Newly appointed senator supports Crist

[ccharles000]

Since joining the Senate three months ago, Republican Sen. George LeMieux said he's made good on his promise to look out for the state's interests.

But he's also watching out for the man who put him in office: Gov. Charlie Crist, a candidate for the seat in 2010.

As Crist rival Marco Rubio has gained ground, LeMieux has quietly stepped up on behalf of his former boss. He co-headlined a Washington fundraiser for the governor last week and set up a political action committee, Protect America's Future, to funnel money to Crist and other political allies.

After Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe bucked the Republican establishment last month and endorsed Rubio, LeMieux sought to root out other potential defectors. At a private Capitol Hill luncheon with other Republican senators, LeMieux urged them to talk to him first before taking sides in the race.

``What I have told my colleagues was that if they're interested in getting involved in the Florida race, I hope that they will come to me,'' LeMieux said Tuesday during his first visit to South Florida since taking office. ``I will give them the benefit of my opinion and obviously, they have the right and choice to do what they like. But I'd like to tell my side of the story.''

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1353459.html