By Billy House
Media General News Service
Media General News Service
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The lateness of its timing wasn’t the biggest reason why Florida Gov. Charlie Crist’s endorsement here Saturday night of John McCain was a surprise.
It was delivered without any public assurances from McCain to support what has been Crist's top federal priority for his state — a national catastrophe fund to help assure property insurance availability to disaster-prone states like Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina and Louisiana.
“No commitment,” snapped McCain, when asked about whether a deal had been struck for the endorsement in return for his support of such a federal backstop for insurance policies in states prone to hurricanes and other natural catastrophes.
Pressed why, then, he endorsed McCain with no promise on a catastrophic fund, Crist said, “I trust the guy."
Appearing with McCain again in Tampa this morning, Crist also denied that there were any closed-door deals made in exchange for his 11th-hour endorsement, just three days before Florida's Tuesday GOP primary.
“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.”
Despite his insistence of no deal, McCain — the strongest opponent of the cat fund among the leading GOP candidates — did seem in a speech following Crist’s endorsement to soften his opposition. He also seemed to soften it in comments afterward, as well.
He promised “to work very closely” with Crist on other approaches to the issue. He 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, than 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’s endorsement came after a day in which the Republican presidential candidates crisscrossed the Tampa Bay area and the Democratic contenders crossed swords over whether the Florida primary matters.
Crist announced his McCain endorsement 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 told the crowd after calling McCain to the podium with him. “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 on Saturday night.
Crist said he made his decision Saturday, and McCain said he didn't learn of it until just before the dinner.
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 641-5080.
It was delivered without any public assurances from McCain to support what has been Crist's top federal priority for his state — a national catastrophe fund to help assure property insurance availability to disaster-prone states like Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina and Louisiana.
“No commitment,” snapped McCain, when asked about whether a deal had been struck for the endorsement in return for his support of such a federal backstop for insurance policies in states prone to hurricanes and other natural catastrophes.
Pressed why, then, he endorsed McCain with no promise on a catastrophic fund, Crist said, “I trust the guy."
Appearing with McCain again in Tampa this morning, Crist also denied that there were any closed-door deals made in exchange for his 11th-hour endorsement, just three days before Florida's Tuesday GOP primary.
“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.”
Despite his insistence of no deal, McCain — the strongest opponent of the cat fund among the leading GOP candidates — did seem in a speech following Crist’s endorsement to soften his opposition. He also seemed to soften it in comments afterward, as well.
He promised “to work very closely” with Crist on other approaches to the issue. He 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, than 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’s endorsement came after a day in which the Republican presidential candidates crisscrossed the Tampa Bay area and the Democratic contenders crossed swords over whether the Florida primary matters.
Crist announced his McCain endorsement 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 told the crowd after calling McCain to the podium with him. “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 on Saturday night.
Crist said he made his decision Saturday, and McCain said he didn't learn of it until just before the dinner.
Reporter Billy House can be reached at bhouse@mediageneral.com or at 1 (202) 641-5080.