Former GOP Gov. Crist to Headline DNC Convention

(Newsroom America) -- Former Florida Republican Gov. Charlie Crist is slated to headline the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., next month, further distancing himself from a party who once embraced him.

Christ, who became an Independent during a recent unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate, has already endorsed President Obama for reelection, prompting calls of hypocrisy from GOP operatives who note that, during the 2008 presidential campaign, Crist said he believed then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the GOP running mate to Sen. John McCain of Arizona, was more qualified to be president that Obama.

Crist was once seen as a rising star within the GOP but fell out of favor with the party for embracing Obama's economic stimulus measures in 2009 - measures widely faulted by Republicans who say they did little to nothing to improve overall employment and spur economic growth.

The fallout was intense and immediate and, sensing he would lose the GOP primary to Marco Rubio in 2010, Crist decided to become a political Independent; Rubio went onto capture the seat.

Rubio, the junior Florida senator who was once widely mentioned by the party as a potential running mate for Mitt Romney, is scheduled to introduce the presumptive nominee at the Republican National Convention in Tampa Thursday.

"Convention speakers from the opposite party are common trophies, and have been sought more aggressively in recent years as the parties try to highlight their broad appeal," The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Crist was once considered in the running to be McCain's VP selection.

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