Florida Guv Backs McCain
EmailABC News’ Karen Travers and Teddy Davis Report: With only three days to go until Florida’s Jan. 29 primary, Republican John McCain won the backing of Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
Crist delivered his endorsement Saturday night at the Lincoln Day Dinner in St. Petersburg, Fla., where he appeared alongside McCain.
Calling McCain a "true American hero," Crist said that he has thought long and hard about who would make the best president.
"As you know, we have a very important election coming up in Florida," said Crist. "And the man who stands next to me is really a true American hero."
"I don’t think anybody would do better than the man standing next to me," Crist said of McCain. "That’s an endorsement."
If Florida’s popular governor is able to lift McCain to a win in the Sunshine State, it could mean the end of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s White House bid and firmly establish McCain as the G.O.P.’s frontrunner going into Feb. 5 when more than 20 states vote.
Crist’s affinity for McCain was apparent on the day before his 2006 election as governor.
Crist, who was the state’s attorney general at the time, was scheduled to appear at a rally with Bush in Pensacola, Fla. But he cancelled and went to an event with McCain in Jacksonville around the same time.
The White House was not pleased about Crist’s decision to campaign with McCain instead of the president.
Asked that day what the Crist cancellation meant for Bush, Karl Rove said "Let’s see how many people show up in Palm Beach on 24 hours notice versus 8 or 9,000 people in Pensacola." Rove also said to ask Crist’s people why they cancelled.
Crist’s people cited scheduling and other Florida Republicans said he had no reason to go to the GOP heavy panhandle area when he needed to pick up votes in other areas of the state.
UPDATE 8:37pm ET: Crist said he made his decision to endorse McCain this afternoon. When asked when he found out, McCain said "very late," with a smile.
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How can anyone support open borders John McCain? John said that he is no longer for amnesty, but his “hispanic outreach coordinator” was a top government official for Vincente Fox, the President of Mexico!
Juan Hernandez. He is the most radical open borders, pro-illegal alien advocate out there, and yet John McCain has him in his inner circle.
Not just poor judgment, I want to know which other foreign governments have “Former” cabinet members working within campaigns? I hope there are NONE. John McCain does not have America’s best interests at heart. I don’t know why he is selling us out to this shill of a foreign government, but, oh well…Florida, save us!! Do not vote for someone who sold out America!
Don’t believe me? Don’t…look into it yourself. Juan Hernandez. He is a “volunteer” who is the Hispanic Outreach Director…
John McCain is still fighting for amnesty. McCain is wrong on all the RIGHT issues.
John McCain is not presidential.
Posted by: Apollo | January 26, 2008, 8:43 pm 8:43 pm
Give it up Rudy! Although John’s amnesty bill may just be what the Florida Republican corporate establishment likes in the first place. Of course he’s got plenty of practice letting illegials cross along the Arizona border. I guess Rudy’s all wrong and Florida really is made for John.
Posted by: ugh! | January 26, 2008, 8:44 pm 8:44 pm
Helen, you are right. John McCain has no knowledge whatsoever on the economy. He will be a tool of the special interests because he simply does not know what to do.
We need a president who understands the economy, who has helped create tens of thousands of jobs. John McCain has been in washington DC far too long and owes too many favors to too many democratic senators.
Posted by: Apollo | January 26, 2008, 9:00 pm 9:00 pm
why do you not cover Gov. Mike Huckabee? By far, the BEST man for president!!!! We know you have and “push” your man you want for president. You don’t have ALL the people of this coun try FOOLED!
Posted by: jerry hickson | January 26, 2008, 10:25 pm 10:25 pm
Well it looks like McCain can”t win Flordia in his own. He continues to rely on the 527 liberal newsapapers to prop him up and now Crist has to come in and “prop” him up from the political side.
This is really sad indeed. Mitt will still win Florida and will go on to win the GOP nomination.
Let”s see how low the “straight liar” will go to get the GOP nomination. McCain”s flat out lie about Mitt calling for a Iraq timetable has caused me not to vote for him in November 2008 if he gets the nomination. I don”t vote for Liars………just the facts.
Stay tuned and GO MITT ! We The People will decide this race, still!
Posted by: Allen Ridge | January 27, 2008, 8:13 am 8:13 am
Brand new Rasmussen poll clearly shows why McCain has ramped up his “straight lying-talk express”. Mitt is pulling away with 33%, Lone Ranger McCain has dropped to 27% and Rudy comes in at 18%.
It was really shameful how McCain lied his way through Tim Russert”s interveiw on Meet The Enemy just now. It”s really sad to see this war hero sink to lying about Mitt, his fellow Senators that have come out and supported Mitt, and his incrediable flip flops on cutting taxes.
Mitt will win Florida despite the prop ups by the liberal press and now from the political side from Crist. What Americans and Republicans need to ask themselves is this. Are we going to pick our GOP nominee or is the liberal press and old political politicians? McCain is losing alot of respect around the coutry right now with his attacks, lies, and smears. Really sad indeed …….GO MITT !
Posted by: Allen Ridge | January 27, 2008, 11:11 am 11:11 am
A biblical ending to the Fla primary-”the first shall be last”-Rudy`s first, and last, primary. No consolation that he may not come in last.
Posted by: Luke | January 27, 2008, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm
ugh! is wrong. John McCain has created thousands of jobs for Mexicans, Guatemalans, El Salvadorans, Chinese communists and Indians. John McCain has supported every cheap foriegn labor guest worker program coming out of Washington. John McCain has worked to expand Social Security benefits for illegal aliens, affirmative action for all Hispanic illegals, free college tuition for the children of illegal aliens etc. McCain knows about economics and has a plan to transform america into an impoverished third world country. As a VietNam veteran, Ex POW John McCain knows how to lose a war and American lives & treasure better than his fellow liberal Democrats and can turn the mistakes and strategic blunders of Iraq into a 100 year long failure. Hillary can lay claim to creating 65,000 jobs a year for Indian H1-B’s, But McCain can boast 20 million Mexican Illegal aliens doing jobs like drug dealing, raping and murdering US Citizens. John McCain will get the illegal alien vote in Florida because he is the only candidate to take a stand against those american citizens who oppose the Mexican invasion.
Posted by: John Rowse | January 27, 2008, 1:28 pm 1:28 pm
McCain’s plan was never amnesty, and he’s definitely not for open borders. He has adapted his original plan to make sure that the borders are secure before any of the illegals in America can begin their path to citizenship, which for them will take hard work, payment of fines and back taxes, patience, and a clean criminal record.
Posted by: Peter | January 27, 2008, 2:02 pm 2:02 pm
McCain is a WAR HERO!!! He is twice the man as anyone else in the race. He is not a liberal. Far from it. He is right on immigration. We need a “guest worker” program. The only way to secure the border is to have tough enforcement and couple it with a solid guest worker plan. The guest worker plan would NOT BE A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP. They take jobs Americans will not do. This is not the 1930s, very few Americans want to pick lettuce or wash dishes.
Posted by: J.R. | January 27, 2008, 3:07 pm 3:07 pm
Romney Robots are at it again! McCain is not for open borders. The problem for the extreme right is that McCain tried to put together a realistic solution to the illegal immigration problem. The kind of plan that might actually have a chance of passing in Congress. Because he does not tell them what they want to hear, they cannot abide him. Go JOHN MCCAIN! Beat the plastic, say anything to win Romney!
Posted by: McCainiac | January 27, 2008, 6:39 pm 6:39 pm
McCain showed in the last debate that he can lie to the entire nation without any qualms, saying that he did not know where Tim Russert was getting a quote attributed to McCain, and McCain knew full well he had said those words. And he expects us to trust him as president? We do not need another Bush in the White House.
This is just the latest in a long series of moral lapses and ethical deficiencies coming from McCain. Remember the Keating-5, in which McCain took a bribe to help cover up the defrauding of the american public via the savings and loan scandal. McCain has clearly proven he cannot be trusted with power, with the blatant abuse of power in the Keating-5 alone. He should not be allowed anywhere near the White House–we cannot afford a Bush II administration. Plus, McCain is an adulterer, a clear lack of moral judgment in this also.
Romney has shown to have much more personal integrity, and is much more morally sound than McCain. Hillary is in the same establishment mode as McCain. Romney is by far the best candidate running for president.
Posted by: Bastanow | January 27, 2008, 8:08 pm 8:08 pm
IT is an absolute LIE that Americans will not do “these” jobs.
I have been a member of the carpenters union, I have put up walls, sheetrock, etc. etc. etc. I own a farm and put in 16-hour days. IT is an ABSOLUTE INSULT to me and every other hard-working AMERICAN that John McCain and his cronies say I won’t work. Maybe he won’t…he doesn’t have to since he left his wife and ran off with a woman almost half his age worth some FIFTY-SIXTY MILLION DOLLARS. No wonder he tried to be John Kerry’ VP–they both married money…
John McCain, how dare you tell me I won’t work.
McCain equals amnesty. Period. John McCain’s plan would not pass in Arizona–if a company hires an illegal alien, the business loses its license. That will eliminate illegal aliens.
Posted by: Apollo | January 27, 2008, 8:32 pm 8:32 pm
Question: How can John McCain claim to give “straight talk” while using a “forked tongue”? Florida beware…You will be used and abused. If you want Socialism, go for it; but don’t whine when you’re dumped! I am an Older Woman who has seen the Clintons for what they are. A vote for McCain is a vote for the Clinton Combo.
Posted by: Virginia | January 27, 2008, 8:38 pm 8:38 pm
FORGET ABOUT ALL THE OTHER CANDIDATES AND THEIR SAME OLD RHETORIC AND HOW WONDERFUL THEY THINK THEY ARE….RON PAUL IS THE GUY WE ALL NEED TO VOTE FOR. HE SPEAKS THE TRUTH IF YOU WOULD JUST LISTEN. THE MEDIA TREATS HIM LIKE POISON….THAT’S EXACTLY WHY I AM GOING TO VOTE FOR HIM!!
Posted by: DIANNA | January 27, 2008, 11:02 pm 11:02 pm
I am constantly amazed by the stupidity and ignorance of some of the people who post comments on the internet. Some purposely lie and others pepeat lies believing them to be true without doing any research or fact checking. John McCain was not my first choice; and I disagree with his positions on immigration and campaign finance reform. I yelled loud and long about Ronald Reagan’s immigration reform. I hated George Bush’s plan (which McCain endorsed)but it is conservative republicans, like myself who will help elect representatives to our legislative branch of government to protect our nation and pass reasonable immigration reform. I can’t trust Mitt Romney because he panders and reminds me of Bill Clinton without the sexual immorality. Jon McCain has always been a budget hawk and has the most knowledgeable and conservative fiscal advisors. He has an 83% conservative voting record; and most importantly, he has the best chance of beating Hillary and providing some “coat tails” by appealing to moderates, independants and especially national defense minded democrats. Please consider the choices you make intelligently and that we need a united party to win in November.
Posted by: Sam from Illinois | January 28, 2008, 1:27 am 1:27 am
Juan McShame will lose Florida to Romney for one, simple reason–Amnesty, not to mention he’s no different than Hillary on the issues. McShame is a man without a party, though he touts himself as a Republican. Given what he’s done to the GOP and to conservatives in particular over the too many years he’s been in office, McShame should have been banished by the GOP long ago.
While I’m voting for Ron Paul, the only man who can save us from the globalists, I’m banking on Romney to end Juan McShame’s campaign in Florida.
Posted by: levotb | January 28, 2008, 4:44 am 4:44 am
Allen Ridge:
Rasmussen’s poll is bogus!
I am a registered Republican in Fla and I did not receive a call.
Rasmussen has consistantly shown Romney
with high numbers while undercounting
the other candidates!
There’s something wrong with his sample!
Mccain will win Florida and the nomination!
If your boy Romney wins, we’re in for 8
more years of the Clintons or Obama!
Since you like polls, you ought to know that Romney loses in double digits to Clinton and Obama, while McCain beats them!
Posted by: reaganfan | January 28, 2008, 10:53 am 10:53 am
levotb: the Republican Party is not
strictly a Conservative Party!
We need Conservatives, Moderates, and even Liberals to win the General Election! McCain can bring back the
Reagan Democrats! Flip-Flopper Romney
is like Hillary Clinton, he will say anything to win!
Posted by: reaganfan | January 28, 2008, 10:58 am 10:58 am
Keating Five! McCain took bribes and got caught! Why is the media so quiet about the illegal activities of John McCain?
Posted by: McCain is a Crook-Keating Five! | January 28, 2008, 2:44 pm 2:44 pm
Peter – you shout “McCain’s a war hero” like there weren’t any others in Vietnam BUT him. He WENT to war moron, he was caputured – NOT by himself – he went straight into politics against his own government.
Posted by: KDRoberts | February 27, 2008, 10:52 am 10:52 am