St. Petersburg, Florida (CNN) – At least three members of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s campaign staff resigned on Thursday shortly after Crist announced he is quitting the Republican Party and running for Senate as an independent.
Crist’s campaign attorney Benjamin Ginsberg, a veteran GOP legal player who advised both Bush-Cheney presidential campaigns and later Mitt Romney’s 2008 campaign, sent Crist his resignation letter moments after Thursday’s announcement.
Communications Director Andrea Saul and Press Secretary Amanda Hennenberg – the campaign’s main conduit to the media – also resigned their positions. Both Republicans moved to Tallahassee from Washington, D.C. to work for Crist’s Senate campaign.
“It has been an honor to work for Gov. Crist, and I wish him all of the best," Saul told CNN.
Saul is a veteran of Sen. John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, the Republican National Committee and worked for Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
Hennenberg is also a veteran of the McCain campaign and previously served as a communications adviser to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky.
From CNN Politics
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Arlen Crist--what a loser. sometimes false ego always comes forth. Were you ever a community organizer Crist ???
I support this move to the center and will send $$$ to help change the tone in the Senate.
I am sick and tired of the Republican nasty party of NO and I am equally tired of Pelosi and Reid. I don't want ultra conservitives or ultra liberals. I want Senators who will work together and rebuild America.
So it wasn't about believing in the person but only about the 'Party'! Or else, they are afraid they will lose money. That's the most likely scenario.
I'm sure he'll be able to find competent people who could take their place real easy and fast.
I say let them go and good ridens. I'm and independent and am happy that Gov Crist stood up to the Right Wing fanatics that are hijacking the GOP. Gov Crist through his actions of accepting stimulus funds to help the struggling people of his state proved that he puts people over politics. The GOP continues to precribe to the "cut off your nose to spite your face" philosophy. No to heathcare, No to Financial Reform, No to Immigration Reform and its now time for moderate folks like Gov Crist to start saying No to the GOP! If not the Gov't is going to have a bunch of kooks such as Bachman, That idiot running for senate in AZ against McCain, Rubio who is nothing more than a fair weather friend and puppet for the GOP crazies
I love it! Now even members or former members of the Party of No are telling it where it can go. I told it that 30 years ago when I quit the party of the rich, the party of bankers, the party of coporations, the party of UnAmericans!
Good for them! Crist is only interested in his own political future, not the wishes of the citizes of Florida. He's the Florida version of Lieberman and Specter, but leaning towards Specter.
Welcome back from the Dark Side. The new GOP won't be happy until they push every last moderate out of the party. The GOP has become a party that represents only 11% of the people. It just showed how the so called leaders of the GOP caved into a very small, very vocal group who call themselves Tea Baggers. But they are far more right than that with far darker motives. We are witnessing the end of the GOP.
In NOvember, Vote NO to the party of NO.
This is problem with the US today, everything is party politics. We no longer care about the views or aspirations of the candidate but instead what letter appears before their name on CSPAN.
They obviously would rather continue with the party of NO than with the man who stands up for what is right.
Doesn't say much for any of them.
Hope he wins and beats that liar and cheater rubio.
Crist – now is the time to distance yourself from the crazy extremists and tell the people that you will do whatever it takes to bring jobs to Florida – even if that means agreeing with Obama sometimes. The Republicans think they are riding a wave right now – but their policies are wrong. Separate yourself from them! Be a true Independent and you will win!
An idiot is an idiot – no matter what; embrassing BHO was a stupid move, and now not even BHO can save this idiot.
Don’t you just love devotion and loyalty?
You can see how faithful they truly were to the individual. They are staying on the sinking ship (if there's any merit to that) but, I think it is going down and I hope it takes alot of the others with it. Even Steele stating that he would like to see only a 2-party system is stupid. The more the merrier I say. Right now the 2-party system has a monopoly on the American people. I say let's spice things up abit and get some new, "fresh faced" parties in there. Maybe, just MAYBE something will get done!...Beau Colby
Kudos to Governor Crist! He has the forsight to distance himself from the irrational, screaming Republicans and the guts to run on his own merit. Good luck to you, sir.
I would say all the rats are jumping ship but I actually don't see Crist's boat sinking. I think he will easily beat Rubio. Way to go Charlie, good thing the rats are leaving it will make cleaning house easier.
This also happened to Joe Lieberman when he declared himself an independent. He got re-elected big time.
Hope the same thing happens to Crist and he trounces Rubio. I'd like to see another independent with character in the senate.
Screw both the Republican and Democratic parties.
He is better off without them. If they were involved in McCain's awful campain they need to re-think their careers
LESSONS LEARNED, according to ED Rollins:
1. NEVER greet the President of the United States with grace and
dignity, and
2. NEVER do for your State what you believe is best unless the
Republicons agree.
Steele says, "the party did not leave Crist". LOYALTY is in the eye
of the beholder I guess.
Ben Ginsberg? So what--he helped Bush/Cheney! And, lastly, the
Tea Party-look out Crist, Palin is "gonna gitcha!!"
Once again Charlie Crist is looking out for...Charlie Crist.
This marks the beginning of the end of his political career. There's no way that he'll win a three-way race. All that he will do is split the Republican vote and allow the Democrat candidate to win the Senate seat.
Charlie Crist, you are no Joe Lieberman.
Support Kendrick Meek!
sorry charlie....it's not tuna...it's sour grapes.
you will lose and like spector...a traitor!
It's always good to have competition....
Looks like Crist decided it was time to "get off that sinking Republican ship".
In one word.....Gutless....a CYA group of people if there ever was one !!!