ORLANDO — As Republican Party of Florida officials gathered this weekend for their quarterly meeting, Ana Trinque came with a question.
The chairwoman of the Hernando County Republican Executive Committee said people have been asking her why they were seeing renewable energy ads on television touting the governor "and not seeing him on ads endorsing McCain.''
The answer: ''I haven't been asked,'' said Gov. Charlie Crist, adding that he is willing to help out the McCain campaign in Florida and would "do anything they ask me to.''
Crist has been at McCain's side every time the Arizona Republican has traveled to Florida since the governor's surprise endorsement four days before the primary. Crist was with McCain in rallies to Miami and Melbourne Friday and introduced Sarah Palin during her visit to Southwest Florida last week.
But while Florida's popular governor has earned free television time at those campaign events, he hasn't cut a television or radio ad. And while McCain has spent $5 million on television ads in Florida, Democrat Barack Obama has more than quadrupled that: spending $21 million in the state, according to Campaign Media Analysis Group.
McCain campaign official Buzz Jacobs would not comment on whether they have any plans to expand their television presence in Florida.
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