Florida Gov. Charlie Crist selected his former Chief of Staff and friend George LeMieux to fill the remaining months of the term of U.S. Senator Mel Martinez who retired early from the seat.

The names of several high profile individuals had been floated for weeks. Crist, a candidate for the seat in 2010, chose his friend and was quickly bashed for his selection by opponents, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and Former FL Speaker of the House Marco Rubio.

LeMieux is likely the next best choice for Gov. Crist rather than actually appointing himself to the seat. The LeMieux selection essentially dissed the nine applicants including several seasoned legislators. It also leaves the U.S. Senate without a HIspanic member. 

No doubt, Crist's advisers don't fear a significant backlash of Hispanic voters because of his rejection of Hispanic candidates. Rubio will, no doubt, use this selection against Crist throughout the rest of the campaign. The actual impact of Crist's decision remains to be seen.