Gov. Charlie Crist (I-FL), who left the Republican Party last week to run for Senate as an independent, faces a new test of his status as a candidate of the middle: Whether to veto a bill championed by anti-abortion Republicans in the state legislature. And for now, at least, signs are pointing toward a veto.
The legislation would require a woman seeking an abortion to view an ultrasound of the fetus, and listen to the doctor describe the fetus. As the St. Petersburg Times reports, Crist is sounding a lot like he’ll veto it. “I’m concerned about it,” Crist said Wednesday. “Even though I’m pro-life I don’t want to impose my will on others.”
If Crist were to veto the bill, it would be his second high-profile veto of a GOP-backed bill in the last three weeks. In mid-April, Crist vetoed a high-profile education bill that would have eliminated tenure for new teachers and instituted strict guidelines for merit pay — a move that apparently sealed the deal for his decision to leave the Republican Party and run as an independent.
Eric Kleefeld
Eric Kleefeld joined TPM as an intern for the final months of the 2006 midterm elections, and then kept showing up for work. His other interests include guitars, old comic books and the politics of various English-speaking countries.
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