The governor of Florida — once seen as a McCain veep short-lister — doesn’t have an opinion on how to address the financial crisis, as long as everybody just votes their conscience and does the right thing in a bipartisan fashion:

Gov. Charlie Crist spoke with Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez this morning to get an update on the financial crisis but Crist declined to say which way he thinks Congress should go on the $700-billion bailout to prop up the markets. “I’m not sure. They need to vote their conscience, first and foremost,” Crist said. “I think what has to happen … they need to work in a bipartisan fashion, whatever it is, to do what’s right for the American people. …” “Let’s make sure we all work together. And do what’s right in the best interest of the people,” Crist said. “There are those who argue you have to do this bailout deal in order to make sure you continue to have funds available to people. And others are concerned that the result of the bailout is that you are rewarding those who caused the problem in the first place. It’s a difficult, dicey situation.”

UPDATE: A reader reminds me of this:

“We don’t have a ‘present’ button as governor,’’ Palin said after an appearance before fellow Republican governors in Minneapolis. “We are expected to lead, we are expected to take action and not just vote ‘present.’’

That’s a critique of Obama, and McCain picked up this line shortly after Palin used it. Apparently it applies to Charlie Crist as well.