Florida’s Republican-led legislature will gather Tuesday on the order of Gov. Charlie Crist—and then is expected to quickly refuse his call for a state-constitution ban on offshore oil drilling in Florida waters.
While no real legislative action seems likely to come of the special session, the showdown has become a signal event in Mr. Crist’s campaign for the U.S. Senate and in his transformation from a rising Republican star to a political centrist who at times embraces liberal views.
Nearly three months after losing his Republican allies and campaign staff by leaving his party, Mr. Crist has rebuilt his political machinery and gained a footing among many general-election voters as he runs as an independent. One reason: He has used the Republican-led state legislature as a conservative foil to increase his appeal among centrist and Democratic voters. Continue reading here.
