Fla. Senator Won’t Say If McCain Veep Team Is Asking Him About Guv

Tue, July 08, 2008 - 10:48 AM

WASHINGTON – If John McCain’s vice presidential search team is seriously considering Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, wouldn’t its intensive vetting process include talking to the state’s Republican U.S. senator, Mel Martinez?

“I’m not going to talk about that,” said Martinez, when asked this morning by Media General News Service whether he’d been approached yet by the McCain Veep team about Crist.

Does Martinez’ silence mean they have approached him?

The senator declined to answer.

Martinez did add instructively: “It’s Sen. McCain decision.”

Martinez’ tight lips about Crist comes amid published reports that indicate that A.B. Culvahouse, who is supervising McCain’s search for a running mate, has begun to vet up to 10 candidates.

It also has been reported that Culvahouse, a one-time White House counsel to President Reagan, has already consulted with top Republicans in the House and Senate about potential McCain picks.

-- Billy House, Media General News Service