Charlie Crist Sets Example, Spends Only $430k on European Vice-Presidential Victory Tour

Yes it's Monday, I'm grumpy, plus I'm getting sick of this sub-70 weather.

Ok, let me try this again -- how was your weekend?

I love reading the papers nowadays. For example, there's this heartwarming story:

In a nod to the increasingly desperate times faced by Florida citizens, Charlie Crist got the hail out of the state with his "ladyfriend" and nine really hunky bodyguards (two photographed above), and visited anti-American places like Spain, France and England. The whole thing was done on the cheap, too:

Gov. Charlie Crist took a pricey 12-day trip to Europe this summer, hitting taxpayers with a $430,000 bill amid a sagging economy. Crist flew to London, Paris, St. Petersburg and Madrid to drum up business in July on a trip that was supposed to cost $255,000, but the tab came in much higher, The Sun Sentinel reported Sunday.

Expenses included Crist's entourage of more than two dozen, including a photographer and nine bodyguards, who alone spent more than $148,000 on meals, hotels, transportation and incidentals. The news comes as the state budget has a roughly $2 billion deficit.

`DISTRESS'

Crist's office says fostering overseas business is even more important when the economy is hurting and has been ''instrumental in keeping our state from greater distress,'' spokeswoman Erin Isaac said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press on Sunday.

State money was not used to pay for Crist's roughly $30,000 in expenses. Business executives who went on the trip picked up that bill -- which included a $2,179-a-night London suite, where he conducted meetings.

Some of the costs were: first-class tickets for about $8,000 round-trip; room service and minibar tabs of more than $1,300; and $320 on electric fans to keep him cool while giving speeches, the newspaper reported.

It must suck to be spokeswoman Erin Isaac when asked to comment on a story like that. She probably didn't even get to go, and here she is justifying European electric fans to keep the Governor's delicate complexion at optimal thermal calibration. Give that woman a raise!

Speaking of papers, I did not read this in the Herald this morning:

The McClatchy Co., burdened by debt and a steep slide in newspaper advertising, wants to sell one of its most prized properties, The Miami Herald, according to people briefed on the company's plans.

McClatchy, the nation's third-largest newspaper chain, has approached potential buyers for The Herald, said these people. But they said they knew of no serious offers for the paper, reflecting the evaporation of major investors' interest in buying newspapers.

That's why I was surprised to hear the DBR publisher talk about expanding their paper at the Most Effective Lawyers luncheon on Friday. I like the new format, and wish them well.

BTW, you can see the finalists and winners here.