Charlie Crist to speak at Democratic convention

President Barack Obama, next to former Florida Governor Charlie Crist.

/ MANDEL NGAN

(CBS News) Republican-turned-independent former Florida governor Charlie Crist will speak at the Democratic National Convention next week, a Democratic official confirms to CBS News.

"The Democratic convention will be about bringing people together to continue the progress we've made in rebuilding our economy from the middle out, not the top down," a Democratic official said in a statement. "Gov. Crist can personally speak to this, and contrast the president's vision with Mitt Romney's, which caters to the most extreme elements of the Republican Party and undermines the middle class."

The former governor on Sunday officially endorsed President Obama for re-election. In his endorsement, Crist lauded Mr. Obama's handling of the economy, even though he was just two years ago a critic of the president.

Crist abandoned the Republican party in 2010 after losing the GOP primary for the Florida Senate nomination. He went on to run as an independent but lost to Republican Marco Rubio.

Republicans have dismissed Crist's endorsement of Mr. Obama as opportunistic.

[stormerF69]

So Charlie is an Independent,would have never guessed the way he put his head up Obama's Anus.

[nohater]

so far, it seems romney has presented nothing to help the middle class or what used to be the middle class nor the poor or those lower than the middle class. he seems to present well for the wealthy. romney claims to be his own man but selects ryan who contrasts sharply from some of his views and lets the gop do as they please with the platform, abortion, without refuting parts or all of it strongly. don't begrudge romney his wealth but seriously wonder how he can relate to the majority of voters who don't have multiple mansions, accounts off shore, enormous wealth in comparison. romney/ryan are a frightening combination. not a fan of obama/biden but better the devils you know than the ones you don't know.

[TheFoundersLive]

Obviously you are not paying attention. What are you talking about??

[skeezix06]

I'm going third party. I refuse to vote for a democratic who continually pushes GOP goals.

[stormerF69]

Does that mean your voting New Socialist Democrat party,or New Communist Democrat Party?

[nearl451]

We do actually need more reasoning, open thinking people in politics.

Frankly, a discussion rather than just lobbing partisan grenades would be refreshing.

[valwayne]

Isn't it funny that if Gov Crist had won the GOP primary in 2010, and had gone on to become the GOP Senator from Florida he would certainly have a speaking spot in Tampa and he would be telling us how horrible Obama is? Instead Gov Crist lost to Hispanic Marco Rubio in the primar. He obviously had a huge feeling of entitlement, and didn't like losing to a young latino. So he betrayed the party that had elected him as Governor, and ran as an Independent. He still lost to Hispanic, now Sen Rubio. So of course the Democrats are going to have a disgrutled entitled old White Man, filled with sour grapes at losing to a young new Republican hispanic, spill his sour grapes to the nation at their convention? That ought to be entertaining. How Hypocritical!!! How typical!!!

[Augy-Doggie]

He' a loser and a traitor and is were he belongs with the rest of his kind.
No lose and it is good to purge these types of petty shrill axe grinders who blame others for their shortcomings like Obama himself.

[EveryWord]

You fools should keep spilling your nonsense language and your hopes for a few more brown faces in your lily-white party. In case you haven't noticed, they demographics are changing quickly, and your Purity Party can't keep up. It'll be on the ash-heap of history (to quote a famous Repub) within 2-3 more election cycles.

[wfw3536]

I guess if you are all washed up as a republican, you turn to DEms and Obama. I spend a quite a bit of time in Florida each year and Crist couldn't win a dog catcher race.

[John782011]

Yup because in Florida, the aged rule and since Ryan is leveraging hios policies to not do anything against the aged, he has their ear.

[bigmanfrommaine]

It seems that there is nothing worse in this country than for a thinking man to change his position. Of course it isn't Christ who changed but his former party. From an organization that i sometimes agreed with (but mostly not) but could usually respect, to a bunch of extremists who only tear down and have no interest but any way but there own.

He is a refugee, and we welcome him!

[SamFeldman]

This shows the weak, no backbone Blue Dogs are ruling the day again. What a shame because the only real way of combating the rightwing extremism is not by compromising with them, but going the progressive route.

[britjunkie]

Of course he's speaking at the obummer convention, he's unemployed! like most of the deluded who think 4 more years of the same crap is somehow going to result in a different outcome.

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

Republicans are rigging the elections trying to steal it with these unnecessary VOTER I.D. LAWS and they had yet to pay the appropriate price for subverting our constitution and democracy. The media print, video and digital are complicit in allowing this. The media and our government would be shouting what republicans are doing at every chance if this were going on in country of one of our enemies. But it's accepted because it's happening here in America?

HELL NO! Republicans must be held to account for this attack to subvert our democracy. Republicans should be attacked by libertarians, liberals, conservatives, tea partiers and other groups in addition to the media for subverting our right to vote.

[chevyhotrod]

"Republicans are rigging the elections trying to steal it with these unnecessary VOTER I.D. LAWS"

Your projection is obvious for all to see....lol

Need a photo to get welfare, cigs and beer, but don't need one to vote??? Funny....

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

G.W. Bush found about 6 cases out of over 100 million votes cast in his 8 years in office. But you feel those 6 cases justifys preventing legitimate voters from voting because they can't afford to pay for all the paperwork or to lose a day's pay to comply with these new unnecessary laws.