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Crist opponents question his political conversion

By WTOP Staff

BRENDAN FARRINGTON
AP Political Writer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — It sounds like something Republican Gov. Rick Scott would ask of Republican-turned-Democrat Charlie Crist: “How can the people of Florida trust your recent conversion?”

But the words were Crist’s, and the question was asked to Tom Gallagher during the 2006 Republican primary for governor. Crist easily won that race in large part because he accused Gallagher of shifting his politics just to win the election.

“Talking about being a conservative after a political lifetime of liberalism just isn’t believable,” Crist said of Gallagher.

Now Crist is the leading Democratic candidate for governor and is facing the same accusations — in reverse — from Florida Republicans and his Democratic primary opponent, Nan Rich. They say Crist can’t be trusted because of his political conversion from Republican to independent to Democrat.

“Charlie Crist is like Florida’s weather. If you don’t like his positions now, wait a little while and he’ll change them,” former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush said in an email. “The man is organized purely around his own personal ambition. Nothing he says can be believed.”

Crist’s reputation for being a say-anything-for-a-vote politician isn’t new. Gallagher accused him of it, as did Marco Rubio when he chased Crist from the 2010 Republican Senate primary. Now Scott has joined in.

“It’s hard to believe that someone can go from a Ronald Reagan Republican to a Barack Obama liberal in a short period of time. It’s pretty dramatic,” Scott said in a phone interview.

Crist insists he hasn’t changed, saying he was a moderate as a Republican and still is.

“What changed in the interim is my party’s leadership,” Crist said, adding he “can’t stomach” the intolerant views of his former party. “I always kind of felt, particularly on social issues, I was a round peg in a square hole.”

There’s no doubt Crist was a moderate when he was elected governor. He supported embryonic stem cell research and gay civil unions. Once elected, he made peace with the state teachers union, which Bush fought, pushed for clean energy to fight climate change, cozied up to Democratic leaders and vetoed an abortion bill that was a GOP priority.

But when he found Rubio beating him in the 2010 primary, he insisted no one was more conservative than he. Asked how that squared with his recent claim of lifelong moderation, Crist said, “I don’t know and I don’t care … What I care about is Florida.”

Some of Crist’s changing positions include:

— Cuba: Crist criticized 2006 Democratic gubernatorial opponent Jim Davis for visiting Cuba on a congressional fact-finding trip, saying, “I know when it’s time to visit Havana, and it’s when it’s free.” As an independent Senate candidate in 2010, Crist supported allowing Cuban-Americans’ unrestricted travel to visit relatives in Cuba. This year, Crist said the U.S. should scrap its 52-year-old trade and travel embargo and announced plans for his own fact-finding trip.

— President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul: As a Republican Senate candidate in 2009, Crist said Obama’s plan was “cockamamie” and “nuts” and demanded its repeal; as a 2010 independent Senate candidate, Crist said there were positive things about the law and it should be fixed, not repealed; as a 2014 Democratic gubernatorial candidate, he says it’s “great.”

— Obama’s $787 billion federal stimulus package: In 2009, Crist asked Florida’s congressional delegation to support the stimulus and appeared with Obama at a rally pushing for its passage. Later that year he ran a radio ad criticizing Obama for the plan and told CNN “I didn’t endorse it.” He is now defending his support of the plan, saying it saved jobs.

— Crist opposed oil drilling off Florida’s coasts when he ran for governor in 2006. In 2008 he said he was open to the idea after Republican presidential nominee John McCain called for more offshore drilling — Crist hoped to be his vice presidential pick. Crist changed his mind again after the 2010 BP oil spill.

Of course, Scott has his own flip-flops. After campaigning as a hard-liner on illegal immigration, Scott signed bills this year allowing the state Supreme Court to grant law licenses and instate tuition to some Florida residents living in the United States illegally.

And last year Scott stunned many when he supported expanding Medicaid under Obama’s health care overhaul. Before he got into politics, the former hospital-chain founder spent millions of his own money to fight the overhaul. The Republican-dominated Legislature rejected the Medicaid expansion.

A recent poll showed that most Floridians don’t trust Crist or Scott.

Rich hopes it is an issue in the Aug. 26 Democratic primary, where she badly trails Crist in fundraising and name recognition.

“It’s a trust factor when you change all of your positions 180 degrees. It’s not believable to people,” said Rich, the former state Senate Democratic leader. “When you’re saying you’re one thing, and then you’re doing something else, who’s to say you’re not going to change back the other way once you’re elected?”

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Follow Brendan Farrington on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bsfarrington

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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