They're Finally Getting It

Cornyn: Crist v. Rubio Primary Has Been "A Learning Experience"

BY John McCormack

National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman John Cornyn said this morning that the Florida Republican primary between Marco Rubio and Charlie Crist has been "a learning experience" for him.

Cornyn told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor that he first tried to recruit Jeb Bush to run for Senate. When Bush declined, Cornyn looked for the next most popular Republican (Crist) in the state to run. The lesson he's learned from the NRSC's endorsement of Crist?

"In this political environment," Cornyn said, "it's not necessarily helpful for candidates running in the states to have the national party chairman" endorse them.

"More than any time than I've seen in the recent past," Cornyn added, "instead of a Contract for America [voters] want a Contract from America."

Cornyn said that voters don't want to "have their choices made" for them by the political elite. They want those in Washington to hear their voices.

Cornyn will request that Crist return the money donated to him by Cornyn's PAC if Crist follows through on his switch to independent today.