New Times: Will Charlie Crist, George LeMieux Back Bill for Empowering Ethics Commission?

By Thomas Francis in Broward
Mon., Dec. 14 2009 @ 10:15AM

Whattaya say to ethics reform, Senator?
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A bill that would expand the powers of the Florida Commission on Ethics has a snowball's chance in hell of being passed by the state Legislature -- unless...

Unless the effort should attract political champions in high places. Two men who can move this mountain: Gov. Charlie Crist and Sen. George LeMieux.

And if we're to take their words at face value, it should be a no-brainer. Crist was so upset by corruption in Broward County that he asked for and received from the state Supreme Court a grand jury charged with finding all the tentacles of corruption across Florida.

For his part, George LeMieux bemoaned a "culture of corruption" that had taken root in his home state. Surely, he wants to change that. Right?

Good news, guys. That's as easy as making a single public statement. Then maybe a phone call. I'll even write a rough draft of that statement, after the jump.

Your press secretaries can flower up the statement any way they like. The important part goes something like this:

I call upon Sen. John Thrasher, his Senate Ethics and Elections Committee, and the Republicans in the state Legislature to act quickly and decisively in support of the bill that would enable the State Ethics Commission to hold public officials to higher standards of conduct.

Then you make a phone call and tell Thrasher, "No, we're serious. Do this or else." For Republicans who don't play ball, Crist and LeMieux can enlist party Chairman Jim Greer to pull funding, then find other Republicans to run in those legislators' races.

Easy! Before the end of the day, I hope to hear from representatives of Crist's campaign and LeMieux's office about this worthy cause. And we may as well invite the Marco Rubio campaign to the party too.

Stay tuned.