Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist speaks at the DNC

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a longtime Republican now independent, speaks in support of Presiden Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention.

“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t agree with President Obama about everything,” Crist said. “But I’ve gotten to know him, I’ve worked with him, and the choice is crystal clear. When he took office, the economic crisis had already put my state of Florida on the edge of disaster. The foreclosure crisis was consuming homeowners, the tourists we depend on couldn’t afford to visit and our vital construction industry had come to a standstill. President Obama saw what I saw: a catastrophe in the making. And he took action.”

-- Steve Appleford, Times Community News