Southwest Florida Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, the Miami Republican who represents part of Collier County, and Connie Mack IV, R-Fort Myers, voted against the war spending plan in the U.S. House on Friday, joining the 14 other Republicans in the delegation who opposed the plan to bring U.S. troops home by next year. (The nine Florida Democrats backed the proposal, of course).

After the plan won approval in the House on a 218-212 vote, Mack accused Democrats of passing legislation that “twists reckless policy with pork barrel politics” and said President Bush would be “well-justified to veto this reckless legislation.”

“The brave men and women fighting to keep us free deserve the nation’s unfettered support,” Mack said in a statement. “They need the resources to fight and win, and they need them without artificial deadlines and political strings that impose battlefield strategies on commanders that will doom their mission.

“Sadly, that’s exactly what the Democrats have done,” he added. “I voted no on their irresponsible funding bill because pandering politicians have no business making strategic military decisions.”

Diaz-Balart said the bill “undermines our troops overseas and guarantees failure and defeat.”

“Obviously, Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi believes that politicians in their dark suits, sitting in their air-conditioned Capitol Hill offices, are more qualified and knowledgeable about military strategy than our bright and talented soldiers and their commanders in Iraq,” Diaz-Balart said in a statement.

Bush said Friday the legislation has “no chance of becoming law.”

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Does anybody dislike Charlie Crist?

The Republican Florida governor who has been elevated to political rock star/golden child status in recent weeks (mostly because of his work on the insurance crisis and his post-tornado efforts) encountered nothing but love when he made an appearance at a House subcommittee Friday to testify about election reform and the need for voting paper trails.

At the hearing, the oddest of odd couples, Reps. Robert Wexler, D-Delray Beach, and Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami, couldn’t stop gloating about their new governor as they introduced him to the panel.

“Gov. Crist has served three months as governor and in that period of time he has reformed the way in which government does business in Florida,” Wexler said. “Gov. Crist is a Republican but Democrats, Independents and Republicans alike in Florida are very proud of the way and the fashion he has governed thus far.”

Lincoln Diaz-Balart added, “In the short time he’s been governor, the people of Florida have been able to see what extraordinary judgment guides his actions and his exceptional fairness. He is a man who everyone can know makes his decisions in an ultimately fair way. ... Obviously, we can’t be more proud of him.”

Committee Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., nodded and smiled.

“Gov. Crist, I can’t think of another time that I’ve heard such passionate praise on a bipartisan basis for a governor,” she said.

A blushing Crist (or maybe it was just the glow of his ever-present tan) modestly replied: “The words you just heard are incredibly kind and almost embarrassing.”

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Former Vice President Al Gore, aka “Mr. Global Warming,” testified Wednesday on his favorite topic before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and had a few things to say about the feverish climate in South Florida.

Reciting a series of unusual events tied to climate change, Gore — proving he is once again the expert on all things Florida — made his point:

“Manatees live in South Florida,” he said. “One of ‘em showed up off Memphis this summer. Yep. First time ever. You ever seen a manatee in Memphis? No. It got too hot in Southern Florida. I’m not making this up.”