Driving a Stake Through Giuliani's Heart

Florida's highly popular governor, Charlie Crist, has endorsed John McCain in advance of Tuesday's primary in that state.

Crist's move is a blow to rival Mitt Romney and quite possibly a death knell for former frontrunner Count Rudy Giuliani who has been campaigning in Florida for weeks and is relying on that state to legitimize his nomination run.

Some pundits are now speculating that a crushing defeat in Florida could spell the end of Giuliani's "9/11" gravy train. As the New York Times put it, "Goodbye Rudy Tuesday."

There's now speculation that, if he wins the nomination, McCain may chose Crist as his running mate. From Associated Press:

Crist has been seen as a moderate Republican. He has championed efforts to curb climate change, and was praised by former President Clinton for his efforts to restore voting rights of felons who have completed their sentences.

He also pushed for a law that requires a paper trail in state elections, a measure that bans the electronic voting machines his predecessor, Gov. Jeb Bush, sought after the 2000 presidential election. That election ended in a hotly contested recount, which President Bush won by 527 votes.