It's an election year and campaign attacks are already flying in the governor's race.
Former Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to win the Democratic primary race in the gubernatorial contest. Crist is already facing attacks from current Gov. Rick Scott. Now an outside group, Progressive Choice Florida, is joining in.
The group sent out a flier that appeared in Florida mailboxes last month, attacking Crist's history as a GOP member, saying "Conservative Republican Charlie Crist is no friend of progressive Democrats." It lists examples such as this:
"Charlie Crist's record proves he is ... Pro-life, NRA A+ rated, 'Chain Gang Charlie', implemented Jeb Bush's A+ Plan, signed petition banning gay marriage."
PolitiFact focused on the claim that Crist, "implemented Jeb Bush's A+ Plan." Reporter Joshua Gillin says it rates TRUE. Gillin said the real question is who is behind the outside group Progressive Choice Florida.
"Progressive Choice is kind of a mysterious group that's started running attack ads against Charlie Crist ahead of the Democratic primary," Gillin said. "They claim that they're a group of fair-minded, forward-thinking individuals and groups. But beyond that, we really don't know. "
There has been some speculation that Progressive Choice is a GOP front funded to draw Democratic voters away from Crist, particularly in the upcoming primary against Nan Rich. The group isn't listed with the Federal Election Commission or the Florida Division of Elections, so contributions so far are untraceable.
When it comes to former Gov. Jeb Bush's A+ plan, Gillin said there's no doubt Crist implemented the policy.
"From 2001-2003, Crist was education commissioner for the state of Florida. Now, in 1999, the Legislature adopted Jeb Bush's plan for education to test schools and to rate them, as we all know now, using the FCAT and attendance rates," Gillin said.
One of Crist's duties in office was to follow the education agenda set by Bush and the Legislature. A spokesperson for Progressive Choice says Crist also vocally supported the plan, citing a newspaper article from 2000.
Crist is quoted in the article saying, "I am an ardent supporter of Gov. Jeb Bush's A+ plan, which provides for an even balance of testing and accountability and has proven to improve performance in our public schools."
Gillin said because of these things, the claim by Progressive Choice Florida rates TRUE.
SOURCES: CRIST'S EDUCATION RECORD ATTACKED
- PolitiFact's ruling
- Progressive Choice mailer, "Crist’s Failed record Speaks for Itself," received March 30, 2014
- Orlando Sentinel, "Voters Guide 2000: Charlie Crist," Nov. 5, 2000
- Florida Department of Education, "Governor Bush Proposes Nearly $1 Billion in New Funding for Education," Jan. 8, 2002
- Florida Department of Education, "Majority of Florida Schools Show Improvement; Assistance Plus Plan Announced to Help Lower Performing Schools," 2002
- Florida Department of Education, "Understanding FCAT Reports 2002," May 2002
- Tampa Bay Times, "Crist and Davis turn up the heat," Oct. 25, 2006
- Miami Herald, "Jeb Bush's education reforms, 10 years later: Grades better, though graduation rates lag," July 28, 2009
- PolitiFact Florida, "Charlie Crist: Florida teachers at risk of having pay affected by test scores of students they do not teach," Sept. 25, 2013
- Florida Department of Education, "Proposed Florida School Accountability Plan," Feb. 18, 2014
- State Impact, "Explaining The Proposed Changes To Florida’s School Grading Formula," Feb. 12, 2014
- Tampa Bay Buzz blog, "Who is behind the attacks from the left on Charlie Crist?," April 1, 2014
- Charlie Crist for Governor, "Education," accessed April 11, 2014
- Tampa Bay Times, "Bush plan evaluates students, their schools," Aug. 6, 1998, accessed via Nexis, April 10, 2014
- Tampa Bay Times, "Critics hit Bush's plan to grade schools," Aug. 10, 1998, accessed via Nexis, April 10, 2014
- South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "Candidate Davis vows to alter FCAT testing: Test does not foster learning, candidate says," Sept. 28, 2006, accessed via Nexis, April 10, 2014
- Miami Herald, "Crist changes positions on 3 hot issues," Oct. 19, 2006, accessed via Nexis, April 10, 2014
- Palm Beach Post, "Crist trips on knowing FCAT dates and scoring," Aug. 10, 2006, accessed via Nexis, April 10, 2014
- Fort Myers News-Press, "Jeb sets bar high for education," Dec. 26, 2006, accessed via Nexis, April 10, 2014
- South Florida Sun-Sentinel, "Florida Senate passes plan to de-emphasize FCAT in grading schools," March 28, 2008, accessed via Nexis, April 10, 2014
- Interview with Jamie Fontaine-Gansell, Progressive Choice spokeswoman, April 4, 2014
- Interview with Steve Geller, Crist campaign spokesman, April 7, 2014