TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Suit Widens Crist, Rubio Rift

ADVERTISEMENT

By WILLIAM MARCH, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 2, 2007

TAMPA - A lawsuit by state House Speaker Marco Rubio against Gov. Charlie Crist over Indian gambling in Florida has brought a growing political rift between the two into the open.

Neither side wants to talk openly about it, but Crist and Rubio clearly are emerging as leaders of divergent groups in the Republican Party.

Rubio is building a power base representing the conservative side, while Crist has angered some conservatives by taking the party and the state on a more moderate, bipartisan path.

The two have had either muted or open clashes over other issues - property tax reform, property insurance reform, Crist's climate change initiative and more.

"In essence, it has to do with the future control of the party, the soul of the Republican Party," said University of South Florida political scientist Darryl Paulson, a Republican.

Rubio, Paulson said, is "more in line with the conservative ideology that brought Republicans into ascendancy in Florida, with Jeb Bush."

Crist, meanwhile, "looks at the changing dynamics in the state and nationally, and believes the Florida party needs to adjust, or it's not going to be winning elections," Paulson said.

Some Republicans say it's merely typical majority party infighting.

State Sen. Dan Webster, an ally of Crist although he's a conservative like Rubio, called the situation a difference of opinion, not factionalism.

"What I see is two strong personalities and governing styles that sometimes clash," he said. "There has always been a moderate wing of the Republican Party."

Webster noted that the 2006 elections did not go well for Republicans and that Crist was an exception. "His style and the way he handles issues is different from others in the past, but it's right for Republicans for this particular time."

Agendas Have Eyes On Future

Neither Rubio nor Crist agreed to be interviewed for this story. But it's widely thought that their differences go beyond state policy issues and into ambitions for the future.

"Each of them has a political agenda that goes beyond the position they hold now, and each of them is trying to garner support for the future," said state Sen. Jim King, R-Jacksonville, a legislative veteran.

On one point, Crist and Rubio agree.

Last spring, the Legislature enacted and Crist signed a Rubio proposal allowing Florida officeholders to run for federal office without giving up their state posts.

Though Rubio denied it, the law was perceived as aimed at making it less risky for Crist to take a spot as a running mate on a presidential ticket. If the ticket won, that would open the governor's office for hopefuls, including Rubio.

Bush's role in the political maneuvering is widely discussed among Republicans, but almost never on the record.

Bush is known to be concerned about his legacy as governor, which brought drastic changes to many aspects of Florida government.

He is also politically close to Rubio.

The speaker, a fellow Miamian, is the son of Cuban exiles, the first Cuban-American to be Florida House speaker.

Bush began his business career with prominent anti-Castro Cuban real estate developer Armando Codina, and prospered politically with the support of influential Miami Cubans, including U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

"There are obviously some ties to Jeb," King said of Rubio, mentioning Donna Arduin, a loyal former Bush staffer hired by Rubio as a state budget consultant. "They're in contact with each other frequently."

"Jeb made it clear from the beginning that he considered Marco a special person, and pretty much anointed him a future governor," King said.

He was referring to a 2005 legislative ceremony designating Rubio as incoming House speaker. Bush presented Rubio with a sword, saying, "I'm going to bestow to you the sword of a great conservative warrior."

Rubio's spokeswoman, Jill Chamberlin, said Rubio is asked frequently about Crist and Bush.

"He says he supports the governor and believes he does an excellent job, but it's not his job as house speaker to evaluate him - that's up to the public," she said.

Chamberlin said Bush and Rubio "have a bit of a social relationship, and may have attended family birthday parties."

Bush didn't respond to an e-mail inquiry for this story.

Crist Whittling Away Bush Legacy

Crist's relationship with Bush, by comparison, has been cool.

Although he campaigned for governor as an heir to the Bush legacy, frequently calling Bush "the greatest governor in America," many of his actions in office are perceived as chipping away at that legacy - starting early on when he revoked many of Bush's late-term appointments.

His relationship with Rubio has been marked, on both sides, by expressions of respect and admiration, veiling sharp disagreements.

•After Crist announced a major state government initiative and hosted a summit on climate change, Rubio wrote a newspaper column criticizing the likely costs, and held his own forum focusing on costs. Still, he praised Crist's initiative as "well-intentioned."

•Crist successfully opposed a favored plan of Rubio's to replace property taxes on homesteads with an increase in the sales tax.

Now, Rubio is lukewarm in supporting the ballot measure Crist is pushing, to go before voters Jan. 29, and has endorsed a different measure backed by a group that has been critical of Crist.

Last week, a conservative property tax reform group led by another loyal Bush staffer, Brett Doster, endorsed the proposal Rubio backs.

The gambling issue may be their sharpest division.

Rubio, like Bush, ardently opposes expansion of gambling in Florida.

Crist wants to cut property taxes but still avoid cutting revenue for schools. That led him to an agreement to allow the Seminole Indians to expand gambling at their casinos while paying fees to the state, potentially settling a 16-year disagreement.

Without an agreement, the tribe might be able, under federal law, to expand gambling on its own, paying the state nothing - although Rubio and his allies disagree.

Rubio contends in his lawsuit that Crist didn't have the authority to agree to the pact - only the Legislature does.

"I applaud Crist for not ignoring it after 16 years but rather tackling it," Rubio said in a recent radio interview.

But he added: "This deal was done in secret; it was done behind closed doors. The public never had a chance to have any input, and obviously the Legislature didn't either."

In a brief filed in the case last week, state Senate President Ken Pruitt also asked for legislative approval of the agreement, but took a more conciliatory approach.

Reporter William March can be reached at (813) 259-7761 or wmarch@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT