How Candidates for U.S. Senate in Florida Compare on Issues

Amy Keller | 7/1/2010

Top 5 Contributors*
Crist- Morgan & Morgan ($94,600); GEO Group ($80,700); Communications International ($64,609); Huizenga Holdings ($54,700); Leon Medical Centers ($41,800)	Rubio- Club for Growth ($157,450); Elliott Management ($86,242); Senate Conservatives Fund ($63,550); Flo-Sun ($22,600); State Farm Insurance ($21,650)
Meek- Flo-Sun ($32,600); Greenberg Traurig ($31,000); Podesta Group ($26,100); CSX Corp. ($25,500); Leon Medical Centers ($25,000)	Greene- Not yet available, but don’t expect much. Greene has vowed not to take “a penny of special interest money” and won’t accept a contribution of more than $100 from any donor.
* Contributions were not from the companies themselves but from their PACs, individual members, employees, owners and immediate families. Amounts include subsidiaries and affiliates. Figures are from the Center for Responsive Politics.

In State/Out-of-State Contributions
Crist- 81% / 19%	Rubio- 74% / 26%
Meek- 65% / 35%	Greene- Unavailable

Major Endorsements
Crist- Florida Education Association (the union has also endorsed Democrat Kendrick Meek)	Rubio- Former Gov. Jeb Bush and the GOP establishment, including national heavyweights Mitt Romney, Dick Cheney and Rudy Giuliani
Meek- AFL-CIO; Chiles family (Rhea Chiles and her two sons, Bud and Ed); retired basketball pro Alonzo Mourning	Greene- None

Controversy
Crist- Switching parties; association with indicted former state GOP chairman Jim Greer, whom Crist appointed	Rubio- Greer’s indictment and tenure have left a cloud over the entire party; the IRS is looking at whether Rubio and other GOP officials used Republican Party credit cards for personal expenses.
Meek- Pursued millions of dollars in earmarks for developer Dennis Stackhouse, who paid Meek’s mother $90,000 in consulting fees, bought her a Cadillac Escalade and loaned Meek’s chief of staff $13,000. Stackhouse was arrested on charges of grand theft and an organized scheme to defraud.	Greene- Greene, who moved to Florida two years ago, is accused of being a carpetbagger. Some have questioned his associations with former madam Heidi Fleiss, whom he let stay at his L.A. home for a year, and boxer Mike Tyson, who was Greene’s best man.

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