In the context of today (i.e. Charlie Crist canceling ad buys in a couple big markets and stoking spec that he's quitting the race), this press release from the Crist campaign seems to talk (it was tweeted out 13 mins ago; 11:10 EST).
The Charlie Crist for U.S. Senate campaign today announced that Gov. Charlie Crist, continuing his long record of transparency, will post his 2009 tax return on the campaign website, effective immediately. Speaker Rubio has said he would release his tax returns, and the Crist Campaign calls on him to also release returns from 2000-2009 without delay. Crist has already released his tax returns for 2000-2008.
“It has been an entire month since Speaker Rubio’s unethical spending habits were revealed, and yet he is still not taking responsibility for his questionable actions,” said Andrea Saul, Communications Director for the campaign. “Rubio double billed taxpayers for flights, used political committees as a personal slush fund, and spent lavishly on Republican donors’ dime and only confessed once caught.
Meanwhile Hotline on Call reports that it's looking more and more like Crist is running as an indie and offers a reason why Crist might have pulled the ads.
Top GOP officials in DC now believe it is a virtual certainty that FL Gov. Charlie Crist (R) will bolt the GOP and run instead as an independent, sources tell Hotline OnCall.
Over the weekend, Crist pulled TV advertisements that had been running in key markets, slamming ex-FL House Speaker Marco Rubio (R). Those ads, on which Crist spent close to $1.5M so far, were aimed at moving poll numbers that showed Crist losing badly.
In taking the ads down, top GOP officials have surmised both that Crist has made his decision to run as an independent, and that the attacks weren't having an impact on the race.
[Hat tip: @PeterHamby]
