Is this a precursor to the splitting of the GOP?

Florida Governor Vetoes Teacher Pay Bill

Florida Governor Charlie Crist, fighting for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, stirred more speculation he may leave the party and run as an independent when he vetoed a contentious Republican measure on Thursday.

The outcome of the Florida political battle is being watched closely for its impact on the November congressional elections, in which Republicans hope to cut, and possibly overturn, Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and Senate.

Crist, whose veto distanced him from his party’s conservative wing, has repeatedly denied he may run as an independent in the August 24 primary election to decide the party’s Senate candidate.

Crist vetoed a bill passed by the Republican-led Legislature to eliminate traditional teacher tenure, saying the measure went too far in taking away teacher protections that constituents overwhelmingly wanted to keep. The bill also would have linked teachers’ pay to improvements in student test scores.

Though the “true conservatives” like to think they would be in a majority if those nasty RINOs would just stop diluting the purity of the message, Crist looks to be tacking to the center, strongly.