Hotline reports that Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) called Gov. Charlie Crist to urge him not to run as an independent in the Florida Republican Senate primary. Crist did not answer the phone, and has reportedly not returned the call.
Many GOP leaders now see a Crist independent bid as a fait accompli, and word is that the governor would lose key staffers — including his senior management team and his chief pollster — in the event of a party switch.