Former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney shared an anecdote regarding Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist Monday on the Hugh Hewitt show.
Crist, who was the Republican governor of Florida during the 2008 GOP primary, promised the Romney campaign he would not endorse anyone before the state's primary election.
However, according to Romney, Crist had actually also promised former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani his endorsement. After telling the two campaigns different things, Crist took a third turn and endorsed Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.).
Romney said he has worked with countless Democrats throughout his career that he trusted, but "there are some people you can't trust, and I’m afraid that Charlie Crist was unable to maintain the trust that we have relied upon":
HUGH HEWITT: […] Can you recall what you were thinking when you got that news?
MITT ROMNEY: Well, you know, I did not get the news from Charlie Crist himself. I got it from a member of my staff, and I was not pleased with the news, and I was not pleased that he didn’t have the courtesy to call me directly. As you know, at that stage, Rudy Giuliani and myself and John McCain were battling it out in Florida. And as I understand it, he had promised Rudy Giuliani he was going to endorse him. And our team understood, and I understood, he was going to endorse no one. And then out of the blue, he endorsed John McCain. So he had his impact, and it was obviously very disappointing, particularly coming so close to the election.
HEWITT: Is the lack of honor among electeds, is Charlie Crist the rule, or is he the exception in such a situation, did you learn after two presidential campaigns?
ROMNEY: You know, I think in the world of politics, that trust is the currency of the realm. And you can disagree with people, and I worked in a state where the legislators were overwhelmingly Democrat. My Senators were John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. So we disagree a lot, but we could trust each other, and we spoke in private. Those things were kept in private, and we kept our word. There are some people that you can’t trust, and I’m afraid that Charlie Crist was unable to maintain the trust that we have relied upon, and that Rudy Giuliani had apparently relied upon.