Florida Governor Charlie Crist To Wed

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ Gov. Charlie Crist won't be sleeping alone in the governor's mansion much longer _ he is engaged to a woman he met in New York City last September who quickly captured his heart.

Crist, 51, asked Carole Rome to marry him Thursday morning at his St. Petersburg apartment, giving her a blue sapphire ring surrounded by diamonds. She immediately said yes.

"I'm very happy and couldn't be more pleased. What a great way to celebrate America's birthday," said Crist, who has been mentioned as a potential running mate for Republican presidential candidate John McCain. "We've been talking about it for quite a while. I asked her while we were looking out over Tampa Bay and I couldn't think of a better place to do it."

Rome, 38, is the president of Franco American Novelty Co., her family's New York-area Halloween costume company, though she stopped managing its daily business when she moved to Fisher Island near Miami in 2006. Crist said they met at a dinner where he and friends were discussing fundraising.

Asked what made him fall in love, Crist said, "Her beautiful smile, her sweetness, her brilliance _ all of it."

Crist was briefly married while in college, but was divorced in less than a year. That experience contributed to the long wait between commitments.

"It made me be very selective, candidly. Those things tend to make you gun-shy a little bit, but I'm so blessed to have found such a wonderful woman," Crist said. "It sure is great to find the right one."

The couple has been seen together frequently, from a Jimmy Buffett concert in Tampa last November to sporting events and on the campaign trail with McCain. At a Republican Party of Florida dinner last month, Crist told a crowd of 700 donors that he is lucky to have Rome in his life.

The couple is discussing a fall ceremony. Crist said the wedding will likely be a more intimate gathering in St. Petersburg followed by a larger reception at the governor's mansion.

"It will be awfully nice to have her at the mansion. It's a big place to have to be alone in," he said.

Crist took office in January 2007 and previously served as attorney general, education commissioner and in the state Senate.

Rome was previously married to Blue Star Jets president Todd Rome. She has two daughters, aged 9 and 11, and Crist said he hopes the couple has a child of their own someday.

Comments

[pascaljim]

Damn, and I thought Charlie was an HONEST politician.....

[GeorgeKaplan]

I hope McCain picks Crist as his VP.

[JessWonderin]

Interesting, just in time and New York Costume Company supplies a great beard . . .

Should have changed his Party, could have moved to California, married his heart's desire, AND been accepted as a VP Candidate openly . . . .

[Bluedog12]

Wait a minute, don't tell me, the bride to be is Liza Manelli?

[zreeb]

Is this like the time Michael Jackson got married?

[Felicty]

Not to worry - once he sees his first va gina, he'll run away screaming like a little girl.

[longislandlol]

Nice pretending--

[inthecolour]

Phew! He is no longer gay then!

[iswideopen]

You mean to say more republican corruption? Just "fess up" Charlie, the democrats won't judge you. This is America. We are a free people. When are the repugs going to get it. BTW, how much did you have to pay her? I won't tell!!!!

[dplaser]

I live in Palm Beach Florida... Charlie Crist is a nice guy but guess what? He is a flaming homosexual...That in itself is fine however he has been pretending to be a heterosexual for years.. She is his beard.. Its about appearance.. I am sure he needs her more than she needs him.. but i am sure the payoff is just right for her

[kvet]

Getting Married All of a Sudden ?

Love at first Sight ?

A Hetero Woman with an all ready made family ?

A Fitness Gymrat and Tanning Fanatic ?

The Man Is As "GAY" as a Picnic Basket on the 4th of July.

[Big0725]

The line "when she moved to Fisher Island near Miami in 2006". She moved to THE most exclusive address in Miami. The island is only reachable by ferry and you have to have a destination before you are allowed on the ferry. Also, speaking of exclusivity, the main sewage plant for the eastern part of the county is located on an island about a mile south of Fisher Island. The County has in place a deodorizing spray system so the residents of Fisher Island don't have to know their poo-poo stinks!

This ain't no run-of-the mill beard, uh, broad, he's planing to marry.

[Big0725]

Can you say "beard"?

[uheardme]

The timing is convenient. I smell male bimbo eruptions in the offing.

[geobushono]

exactly.........I listen to the Phillips Phile from FL, and they're very open about his being gay.
http://philips.wtks.com/listen.html

or XM 152 6pm east coast

[dr4Will]

the Minnesota airport men's stall"Craig's favorite spot" should hold the wedding ceremony

[LillianB]

A fall wedding it is - not very far from November 4, I suppose. That said, I'd think that if McC actually DID pick a gay running mate, or, for that sake, a running mate long believed to be and still doubted if is, he'd prove himself (McC) to be more tolerant and broadminded than the US think. Which could gain him some, and lose him some.
He'd certainly a bit more tolerant and broadminded than certain people commenting this article while gay-bashing in disguise of jokes. And yes, I think these jokes are bashing and not funny - they could have been funny, had being gay been as accepted as being straight, but, as this very tread proves, too, it still isn't. Which remind me of something I'm thinking more and more often these days, whether concerning racism or misogony or homophobia: Why can't we just treat people like people, let them be who they are whoever they are and want to be, accepting individual differences, without trying to force through that everyone should be the same, look the same, think the same, f-k the same... And then start valuing people for their personalities and positions. That is MY dream, and I don't see that mountaintop climbed yet.

[POINT84]

I may be wrong, but I think people on here are just saying they think he's in the closet and his marriage is a sham. I dont really see the gay bashing in that.

[LillianB]

I don't refer to the people saying he's in the closet and that he should get out of it as bashing. That's a fair point, though neither of these can know his orientation for sure, and they're all just assuming.

Those I consider gay bashing, are the people calling him names and implying he shouldn't be taken seriously as a politician, because he's supposedly gay. Those kind of implications are why people stay within closets. Or why they chose to wear beards.

I could also have referred to the people claiming that the bride-to-be is a bimbo just marrying for money as misogonyst. She has money already, from her address and position I gather she must be well off, maybe even more so than her groom.

[VOTER]

Crist's Bachelor Party should really be something....................... SPECIAL!

[uheardme]

It will be fabulous!