Bense regrets remarks about Crist, McCain

A contrite former House Speaker Allan Bense says he regrets remarks he made over the weekend in a Romney campaign conference call criticizing Gov. Charlie Crist for endorsing John McCain, and said he would apologize to Crist .

"My remarks were inappropriate. I did not put what I've always had in my political career, a 48-hour rule," said Bense, a Romney supporter. "I should have made those comments to the governor himself ... I had no business saying that. I apologize."

Over the weekend, Bense said that after Crist endorsed McCain, the ex-speaker from Panama City got 48 phone calls from people offering to help Romney as a result. His point: Crist's moderate Republican philosophy would cost McCain votes in the conservative Panhandle.    

''I think there's just concern about it. This is a very conservative part of the state and there's been some concern whether or not this is a conservative ticket McCain is running,'' Bense said, according to a Miami Herald story. Bense also injected race into the discussion by noting that Crist's support for a state award to the family of boot camp victim Martin Lee Anderson was unpopular in the Panhandle.

Comments

You think he would have regretted them had Romney pulled it off last night ?

no way. i thought bense had a backbone.

Allan Bense is a decent man.

Of course... what is scary is how he represented the panhandle... Romney only won 17 counties statewide... of those, the following are in the panhandle

Bay
Columbia

The following panhandle counties went for McCain

Escambia
Santa Rosa
Okaloosa
Walton
Washington
Holmes
Jackson
Calhoun
Gulf
Liberty
Gadsden
Leon
Wakulla
Jefferson
Franklin
Taylor
Madison
Dixie
Levy
Lafayette
Suwannee
Hamilton

First he endorses Crist over TG while agreeing with nothing Charlie stood for.

Then he stabs him in the back for supporting McCain.

Then he back tracks when Romney loses and tries running back to Charlie so he's not on the outs.

Bense's flip flopping is beginning to rival Mr. Robot himself, which is very difficult to do.

[Denice]

Florida should not be allowed to vote EVER! you voted for somebody who has Juan Martinez ( open border viva mexico martinez) in his staff and you people still vote it for him? give me a break.

There's a lot of that going around this morning...

(denice - it's juan hernandez www.juanhernandez.org)

I want to know once and for all; Is Allan Bense a racist or is he not a racist?

Those comments about Gov. Crist and the Anderson case really, really worry me; in addition to the fact that the FDLE head Gov. Jeb Bush hired and then had to fire over racist email comments about Senator Obama (Guy Tunnell) was recommended by Tunnell's home-town friend Speaker Allan Bense.

So, Is Allan Bense a racist?

I think a better question would be, "Is it now time for Bense to step off the public stage?"

I don't think he needs to apologize for anything. That comment wasn't bad, hurtful or demeaning.

I don't know him, but everything I've seen indicates Alan Bense to be a great guy; a self-made man with equal parts passion and humor. Everyone says things they regret. Few elected officials ever demonstrate this much humility and character.

What a classy thing to do. I wish there were more people like Allan Bense in the proces.

is alan bense racist? why is that even coming up? because he mentioned a black man? geez. were you there screaming "racists" at clinton/clinton when they mentioned MLK and Jesse Jackon on two different occasions? bet you didn't - so you're the racist one for only seeing people based on their color.

Politics is full of people like Bense, legends in their own minds. They are built up and made to feel like royalty by even their own fellow politicians collegues then they boast how calm and fair and how good a men they are, all the while not realizing its because they always have it their way with people handing it to them or pandering to them...but as soon as they dont get it...they lose control and get confused...Bense is a classic narcisistic egotistical elitist whom thinks that once he speaks that is how it will be. Thank god he is out of politics, now if only he would just go AWAY!. Sick of these right wing hate monger types that always seek to devide with racism, whats with invoking the name of the Anderson family, that was intentional by Bense to remind the panhandle racist to not support any candidate that Crist (the friend of the N*&%# ers) would support. Bense is a RACIST!!!

What a figer in the wind... putz. Kiss my rear end, Bense.

Too little, too late...the bridge has been burned.

2:12

Bense is not a racist. What he said was that the decision was unpopular and that is a true statement. That decision whether right or wrong angered many in the panhandle.

I agree with 2:55, Bense statement was definitely "code" messaging to those that hate Crist for support any form of Black civil rights to remember that and not support any candidate Crist endorse. Bense is not only a racist, he is the worst kind, the type that uses to influence to remind others to hate. The 1940 saw another that did this, all the while with people claiming how "good men" they really are. You know what they say about the Devils best trick, convince people he doesnt exist, the racist best trick, convince people they are "good men".

And I can see where something (say the death of a black teenager and the state's award of 5 million to his family) could be seen as unpopular in the Panhandle and have absolutely nothing to do with racists. I don't think there are any racists, just people who state facts. Bense wasn't trying to say Crist had sided with the black(s) just that he was on the wrong side of an issue in the Panhandle. He could have been talking about St. Joe or an unpopular road. Silly, Bense, why'd you apologize?

[Denice]

Thanks! I got them confused :) I am just shocked people are turning a blind eye to this...as soon as Juan Mccain becomes president the flood Gates will be open and illegals will run to our borders. Check out this character Juan Hernandez is going to help Mccain hand out free pass to the illegals.

[Michael]

It was a dumb comment - he showed class to apologize.

Who is Allan Bense? Oh yeah, the former Florida House Speaker.

Allan Bense is a decent man and owes an apology.

2:55 - you obviously don't know Allan Bense.

Allan Bense is a great man. Most of the panhandle is not happy with Gov. Crist's move to the center. It's really no surprise. Crist Likes it there. He'd rather have less Repub's like him and more dem's love him. Smart on his part for political purposes. Crist rarely makes a misstep, especially with George at his side.

All you Bense hater's better get to know the man before you judge him. He'll go down as one of the best Speaker's this state ever had! We should all hope he runs for some state wide office someday. The real winner's we be us the constituency. He's honest, works hard and believes in the people of this state. His apologizing only shows him to be a class act. At least the guy get's engaged. Most of us don't!

Allan Bense is a great man. Most of the panhandle is not happy with Gov. Crist's move to the center. It's really no surprise. Crist Likes it there. He'd rather have less Repub's like him and more dem's love him. Smart on his part for political purposes. Crist rarely makes a misstep, especially with George at his side.

All you Bense hater's better get to know the man before you judge him. He'll go down as one of the best Speaker's this state ever had! We should all hope he runs for some state wide office someday. The real winner's we be us the constituency. He's honest, works hard and believes in the people of this state. His apologizing only shows him to be a class act. At least the guy get's engaged. Most of us don't!

[Charlie Brown]

Allan Bense is a pansy for apologizing. I have lost the respect I had for the man. What a wuss.

Maybe he got carried away after spending so much time with Mitt and the Bush Devious Planners.

Bense is a good guy who screwed up and had the courage to admit it.

What about the Guy Tunnell thing? Is Bense best friends with him or what? It seems there are too many racist situations following Allan Bense and that kind of person has no place whatsoever in the new Crist-led Republican party. Bense should do Republicans a favor and quitely step off the public stage.

9:53 - well you forced me to do it - US Senator Robert Byrd was a Klan Grand Master - so based on your logic that makes all deomcrats who associate with him racists

man publik edukashun in this state sucks

[Ben Watchin]

Had Bense been Governor I'd lay a bet this state would not be in the poor condition it finds itself in today.

Allan Bense is a fine man , a good leader of people and Florida is fortunate he agreed to serve...at great expense to himself by the way...

Trash him all you want . It shows only that no one who leads escapes the critics. Too bad the critics don't know the man.

BENSE IS A RACIST pure and simple and he knows it. You have to marvel at these types of human beings