Crist names aide to Senate Rep/Dems criticize appointment of 'Crist's crony'

[grantcart]

CNN has two stories on the appointment:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist tapped Friday one of his former aides, George LeMieux, to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez.

LeMieux — like Crist and Martinez — is a Republican. He will serve out the remainder of Martinez's term, which expires in January 2011.

Martinez released a statement calling LeMieux a "bright, capable, and an accomplished administrator" and promised "a smooth transition."

Florida Democrats immediately blasted the pick, arguing in a statement that LeMieux's "only qualification is being Charlie Crist's crony."

"Today, Charlie Crist decided to play political games with the public's trust by appointing George LeMieux to the U.S. Senate," said Karen Thurman, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party.

CNN) – Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, who is running as a more conservative alternative to Charlie Crist in the state's Republican Senate primary race, called the governor's appointment of George LeMieux to the U.S. Senate "disappointing."

"This is a disappointing pick for Florida," Rubio said in a statement e-mailed to CNN Friday. "George LeMieux is a talented political operative and the governor's best friend, but that doesn't make him the right choice to represent Florida in the Senate."

"Governor Crist had a wealth of consistent and principled conservative candidates to choose from, all of whom would have been a reliable check and balance on the excesses of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid agenda," he said.

[JCMach1]

1. Rubio is JEB's bitch

Really don't mean to offend female dogs, but that's what he is...