August 29, 2012--Way To Go Charlie!

We're down in Florida on a mothercare visit. She is doing pretty well, all things considered, for a 104-year old. This has also given us an opportunity to catch up on Florida politics.

At breakfast this morning, a staunch and intelligent Republican told me that Governor Romney's selection of Congressman Paul Ryan to be his running mate means that, "Obama, for sure, will carry Florida. Here, it's all about Medicare. Ryan," Jack added, "is a worse choice than Sarah Palin, and I thought she was a political disaster."

In the meantime, former Republican governor, Charlie Crist, endorsed Barack Obama for reelection. When I heard that I thought I was hallucinating. But it's true. Here is his statement:

As America prepares to pick our president for the next four years — and as Florida prepares once again to play a decisive role — I'm confident that President Barack Obama is the right leader for our state and the nation. I applaud and share his vision of a future built by a strong and confident middle class in an economy that gives us the opportunity to reap prosperity through hard work and personal responsibility. It is a vision of the future proven right by our history.

And the president invested in our retirement security by strengthening Medicare. The $716 billion in savings his opponents decry today extended the life of the program by nearly a decade and are making sure taxpayer dollars aren't wasted in excessive payments to insurance companies or fraud and abuse. His opponents would end the Medicare guarantee by creating a voucher that would raise seniors' costs by thousands of dollars and bankrupt the program.

In the meantime, his successor, Rick Scott, is doing everything he can to disenfranchise as many low-income and minority voters as he can. If Jack is right, and I think he is, that's the only way Romney-Ryan can carry Florida. By stealing it just as George Bush did in 2000.