Sorry, Charlie

Forget the women and children.

It's governors first.

If you live in Florida, that is.

Republican governor Charlie Crist of the Sunshine State is making a run for Senate in 2010.

So far, so good. Who's to keep any man--or woman--from advancing any career?

But part of Crist's motive, it's being reported, isn't so admirable.

Charlie Crist wants to move into the Senate because, frankly, the heat's too high in the kitchen in Tallahassee.

"I think Gov. Crist realizes that this is a pretty good time to leave the governor's chair, with all the unemployment and the state in massive debt," one of the politcal analysts said on MSNBC last week.

Well!

So your governor is a bailer, huh, Floridians?

It's time to become a Senator because the state's going down in flames?

My, that's some loyalty to your people, eh?

Now compare Crist to our guv in Michigan, Jenny Granholm.

It was posed to Granholm during the transition from President Bush to Obama whether she'd consider a move to Washington as an Obama cabinet member. There were rumors.

No way, Jose, Jenny said.

How can I leave the state in this, well, state?

I've not always been in Jenny's corner, though she's a fellow Democrat. I grew frustrated with her several years ago as what everyone else in the country calls a recession (it's a flat-out depression in Michigan, and save the debate) began to see its first days in Michigan.

Jobs being exported overseas. Shops closing. And a whole host of other financial problems.

Well, she was working with a decidedly Republican state legislature, and I know that didn't help matters.

But I still felt she was doing more hand-wringing than handling.

I've softened on that stance, mainly because she's rolling up the sleeves and digging in, more than ever before.

That, and she has a friend in the White House, finally.

Which means all us Michiganders/Michiganians have a friend in the White House.

I know, I know--tell that to the auto industry.

But overall, I believe the Obama people care about Michigan. He's from next door Illinois, don't forget. Which means he was closer to the carnage here than some of the others.

Jenny wouldn't ditch her constituents for a fancy-shmancy cabinet post, she said.

Granholm's closeness to Obama is evident.

He picked her to be on his financial transition team, before he took the oath. She's been a relatively frequent visitor to Washington as of late.

Now there's talk, though I believe it to be a long shot of happening, of Granholm being named to the Supreme Court.

Another decision, should she be asked.

I must admit, it would be asking an awful lot of any governor to turn down a chance to be on the high court, no matter how tough times are.

How many times does that opportunity come knocking?


Crist (top) and Granholm (above) seem to have two different ideas about when it's time to flee the governor's chair


But Crist (who is one Republican who I can actually stomach, for the most part) isn't gaining any of my respect for contemplating a Senate run largely because it's time to get out of Dodge, er, Tallahassee.

I suppose he'd argue that he could do bigger and better things for the people of Florida should he be on Capitol Hill.

Bull-you-know-what.

Isn't one of the tenets of the Republican platform that the less federal government, the better?

States' rights and all that jazz?

So using that, wouldn't Crist be best served with his rump in the governor's chair?

Ah, the people might. Just not Charlie Crist, is all.

"Here in Florida, we've shown that when we put people first and work together much can be accomplished, and I intend to bring that same approach to Washington," Crist said in a statement announcing his bid.

Well, that's a nice spin, anyway.

What a guy!

Seems Charlie could look up, wayyyy up, toward these peninsulas and see what our governor says about jumping a sinking ship.

No way, Jose!