Crist will allow press into wedding: a 'pool' reporter

At a holiday reception for the press corps Wednesday night, Gov. Charlie Crist announced he will allow a "pool" reporter to cover his wedding to Carole Rome next Friday. The chosen reporter is Lucy Morgan of the St. Petersburg Times, one of a number of reporters who has been pressing for access to the wedding and for the list of invitees.

After mentioning Morgan, Crist said: "Maybe I let the cat out of the bag. So be it. We're open around here." Crist and his staff are trying to balance their desire for privacy with media interest in the wedding -- the first time a sitting Florida governor will be married since Claude Kirk in 1967. In a pool arrangement, a reporter observes for all news organizations, including competitors.

Crist and Rome welcomed reporters, editors and state agency communications staffers in the foyer of the Governor's Mansion. In brief remarks, with most of the capital press in the room, he singled out his communications director, Erin Isaac. "She works incredibly hard. I'm very blessed to have you in this administration, Erin. Thanks for not going anywhere."

He said he was "blessed" to have found Rome, adding of his wedding: "In just nine days, it gets consummated in a very formal way in my hometown of St. Petersburg, and I'm looking forward to it."

Despite the pledge of openess, Crist has refused to release his guest list, saying "it's private."

But when pressed, Crist said his main reason for withholding the guests name was his discomfort with appearing to hurt the feelings of those who aren't invited.

"This is a small reception with close friends and family," Crist said, acknowledging that some of those close friends are lobbyists who seek to influence him but added, "I don't want to offend anyone."

-- Steve Bousquet and Marc Caputo

Comments

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