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Posted: January 29, 2008 6:17 PM
McCain, Romney Wrap Up Florida Campaigns
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Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney wrapped up their campaigns in Florida by making final appeals for votes in Tuesday’s winner-take-all Republican primary. The Sunshine State victor stands to gain all 57 of the state’s delegates.

Heading into Tuesday, the two were in a close race for first place, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released in the morning.

“McCain now has 35% support in Florida and stands four points ahead of Romney,” according to the poll, which carries a margin for error of 3.3 percentage points.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was battling for third place with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Romney entered Tuesday’s contest with 59 Republican delegates, followed by Huckabee with 40, McCain with 36 and Giuliani with one.

McCain spent the day campaigning with popular Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. At a stop in St. Petersburg, McCain accused Romney of dirty tactics. “It’s only been Governor Romney who decides to attack opponents when he thinks that they are moving up and succeeding,” McCain said. “I mean, that’s just the way he campaigns.”

Romney, appearing in Tampa, accused McCain of weakness in economic and immigration issues, and both accused the other of the being the “L” word: liberal.

In a survey of Florida voters conducted for the Associated Press, voters said the economy was their top issue. Terrorism, the war in Iraq and immigration followed in importance.