Rubio, FOX News wait for Crist to decide on debate

FOX News has agreed to host a debate between Gov. Charlie Crist and former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio so Florida Republicans can decide who should be the party's nominee for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Naked Politics, the Miami Herald's political blog, reports that Rubio, the darling of many of the same conservatives who made FOX News Channel the No. 1 cable TV news network, has accepted an invite for a March 28 debate, so all that is needed now is for Crist to do the same.

The debate would be moderated by FOX's Chris Wallace, and take place either in Florida or in Washington, D.C.

"We've made no secret about our enthusiasm to debate Charlie Crist in this campaign so when FOX News proposed, we accepted,'' said Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos.

Rubio, Meek 'tweet' about their airborne meet

Politicians are increasingly using Facebook and other social media to keep tabs on their supporters and to provide almost constant information about their whereabouts and happenings, to the most minute level.

For example, about 4:45 p.m. today, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami - who is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and was in Tampa earlier today for President Barack Obama's town hall - updated his Facebook status with this tidbit:

(O)n a Southwest flight from Tampa to Ft. Lauderdale. I'm in seat 12A. Who's in seat 9A? Marco Rubio! Exchanged a few laughs. Keeping an eye on him :)
(emoticon included)

The identical message was posted on Meek's Twitter page.

For those not following him on Facebook or Twitter, Rubio is the former Florida House speaker running for the Republican nomination for the same U.S. Senate seat.

Rubio also Tweeted about the airborne encounter with his possible future rival:

On same SW Flight from Tampa as Kendrick Meek and (U.S. Rep. Debbie) Wasserman Schultz. Wonder what they where doing in Tampa today? LOL
(Internet lingo included)

And to think, if Florida already had high-speed train service, this type of encounter between political leaders might never had happened and been recorded for posterity.