Florida's new senator: Place-holder

by Mark Silva

Introducing:

Soon to be, the newest member of the United States Senate.

George LeMieux.

But don't worry about remembering the spelling. He won't be there for long. The appointee of Republican Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida to fill the seat of the resigning Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) is a placeholder. Crist is running for the seat in 2010.

Crist made a worldwide search for someone from his own team to hold the seat -- LeMieux is the governor's closest political adviser.

"I'm a Charlie Crist Republican,'' LeMieux says.

Crist, remember, is the governor of a hurricane-prone state who has kept the state hurricane-free with the insertion of prayers in the Western wall in Jerusalem. (Okay, he never clamed credit, but he has noted the lovely coincidence.)

And now Crist will seek a seat from a swing state with a largely Republican congressional delegation and state Legislature but one Democratic senator and one Republican in Washington, a state that went with President Barack Obama in 2008 but lately has shown less than majority support for the president in polling.

LeMieux served as deputy attorney general under Crist and left that job to run the governor's 2006 campaign. Then Crist made LeMieux his chief of staff.

LeMieux left in December 2007 and works for a Tallahassee law firm.

"George is bright, capable, and an accomplished administrator," says the retiring Martinez , who is stepping down after less than one term in office.

And a capable placeholder -- with state Democratic Chairwoman Karen Thurman, a former member of Congress from Florida, calling the appointment a "glaring example of political cronyism" and "the last thing Florida needed while we face these tough economic times and the Congress is tackling critical issues such as health insurance reform and global warming."

Wire services contributed.