Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday responded to remarks by former Gov. Jeb Bush that it was "unforgivable" for Crist to embrace President Obama's economic stimulus package. Bush commented in a Newsmax TV interview in which he said Crist was the only statewide leader that Bush was aware of who "embraced the stimulus package when Republicans were fighting to suggest an alternative."

"Well, everybody has a right to their opinion," Crist said. "I understand that different people view it in a different way. In the shoes that I stand in right now, I've got to look out for the people, and that's what I'm doing."

Without the stimulus money, Crist said, Florida would have lost another 87,000 jobs, including 20,000 in the teaching profession.

Bush's criticism of Crist is likely to rekindle speculation that it's only a matter of time before the former governor backs Crist's opponent in the Republican U.S. Senate primary, former House Speaker Marco Rubio.  

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