Florida Governor Joins McCain On Offshore Drilling

Charlie Crist, the popular governor of Florida and among those being talked about as a vice presidential running mate for John McCain, has joined the presumptive GOP nominee and President Bush in support of removing the nation's ban on offshore oil drilling.

Crist, who like most all of the state's politicians, has long opposed any offshore drilling but said yesterday he's reversing course in part because of high gas prices. "I mean, let's face it, the price of gas has gone through the roof, and Florida families are suffering," Crist said. "And my heart bleeds for them." Crist endorsed McCain just before his state's primary in February and is a logical person of interest for the ticket as the governor of a must-have Republican state in November. Democrats were quick to hit Crist for his reversal. Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski asked "if John McCain jumps off a cliff, will Charlie Crist jump, too?"