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Clinton pushed Meek to quit Fla. race
By: Ben Smith
www.politico.com
October 28, 2010 05:50 PM EDT
Bill Clinton sought to persuade Rep. Kendrick Meek to drop out of the race for Senate during a trip to Florida last week — and nearly succeeded.
Meek agreed — twice — to drop out and endorse Gov. Charlie Crist’s independent bid in a last-ditch effort to stop Marco Rubio, the Republican nominee who stands on the cusp of national stardom.
Meek, a staunch Clinton ally from Miami, has failed to broaden his appeal around the state and is mired in third place in most public polls, with a survey today showing him with just 15 percent of the vote. His withdrawal, polls suggest, would throw core Democratic voters to the moderate governor, rocking a complicated three-way contest and likely throwing the election to Crist.
The former president’s top aide, Doug Band, initially served as the intermediary between Meek and Crist, and Clinton became involved only when Meek signaled that he would seriously consider the option, Clinton spokesman Matt McKenna confirmed to POLITICO.
“The argument was: ‘You can be a hero here. You can stop him, you can change this race in one swoop,’” said another Democrat familiar with the conversations, who said Clinton had bluntly told Meek that he couldn’t win the race.
Clinton did not dangle a job in front of Meek, who gave up a safe House seat to run for the Senate, but instead made the case that the move would advance the congressman’s future prospects, said a third Democrat familiar with the conversations.
Clinton campaigned with Meek in Florida on Oct. 19 and 20, and thought he had won Meek over in an evening conversation the night they spent together in Jacksonville. But as the week wore on, Meek lost his enthusiasm for the arrangement, spurred in part, a third Democratic source said, by his wife’s belief that he could still win the race. Clinton spoke with Meek again at week’s end, three Democrats said, and again Meek said he would drop out.
“It was a completely done deal,” one source said.
The Crist, Meek and Clinton camps even set a date for an endorsement rally: the following Tuesday, Oct. 26. Meek was to give Crist his blessing and explain to his disappointed supporters — many of whom deeply distrust the governor, who was elected as a Republican — that their votes could save the Senate for the Democrats and save America from the rise of Rubio, who is viewed both as a hard-line conservative and a potential national figure.
The White House, Democrats said, had knowledge of the plans and viewed them as a path to capturing the Senate seat, but did not initiate the talks.
Last weekend, however, Meek changed his mind.
“Not being seen as a quitter was more important than stopping someone who was so opposed to what you and your party had stood for,” said one Democrat who had been hoping to close the deal.
Representatives for Meek and for the White House did not respond immediately to questions about the plans.
“Our only focus is on uniting common-sense Democrats, independents and Republicans behind Charlie Crist because he’s the only candidate who can defeat tea party extremist Marco Rubio,” Crist spokesman Danny Kanner said.
Rumors that Meek would quit the race began bubbling to the surface early in October, but Meek has publicly scoffed at them.
“The next job that I know I'm going to have is being the next United States senator from the state of Florida,” he said.
© 2010 Capitol News Company, LLC
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and politico leaks the story as a favor to obama - any voters who weren't quite sure if they should stick with meek or run to crist have an easy choice now - they know their guy almost quit twice.
Crist *could* still win this thing.
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and politico leaks the story as a favor to obama - any voters who weren't quite sure if they should stick with meek or run to crist have an easy choice now - they know their guy almost quit twice.
Crist *could* still win this thing.
Ha ha ha
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Ha ha ha
i'm telling ya, stranger things have happened. If Crist was down 7 points (RCp polling today) and there wasn't a 3rd party, I'd say his goose was cooked.
But I personally know a few dems who are Crist all the way. I'm asking why they aren't voting dem - they either site the teacher veto thing, or they say Meek can't win. So while they may proudly claim dem status on the phone - it's hard for an everytime voter to punch the ticket for Meek while he's polling 18 percent.
If I was a betting man, I'd stay out of it. But if I had to bet I'd say 6/5 odds rubio wins, but it's that close.
i'm voting rubio personally... and most ppl here don't hate him or consider him a psycho ala rick scott, who everyone seems to just disdain
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But, apparently, Meek has decided to stay in the race....for now.
Bill Clinton Pushed Meek To Drop Out Of Race
MIAMI (CBS4) ― Former President Bill Clinton tried to convince Representative Kendrick Meek to drop out of the Florida Senate race last week and Meek agreed twice, before changing his mind.
Governor Charlie Crist's campaign has confirmed the accuracy of the story and the latest polls show Meek struggling to get 15 percent of the vote. CBS News and CNN have also confirmed Politico's story as being correct.
Meek was set to endorse Crist on Tuesday before he changed his mind.
CBS4's Michael Williams talked to Democratic sources who told him the White House would have been comfortable with Charlie Crist as the U.S. Senator from Florida, but the White House wouldn't ask Meek to withdraw.
Congressman Meek's campaign manager, Abe Dyk, released a statement just before 7:30 p.m. vehemently denying Politico's story:
"The article is not true. Kendrick Meek was never dropping out of this race, is never dropping out of this race, and will never drop out of this race. Kendrick Meek will always stand up for the middle class and will not leave Floridians a choice between two lifelong conservative Republicans who only stand with the special interests. Kendrick is the Democratic nominee so if anyone should drop out, it's Charlie Crist."
Assuming all of Meek's support transferred to Crist, it would propel Crist to victory over Republican Marco Rubio. Politico said Clinton's argument was that Meek couldn't win and he could "be a hero," and stop Rubio.
The proposal came while Clinton campaigned with Meek in Florida on October 19 and 20. Clinton thought he had convinced Meek during an evening conversation in Jacksonville. However, Meek lost interest because of, as Politco reported, his wife's belief he could still win the election.
Clinton would again speak with Meek at the end of the week and Meek again agreed to drop out. Meek was set to give Crist his endorsement and explain to voters it could save the Senate for the Democrats, according to Politico's report.
But Meek again decided to stick it out because he would rather not be seen as a quitter than stop someone, like Rubio, who is opposed to what the Democratic Party stood for, Politico said.
"Our only focus is on uniting common-sense Democrats, independents and Republicans behind Charlie Crist because he's the only candidate who can defeat tea party extremist Marco Rubio," Crist spokesman Danny Kanner said in a statement.
Rumors have constantly swirled that Meek would drop out and endorse Crist, but the Congressman has always said there was no truth to the rumors.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said, "One can only imagine the response if Republican leadership tried to force out of the race – in the 11th hour – a qualified black candidate like Kendrick Meek."
http://cbs4.com/local/clinton.meek.senate.2.1985911.html (http://cbs4.com/local/clinton.meek.senate.2.1985911.html)
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it's public now. if 35% of Meek supporters break for Crist, then Crist wins. Will 1 in 3 realize they're throwing their vote away?
And, now that the story is out and meek is undermined, will Crist offer him some position down the road to drop out? We remember Angle was caught on tape promising "juice" to lesser competitors to leave the race, so unless we condemned that, we should STFU here :)
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so unless we condemned that, we should STFU here :)
by that standard you should stop posting on the politics board all together since you have given passes to liberals while condemning reps and flip flopped so many time even you dont know what you believe anymore :D ;D
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it's public now. if 35% of Meek supporters break for Crist, then Crist wins. Will 1 in 3 realize they're throwing their vote away?
And, now that the story is out and meek is undermined, will Crist offer him some position down the road to drop out? We remember Angle was caught on tape promising "juice" to lesser competitors to leave the race, so unless we condemned that, we should STFU here :)
It's too late. Early voting has already started. In fact, I mailed in my ballot two weeks ago. I think Rubio's got it.
Meek claimed that he ain't leaving and denied other reports that "sources" claimed that Meek twice decided to drop out of the race but changed his mind at the last minute.
Congressman Meek's campaign manager, Abe Dyk, released a statement just before 7:30 p.m. vehemently denying Politico's story:
"The article is not true. Kendrick Meek was never dropping out of this race, is never dropping out of this race, and will never drop out of this race. Kendrick Meek will always stand up for the middle class and will not leave Floridians a choice between two lifelong conservative Republicans who only stand with the special interests. Kendrick is the Democratic nominee so if anyone should drop out, it's Charlie Crist."
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If Crist beats Rubio this country is REALLY in the shitter more than it already is.
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Wow - John Batchelor on WABC 770 NYC just reported that Obama asked Meek to drop out and that Meeks' wife blew up and made her husband stay in. The reporter said that blacks in the know are in revolt against the obama WH and how they are acting.
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Wow - John Batchelor on WABC 770 NYC just reported that Obama asked Meek to drop out and that Meeks' wife blew up and made her husband stay in. The reporter said that blacks in the know are in revolt against the obama WH and how they are acting.
Either way - Dem voters in FL are now aware of the unofficial CRIST ENDORSEMENT from both Clinton and the White House.
A whole lotta dem voters are reading this story saying "I sure loves me some Bill Clinton, and he wants me to vote Crist, I'm on it..."
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by that standard you should stop posting on the politics board all together since you have given passes to liberals while condemning reps and flip flopped so many time even you dont know what you believe anymore :D ;D
You should see some of the left-winged goofies at Huffington Post. They are actually clamoring for Meek to drop out, for the "good of the party".
Imagine that. The tried-and-true supporter of Obama and his policies is supposed to fall on the sword and endorse a flip-flopping "independent" like Crist, all to stop Rubio from winning.
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You should see some of the left-winged goofies at Huffington Post. They are actually clamoring for Meek to drop out, for the "good of the party".
Imagine that. The tried-and-true supporter of Obama and his policies is supposed to fall on the sword and endorse a flip-flopping "independent" like Crist, all to stop Rubio from winning.
We have getbiggers who would put in Madoff/Vandersloot in 2012 - ABO Anyone But Obama.
So it works that way on both sides of the aisle. Crist will vote with dems on SOME issues, Rubio will vote with dems on ZERO percent of the issues.
Crist has higher ambitions (a perfect moderate VP selection ala lieberman for a far-right palin in 2012), and he's old.
Rubio is young and hispanic - he could hold this seat for 20 years. Dems fear the shit out of him!
So yes, they're following the ABR Anyone But Rubio plan on this one.
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Either way - Dem voters in FL are now aware of the unofficial CRIST ENDORSEMENT from both Clinton and the White House.
A whole lotta dem voters are reading this story saying "I sure loves me some Bill Clinton, and he wants me to vote Crist, I'm on it..."
::)
Rubio will probably go over 50% at this point.
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We have getbiggers who would put in Madoff/Vandersloot in 2012 - ABO Anyone But Obama.
So it works that way on both sides of the aisle. Crist will vote with dems on SOME issues, Rubio will vote with dems on ZERO percent of the issues.
Crist has higher ambitions (a perfect moderate VP selection ala lieberman for a far-right palin in 2012), and he's old.
Rubio is young and hispanic - he could hold this seat for 20 years. Dems fear the shit out of him!
So yes, they're following the ABR Anyone But Rubio plan on this one.
Agreed - Ramirez/Menedez 2012
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::)
Rubio will probably go over 50% at this point.
anything is possible... but there are going to be SOME dem voters who will now select Crist because Clinton essentially told them to.
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anything is possible... but there are going to be SOME dem voters who will now select Crist because Clinton essentially told them to.
Yeah, but other blacks are going to stay home because they are so pissed off.
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Remember when clinton tried to get Sestak to drop out of the race in PA due to the deal Obama made with spectre to change parties?
How quickly we all forget.
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Agreed - Ramirez/Menedez 2012
Can we go with Palin/Christie, instead?
BTW, my thread was here first!!!
;D
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anything is possible... but there are going to be SOME dem voters who will now select Crist because Clinton essentially told them to.
The most idiotic thing Ive ever heard.Blacks will not,under any condition vote for Crist.They will either stay home or vote for Meeks.Either way Rubio wins by 15pts.Here is a prediction.Crist will lose by more then ODonnel will on election night.
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The most idiotic thing Ive ever heard.Blacks will not,under any condition vote for Crist.They will either stay home or vote for Meeks.Either way Rubio wins by 15pts.Here is a prediction.Crist will lose by more then ODonnel will on election night.
Don't count O'Donnell out just yet. Latest poll has her within 10 points of Coons. And she has the edge on independents. In fact, Obama's flying out to Delaware AGAIN.......not something you'd do, if Coons had this raced locked up.
Plus, Rubio is up 20 in a Sunshine State News poll over Crist and 23 over Meek.
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Don't count O'Donnell out just yet. Latest poll has her within 10 points of Coons. And she has the edge on independents. In fact, Obama's flying out to Delaware AGAIN.......not something you'd do, if Coons had this raced locked up.
Plus, Rubio is up 20 in a Sunshine State News poll over Crist and 23 over Meek.
CNN has her closing in on him and remember- Brown was down 10 in MAss. Additionally, dem turnout is going to be light and gop huge.
She definately has a chance.
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CNN has her closing in on him and remember- Brown was down 10 in MAss. Additionally, dem turnout is going to be light and gop huge.
She definately has a chance.
This is like needing a 60-yard field goal to win (i.e. BUCS-Eagles 2006).
BTW, did you have my thread on "Slick Willie" and Kendrick Meek erased?
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This is like needing a 60-yard field goal to win (i.e. BUCS-Eagles 2006).
BTW, did you have my thread on "Slick Willie" and Kendrick Meek erased?
Hell no!
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Polling Data
________________________ ___________________
Poll Date Sample Rubio (R) Crist (I) Meek (D) Spread
RCP Average 10/15 - 10/27 -- 43.5 30.2 19.5 Rubio +13.3
Sunshine State News/VSS 10/26 - 10/27 1576 LV 47 27 23 Rubio +20
Mason-Dixon 10/25 - 10/27 625 LV 45 28 21 Rubio +17
Quinnipiac 10/18 - 10/24 784 LV 42 35 15 Rubio +7
TCPalm.com/Zogby 10/18 - 10/21 802 LV 40 33 18 Rubio +7
St. Petersburg Times 10/15 - 10/19 577 LV 41 26 20 Rubio +15
CNN/Time 10/15 - 10/19 798 LV 46 32 20 Rubio +14
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Meek: Dealmaking Crist "a Desperate Candidate"
Backroom Deal in Florida Senate Race Wasn't Sealed when Former Governor Trumpeted in on Airwaves; Everybody Stays In
In this Oct. 20, 2010, file photo, Fla. Democratic senate candidate Rep. Kendrick Meek listens to former President Bill Clinton address supporters during a campaign rally for Meek at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo)
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State Fast Facts
Florida
Meek: Clinton Didn't Induce Me to Drop Sen. Bid
Primaries Pit Establishment vs. Outsiders
(CBS/AP) Updated 7:29 a.m. ET
Rep. Kendrick Meek said he trusts the counsel of longtime friend Bill Clinton, but insists the former president's advice never included dropping out of the Florida Senate race.
"We did not come to any kind of agreement that I would get out of a race," Meek said in appearance on CBS' "The Early Show" Friday. "The president [Clinton] did not push me to do so. I did not tell him that I wanted to do it. We talked about it and that's it.
He called the day-long controversy about his possible withdrawal "made up."
Polls indicate the congressman has little chance of winning on Tuesday, badly trailing Gov. Charlie Crist and front-running Republican Marco Rubio. The idea of Meek quitting so voters in his camp would kick their support to the more moderate Crist, instead of the conservative Rubio, has been swirling around the campaigns for some time.
Meek on Thursday said a report by Politico that was confirmed by a Clinton spokesman "was inaccurate at best" that the former president while campaigning in Florida last week persuaded him to withdraw.
More on the Florida Senate race
CBS News Complete Coverage: Election 2010
"President Clinton and I are good friends," Meek said during a hastily called news conference in front of screaming supporters Thursday night. "He's continuing to be a supporter of this campaign. Any rumor or any statement by anyone that says that I made a decision to get out of the race is inaccurate.
"We talk about issues all the time, but to say that he asked me is totally false."
CBS News has confirmed that Crist - the former Republican governor now running as an independent - approached Clinton's camp offering a deal: convince Meek to drop out of the race and if Cirst won, he would caucus with Democrats, not Republicans, in the Senate.
According to an account from CBS News' Mark Ambinder, who spoke to multiple sources close to the situation, Meek either agreed to a preliminary deal or was very close to do doing so. (Clinton also made sure that the White House, which generally likes Meek, didn't object, sources told Ambinder.)
But a final deal was never reached and instead of letting the diplomacy play out, Crist went on television to trumpet the story.
"Really, it looks like Crist was trying to force Meek out of the race by disclosing the didn't-get-done deal," Ambinder reported.
Meek had strong words about Crist's apparent maneuvering, telling "The Early Show, "Charlie Crist, being a very desperate candidate, feeling that his pathway to victory was me out of this race was calling the Clinton office. I didn't know that." But he said the attempt to squeeze him how was "neither here nor there."
Clinton acknowledged during an interview aired on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 that Meek wanted to discuss the possibility of withdrawing, so they did. He did not say he asked Meek to quit.
"I said in the end, you know, he would have to do what he thought was right. He'd have to do what he felt right about," Clinton said.
Meek: Clinton Didn't Induce Me to Drop Sen. Bid
Clinton Nearly Convinced Meek to Drop Sen. Bid
As for the specifics of the conversation, Clinton said that would have to stay between the two men, who have been friends for years.
Experts say Crist, who, when trailing in the polls to Rubio, bolted the Republican Party to run for the Senate as an independent, would need the Democrats backing Meek to have any shot at winning.
"Charlie Crist truly will say and do anything to get elected and hold on to power," Rubio senior strategist Todd Harris said in a statement. "Secret deals to trade away principles for power is already the problem in Washington, it's not the solution. This is simply politics as usual which is exactly what voters across the country are emphatically rejecting this election."
Critical Contests: CBS News Election 2010 Race Ratings
See all Ratings for Senate, House and Governors in an Interactive Map (Updated Oct. 25)
Meek, meanwhile, said he's more confident in his chances than recent events - or recent polls - would seem to indicate.
"The bottom line is this whole 15 percent thing in the polls, enough of that. Because, I know bluntly that i will do a lot better than what that particular poll indicates," he said on "The Early Show." "I am looking forward to continuing to allow the people of the state of Florida to have a chance to vote for the candidate of their choice. That's the bottom line."
Clinton has been campaigning all over the country, trying to keep the U.S. House and Senate in Democrats' hands. Meek said Clinton has done 11 events for his campaign.
During primary season, the White House was embarrassed when it became known that it enlisted Clinton to try to ease Rep. Joe Sestak out of Pennsylvania's Senate primary with a job offer. The White House released a report describing the offer that was intended to clear a path for Sen. Arlen Specter to win the Democratic nomination.
Sestak beat Specter and Clinton was campaigning for him Thursday.
Republicans instantly sought to gain from the episode surrounding Meek.
"One can only imagine the response if Republican leadership tried to force out of the race - in the 11th hour - a qualified black candidate like Kendrick Meek," RNC Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement.
Clinton downplayed that, saying of course the Republicans want Rubio to win.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier this month said that Meek cannot win the race and instead endorsed Crist. He called the Florida Senate race the most critical in the country and urged voters to combat what he calls the radical tea party movement by voting for Crist.
Crist's camp said the Politico report was accurate, and that Crist "is the one candidate who can defeat tea party extremist Marco Rubio and deliver bipartisan results for Florida in Washington."
Many Florida voters have already cast early and absentee ballots, so even if Meek dropped out it might have only a marginal effect. His name also would remain on the Election Day ballot.
Meek said he saw no advantage to withdrawing.
"There's no negotiation about me getting out of the race - that's the bottom line."
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Rasmussen: Rubio 50%, Crisp 30%
Rasmussen ^
Republican Marco Rubio now enjoys a 20-point advantage over Independent candidate Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate race in Florida, with Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek still running third.
A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in the Sunshine State finds Rubio picking up 50% of the vote, while Crist, Florida's current GOP governor, receives 30% support. Meek picks up 16% support, his worst showing since early July. One percent (1%) prefers some other candidate, and another three percent (3%) are still undecided. (To see survey question wording, click here.)
This race remains Solid Republican in the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Senate Balance of Power rankings. Earlier last week, Rubio held a 43% to 32% lead over Crist, with Meek earning 20% support.
(Excerpt) Read more at rasmussenreports.com ...