The NRSC can really pick 'em

In the early stages of the election cycle, the NRSC’s ability to lock in top-tier talent like Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, former Connecticut Rep. Rob Simmons, Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina in California appeared to be huge wins for the party, not to mention shrewd political plays.

But now, GOP primary fields in some of the most competitive Senate races in the country have been turned upside down. Crist, once considered a shoo-in for the Senate seat vacated by Republican Mel Martinez, trails badly in the polls to former state House Speaker Marco Rubio and is on the verge of abandoning the GOP to run as an independent. Simmons, Grayson and Fiorina all trail by double digits in recent primary polling. In Colorado and New Hampshire, two highly touted female contenders have also run into serious resistance…

“I cannot blame the GOP structure for wanting to support a guy who looked like a shoo-in. But those things should not be said or done in public because it could end up looking heavy handed and backfiring,” Navarro said. “Charlie Crist was the No. 1 draft pick a year ago, and the guy turned out to be a lemon. The NRSC is now in the awkward position where they have to admit a mistake.”