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Attorney general candidate fires back at Republican leader
©Associated Press
July 30, 2002
TALLAHASSEE -- Republican attorney general candidate Tom Warner took exception Monday to party boss Al Cardenas, who criticized Warner for saying another GOP candidate is unqualified.
"Since when is it not a legitimate campaign issue to question another candidate's qualifications?" Warner said. "I thought the purpose of the primaries was to test the candidates and to make sure we had the best and strongest candidate to represent the party."
Warner last week described Education Commissioner Charlie Crist as a professional politician with a limited legal background. He also said Crist is bogged down with numerous ethics questions. Warner, Crist and state Sen. Locke Burt are the three GOP candidates in the Sept. 10 primary for attorney general.
"Charlie would be a liability on the ticket," Warner repeated Monday in a one-page letter to Cardenas.
He also accused Cardenas of stepping over the line in his role as chairman by taking sides.
"Is it because Charlie isn't capable of defending himself?" said Warner, who is the state's solicitor general. He said Cardenas should apologize for accusing Warner of mudslinging.
Warner said he plans to hammer away at Crist's background every day until the election.
Cardenas said Monday he wanted to speak with Warner before commenting further on their differences.
Crist, who ran statewide in the past two general elections, is considered the favorite to win the Republican nomination. He was defeated by incumbent Democrat Bob Graham in the 1998 U.S. Senate race and won his present office in 2000. Crist said Warner is running out of money and getting desperate.
State Sen. Buddy Dyer, Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox and two former deputy attorneys general, Walter Dartland and George Sheldon, are seeking the Democratic nomination.
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