Roll Call-Meek Denies He Wanted To Drop Out Of Fla. Senate Race

Dem. Fla. Senate Candidate Kendrick Meek: weblogs.sun-sentinel.com

(Story reported by Melanie Starkey for Roll Call)

Rep. Kendrick Meek pushed back Thursday against a report that President Bill Clinton nearly talked the Florida Democrat into withdrawing from his Senate race last week.

Politico, citing anonymous sources, reported Thursday that Meek agreed twice to drop out and endorse Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, in the hopes that Democratic voters would redirect their support to the independent candidate, but that Meek backed out.

“The press report that’s out there from Politico is inaccurate — at best,” Meek said at a news conference Thursday night. “President Clinton and I are good friends. ... He’s continuing to be a supporter of this campaign. ... Any rumor or any statement by anyone that says that I made a decision to get out of the race is inaccurate.”

(Click here to read the full story on the Roll Call website.)