Newly-minted officially official Democrat Charlie Crist testified this morning before the Senate Judiciary Committee. He was asked to address Florida’s election laws and procedures. Florida’s votes were among the last to be counted after last month’s elections due to long lines and a large number of absentee ballots. Crist blames a new state voting law for those issues, among others:
At the forefront of the discussion about what when wrong in Florida during the election is the state’s new voting law, 2011′s HB 1355.
The law, which was passed by a Republican-controlled legislature, has been controversial for its cuts to early voting days, burdensome requirements for third-party groups registering voters, and extra rules for people voting before Election Day, as well as a host of other unpopular changes.
Crist asserts that the law was merely a means of instituting voter suppression, and that was the focus of his testimony.
A very tan Charlie Crist has arrived to testify before the Judiciary Committee on voting rights pic.twitter.com/8p2LQDWb
— Alexis Levinson (@alexis_levinson) December 19, 2012
Charlie Crist greets Sen. Bill Nelson before start of Judiciary Committee hearing on voting laws. pic.twitter.com/Zvzhnx4f
— Alex Leary (@learyreports) December 19, 2012
Charlie Crist, FL Sen. Bill Nelson, and Sen. Patrick Leahy in a pre-game huddle pic.twitter.com/NroesUYl
— Alexis Levinson (@alexis_levinson) December 19, 2012
Awww … it’s the Three Musketeers!
After psyching himself up for the spotlight:
Charlie Crist is drinking an energy drink before testifying in front of a Senate Committee about #FL voting last month.
— Jacqueline Fell (@jackiefell) December 19, 2012
Crist got rolling.
In testimony text, Charlie Crist calls being governor as a "truly awesome privilege." Speaking, he calls it a "truly humbling privilege"
— Alexis Levinson (@alexis_levinson) December 19, 2012
Humbling? Indeed. Sucking at your job and being an object of near-universal derision tends to have a humbling effect.
Charlie Crist tells U.S. Senate panel that Floridians wound up being "infuriated" with voting restrictions, inc. cut in early voting days
— Gary Fineout (@fineout) December 19, 2012
He also took a stab at being clever:
Charlie Crist slams Florida Gov Rick Scott over early voting access, labels state laws a 'late night TV joke'
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) December 19, 2012
Funny guy.
Charlie Crist's prepared remarks for testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee on voting, elections:
Below, t… http://t.co/ZGpICEgf— Shawna Vercher (@shawnavercher) December 19, 2012
The Election Law Center’s J. Christian Adams was less than impressed with what Crist had to say.
Chameleon Charlie Crist ends Senate testimony, makes no mention of all his support for #voterID and other election integrity laws. #reptile.
— J. Christian Adams (@ElectionLawCtr) December 19, 2012
Chameleon Charlie Crist calls for federal government to take power away from states to run their own elections in smarmy Senate testimony.
— J. Christian Adams (@ElectionLawCtr) December 19, 2012
Charlie Crist is so full of it. He is bashing Alec and complaining about souls to polls, a compliant the courts found to be nonsense.
— J. Christian Adams (@ElectionLawCtr) December 19, 2012
And Adams wasn’t alone:
https://twitter.com/EricBandazewski/status/281425272069320704
https://twitter.com/RegisterJr/status/281426191037116416
@jamiedupree Charlie Crist is a late night joke.
— Michael Watson (@watsonmd) December 19, 2012
@jamiedupree Charlie Crist is a joke, how can anyone take a man that is that orange seriously? Crist was one of the all time worst governors
— Marcus (@matucker85) December 19, 2012
Charlie Crist, what a joke. Go back to the tanning bed and leave politics to those with actual beliefs.
— Holly Phoenix (@HollyPHNX) December 19, 2012
Look at self Charlie “@jamiedupree:Charlie Crist slams FL Gov over early voting access, state laws a 'late night TV joke'
— bwillis (@brandibwillis) December 19, 2012
So, what’s the take-home lesson?
Charlie Crist is a duplicitous con man. No party should trust him – neither democrats or republicans.
— J. Christian Adams (@ElectionLawCtr) December 19, 2012
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