Fla. GOP chair resigns in effort to reunite party

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer announced his resignation Tuesday amid criticism the party has been wasting money and not raising as much as it should.

Greer will step down Feb. 20, more than three years after Gov. Charlie Crist hand-picked him to run the state GOP. In recent weeks, major party donors and other leaders have called for his resignation, citing questionable party spending, lackluster fundraising and division among party loyalists.

In his resignation letter, Greer said he has the support of most party executives, leaders and donors, but the few who oppose him are causing too much division.

"This internal discord has many origins and political agendas, but the one common result is a detrimental effect on the Republican Party," Greer said. "I have made a point to put the best interest of the party before my own, even when criticisms were misdirected and invalid, and I will do so again now."

During a conference call with reporters, Greer said there was a vocal group within the party that would say or do anything to embarrass him. He said if he didn't resign, that group would try to "burn the house down and try and destroy the Republican Party."

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics/AP/story/1410154.html