On the heels of new public polling showing Gov. Charlie Crist (I) leading the Florida Senate race — mostly thanks to Democrats and Independents, who seem to be choosing Crist over Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) — comes confirmation that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid reached out to Crist by phone recently.
The Wall Street Journal first reported news of the call this morning. The paper said that news that Reid is communicating with Crist, who will be looking for a party to caucus with if he gets to the Senate, is evidence that Reid might be hedging his bets in the contest.
Nonsense, Reid’s office told TPMDC.
“Sometimes a phone call is just a phone call,” Reid spokesperson Jim Manley said.
“In light of what the Republican party had done to him, it is true that Senator Reid called to
wish him well,” Manley said. “But it is also true that he told him that he was supporting Congressman Meek all the way.”
The Meek campaign declined to say when the last time Reid and Meek had a phone conversation. But a spokesperson said that Meek’s confident that Reid — who appeared at a fundraiser for Meek along with former President Clinton last year — still stands with the party establishment. Which is to say, with Meek.
Democrats view Florida as a prime pickup opportunity, and Kendrick Meek is the Democratic candidate,” Meek spokesperson Adam Sharon said. “We have received tremendous support from Democrats and that has only continued.”
Additional reporting by Brian Beutler
Evan McMorris-Santoro
Evan McMorris-Santoro has covered politics for TPM since 2009. Before that, he was a reporter at National Journal’s Hotline covering election 2008. He started his career covering local politics at newspapers in TN and his native NC.
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