 at 11:43 PM
The Crist campaign is located at the Republican Party headquarters in Tallahassee.
The Rubio campaign is located in the middle seat on Southwest Airlines or in a car on the Turnpike.
Posted by: Greer: Germany was neutral in WWII | May 20, 2009 at 11:48 PM
Greer (or his driver) needs to get lost on the way to the headquarters one day.
Posted by: turn the car around | May 21, 2009 at 12:18 AM
Hey, Greer, to go to the press with this proves what a sorry leader you are. You should resign before you can do any more damage.
Posted by: Joe Kidd | May 21, 2009 at 12:29 AM
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/05/20/meet-marco-rubio-the-man-republicans-are-pushing-aside/
Gov. Crist for the U.S. Senate? Or strong leadership as exemplified in former Speaker Marco Rubio.
Posted by: Weigh the candidates in the U.S. Senate race | May 21, 2009 at 12:33 AM
12:18am his drivers name is Jeremy and they are so rarely in Tallahassee to start that wouldn't help. The way to get rid of them would be to cut off the credit cards and expense reports.
Posted by: FYI | May 21, 2009 at 01:09 AM
Well, apparently Chuckles the Clown saw the writing on the wall and had to correct Fat Greer's marching orders.
Greer is still a complete disgrace as are his puppeteers Chuckles the Clown and LeFrog. This little futile attempt at a mea culpa needs to be seen for what it is (a ploy to save himself) and the calls for his removal must continue.
As for Sharon Day, she must be fuming at Greer for basically outing her as the snitch behind the leak of the so-called "confidential conversation." Good for her, and I hope she goes after him for it.
Prediction that you will read here first: Sharon is positioning herself to succeed the grotesque Greer as chairman. She doesn't need to leave her post as RNC secretary and would be able to run the show at the RPOF.
It must be noted that she herself is not the noblest of players. The previous chairman, Carole Jean Jordan, made her the National Committeewoman, and then Sharon turned around and backstabbed her by supporting Greer for Chairman in 2007 at the behest of Chuckles the Clown. Regardless, Greer and company seem to have stepped on Sharon's toes, which explain her turning on them, and if she succeeds in unseating Greer, she or whoever else would be a huge improvement.
Posted by: CRIST=SPECTER | May 21, 2009 at 01:23 AM
Who knows how all of this will play out, but the fact is Greer will not be Chairman forever and that is a very good thing. To call him arrogant and misguided would be a tremendous understatement. The man is lost in his own mind. His narcissim is clinical.
I don't know Sharon Day much at all, but I hope she's tough enough to handle Greer's attempts at revenge... And he will attempt
Posted by: Charles | May 21, 2009 at 01:51 AM
Rather than fighting amongst yourselves for the future rights to sell what remains of our state to the highest bidder, why don't ALL of you Republicans just resign?
Please!
Posted by: Concerned, VERY Concerned. | May 21, 2009 at 05:08 AM
OOPS- Boss Greer got schooled by Sharon Day. This may be the beginning of the end of Boss Greer's reign of terror (and excesses).
Posted by: Blinded by the Day light | May 21, 2009 at 07:06 AM
NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
Greer needs to resign NOW>
He is still defending his actions. That means he still doesn't think he did anything wrong and he will do it again the minute we forget about this.
Just like he is still spending wildly: $60,000.00 on private flights and over $250,000.00 on American Express the first quarter of 2009 alone.
Posted by: POd CM | May 21, 2009 at 07:13 AM
1:23 Sharon Day is the hero in this. She refused to sign the letter which would have shut out Speaker Rubio so Charlie could have a clean field. That letter needed to be signed by Greer, National Committeeman Paul Senft (who did as he was told and signed) and National Committeewoman Day, who had the guts to say NO.
As for Carole Jean Jordan, Day did not stab her in the back. CJJ shot herself in the foot with many actions which rendered her a lousy Chairman. At the time, Greer was an unknown and the handpicked chopice of the new Governor. He was the logical choice.
Posted by: Get it right | May 21, 2009 at 07:19 AM
Broward 1 - you are either the fireplug Pozzuoli or the mealy-mouthed-can't-get-elected-himself Lemieux. Or some toady like Maureen Jaeger, the glorified secretary.
And get it: your number in Broward IS NOT 1.
Posted by: Bob | May 21, 2009 at 07:24 AM
How stupid does he think people are? RNC Rule 11 was instituted to keep out undesirables, like David Duke from running as GOP and making the Party look awful, not to shut out rivals.
It is a "nuclear option" and it is seldom used.
Posted by: George | May 21, 2009 at 07:32 AM
So he's only sorry because his confidential conversation did not remain confidential?
Posted by: moderate | May 21, 2009 at 07:35 AM
Too little too late, Jim.
Resign NOW.
Posted by: Lindsey | May 21, 2009 at 07:36 AM
So far the following County RECs have passed resolutions condemning Greer:
Brevard
Hillsboro
Okaloosa
Pasco
Palm Beach
Soon to consider it:
Walton
Broward? They cancelled all business meetings until august for fear a similar resolution would pass even in that bastion of Crist worship.
Posted by: Greer v. the Republican Party | May 21, 2009 at 08:02 AM
Join
"RECALL JIM GREER"
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=92347083658&ref=mf
Posted by: Clean house now! | May 21, 2009 at 08:05 AM
RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!
RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!
RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!
RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!
RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!
RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!
RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!
RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!RESIGN!
Posted by: Florida Republicans | May 21, 2009 at 08:15 AM
More national news on the shameless attempt to takeover this race in Florida.
http://spectator.org/blog/2009/05/21/texas-gop-rumbling-about-corny
Posted by: We are not sending Arnold S. twin to D.C, nope. | May 21, 2009 at 08:16 AM
Charlie looked like our skyrocket and we thought he was going to clean up the mess in Florida. Now it appears he is giving in to the Democrats, maybe even becoming one of them. He seems like a nice guy, but I just don't see how he can be effective in Washington confronting the Inflationary Government of Barrack Obama. We need someone with backbone, cojones and energy for that task. That person is to my thinking, Marco Rubio.
Posted by: Bud | May 21, 2009 at 08:20 AM
http://marcorubio.com/
Posted by: Bud | May 21, 2009 at 08:21 AM
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090520/BLOG01/905209902?Title=Could-Crist-do-more-damage-to-Republican-brand-or-help-
Could Crist do more damage to Republican brand or help?
Published: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at 5:58 p.m.
Posted by: More damage | May 21, 2009 at 08:30 AM
Greer should not have entertained Rule 11, but Day should have shown enough class to privatly handle the issue with Greer as an internal matter.
The Party is in flames, and Day is responsible.
Posted by: Bad Day, Bad Week | May 21, 2009 at 08:34 AM
11:03
actually I thought it was pretty clean considering...
Crist=Specter:
you hit the nail on the head.
get it right:
Sharon is no Joan of Arc. A political opportunist maybe but not a hero by any stretch of the imagination.
Posted by: terminator | May 21, 2009 at 08:35 AM
http://www.imalittlefascist.rubio
Posted by: Marco's Bud | May 21, 2009 at 08:37 AM
Bad Day: There is no evidence that Sharon Day leaked the news. Greer probably did it himself thinking everybody would be behind him and Charlie.
Posted by: Dan | May 21, 2009 at 08:39 AM
Charlie Crist spent the 1st ½ of his first term photo-opping, jet-setting, lining up a pretend wife, and pimping for McCain. Now he will spend the 2nd ½ of his first term running for Senate… all while Florida sinks deeper and deeper into the abyss. He is an unaccomplished empty suit that does not deserve the honor of being promoted to Senate.
And if he actually wins this, it will only serve to validate our apathetic, uninformed and malleable electorate that helped us earn the nickname, Floriduuh!
Posted by: The "Forgotten" People | May 21, 2009 at 08:55 AM