WKRG.com » News Stream » Local »

Crist Endorses McCain

By Media General News Service

Published: Sun, January 27, 2008 - 6:35 pm Last Updated: Sun, January 27, 2008 - 7:57 pm

Short URL: http://wkrg.com/a/9562/

By BILLY HOUSE and WILLIAM MARCH
Media General News Service

TAMPA, Fla. -- Its lateness wasn't the biggest surprise surrounding Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's endorsement of John McCain.

Crist's endorsement Saturday, three days before Florida's GOP primary, came without any public word from McCain that he'll support Crist's top federal priority - a national catastrophe fund to help assure property insurance availability to disaster-prone states like Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and Louisiana.

"No commitment," snapped McCain, when asked whether a deal had been struck for the endorsement in return for his support of a federal backstop for insurance policies.

Crist, pressed on why he endorsed McCain without a promise on a catastrophic fund, said, "I trust the guy."

Appearing with McCain in Tampa Sunday, Crist again denied any closed-door deals were made in exchange for his 11th-hour endorsement.

"I'm not the sort of guy who decides to support a candidate or an issue because of some deal," said Crist. "I've never been that way. It's because of what I feel in my heart. And what I feel in my heart is John McCain is the right man at the right time for our country. We need John McCain as our next president."

Among the leading GOP presidential candidates, McCain is the strongest opponent of a catastrophe fund to provide a national insurance backstop for hurricane-prone states. But the senator from Arizona did seem following Crist's endorsement Saturday night to soften his opposition. And he also seemed to weaken his opposition to the "cat fund" in comments to reporters after the speech.

He promised "to work very closely" with Crist on other approaches to the issue. McCain added, "We've got to provide home insurance for every person who lives in the path of a hurricane."

But McCain talked of a more regional, rather than a national, approach to an insurance pool.

Rudy Giuliani, who is banking on winning Florida to get his presidential campaign going, has emphatically embraced the idea of a catastrophic fund. One of his top Florida supporters, state Atty. Gen. Bill McCollum, has been attacking MCain on the issue.

Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee also support a fund.

Crist announced his endorsement of McCain at a GOP fundraising dinner in his hometown of St. Petersburg.

"The man who stands next to me really is a great American hero," Crist said. "I don't think anybody would be better than the man who stands next to me" for president, Crist said.

McCain now has endorsements from the state's top two elected Republicans, Crist and U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez. Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Palm Harbor also endorsed McCain Saturday.

Crist said he made his decision Saturday, and McCain said he learned of it only just before the dinner.

Tampa Tribune reporter Josh Poltilove contributed to this story.