The St. Petersburg Times' Jodie Tillman reports this morning that the Pasco County Republican Executive Committee has begun proceedings to attempt to exile New Port Richey State Senator Mike Fasano from the Republican Party (of Pasco? Florida? The United States?) for his sin of continuing to support their former standard bearer, Charlie Crist, who three weeks ago bolted the party and declared himself an independent to keep himself viable in this year's U.S. Senate race in Florida.
Tillman quotes Pasco Republican party chairman Randy Maggard:
"The senator continued to support publicly Charlie Crist for his senate run," said Pasco GOP chairman Randy Maggard, hours before he announced the decision Thursday to about 100 general members. "He broke every rule there is. We thought it was wrong. … If you're not a Republican, you don't need to be in the party. … I don't call it infighting. I call it cleaning house."
On Thursday night, Maggard said he was putting "RINOs" — Republicans In Name Only — on alert. "We will not put up with it in Pasco County," he said, to applause. "We're going to weed them out."
The article further elaborates on the feud between Fasano and Pasco GOP bigwig Bill Bunting.
This article appears in May 20-26, 2010.