Crist doesn't rule out independent bid
By Jordan Fabian - 04/16/10 05:13 PM ET
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is not ruling out a run for Senate as an independent.
Trailing in the polls by wide margins to former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R), Crist said Friday that he is not considering an independent bid right now, but added that it could be something he could consider in the future.
"I'm not thinking about that today,'' Crist told reporters according to the Miami Herald. "We'll look at that later on."
Asked if he was considering a independent campaign, he said "No, not really."
His comments came after he vetoed an education bill that is popular among Republicans in the state, further stoking speculation that he will continue his campaign without the support of the GOP.
Crist denied that his veto was a signal of an independent campaign.
"My veto is a signal that I thought the bill was bad,'' he said.
The governor's campaign chairman and former close ally, former Sen. Connie Mack (R), resigned this week in the aftermath of the veto, but Crist seemed unfazed.
"There's always a price to pay for making decisions in life,'' Crist said. "In my business, in the political world, you take hits sometimes.''
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/92785-crist-doesnt-rule-out-independent-bid