Charlie Crist, Democrat?

Bringing the word "DINO" to new heights

Nothing personal but The Hill story on Charlie Crist raising campaign funds for Patrick Murphy is what you'd have to call "shoddy reporting." They assert that the fundraising is "the latest sign he's trying to ingratiate himself with the state's Democrats ahead of a possible run for governor in 2014." But they're missing an important piece of the puzzle.

Although Murphy, who's running against war criminal and Tea Party extremist Allen West, bills himself a "Democrat," he's a lifelong Republican and not only contributed money to Mitt Romney, he contributed to... Charlie Crist when he was running against a Democrat. It's hardly remarkable that Charlie Crist would send out a fund-raising letter for him. And if Crist wanted to ingratiate himself with the state's Democrats, what about other contributions and efforts for Florida Democrats?

Helping an actual Democrat, like Alan Grayson, might go a lot further than a phony-baloney imposed by far away DCCC bosses like Hoyer and Israel. In the current cycle Charlie and his wife, Carole, have written 11 contribution checks-- 10 for Murphy (for a total of $7,000) and one, right before the Democratic primary, for conservative insurgent Al Lawson who was the Democratic leader of the state Senate when Crist was governor ($500). But the most important Florida race to state Democrats is Senator Bill Nelson's reelection battle. Crist hasn't helped there. Nor has he given to other Democratic incumbents nor to Democratic challengers viewed as having a shot to win like Lois Frankel, Joe Garcia, Heather Beaven, Val Demings, Jessica Ehrlich (in a district where support from Crist could swing the election), Keith Fitzgerald, or Jim Roach.

Or maybe the real story here is Thomas Murphy, Jr., CEO of Miami-based Coastal Construction Group... and young Patrick's rich daddy. Thomas has contributed $383,350 to candidates and committees since 2008. He used to contribute mostly to Republicans (like Crist) but back in 2008 his biggest single contribution was $25,000 to the Republican National Committee and multiple donations to John McCain and Mitt Romney. These days he gives to the same kind of filthy corrupt swine, but in the Democratic Party, like Debbie Wasserman Schultz. His biggest single contribution was a hefty one: $250,000 to American Sunrise, a SuperPAC that's raised $350,050 so far the only other donor of note being Miami-based Ibrahim Al-Rashid of Limestone Asset Management ($100,000). The PAC spent $65,776 boosting Patrick Murphy and $52,802 attacking Allen West. And that's it. Papa Murphy has his own SuperPAC to buy his kid a congressional seat. Sweet. Too bad Good Time Charlie and Papa Murphy can't fix this latest ad by the war criminal their boy is trying to unseat: