Where In The World Is Mrs. Charlie Crist?

The sexual orientation of Florida governor Charlie Crist may be off-limits for most media, but a publication in his state recently asked about the increasingly scant public presence of his new wife, Carole Crist.

Carole Rome, the New York socialite who married Governor Crist last December, rarely attends public events with the governor, according to the St. Petersburg Times, and unlike her predecessors as first lady of the Sunshine State, she appears disinterested in philanthropic causes.

The posture leads some to speculate about the status of Mrs. Crist's marriage to the governor, whose alleged affairs with men were a subject of the Kirby Dick documentary Outrage.

"Gov. and Mrs. Crist say they divide their time between his rented condo in downtown St. Petersburg, her home on tony Fisher Island in Miami, and the governor's mansion in Tallahassee, where he typically lives during the week," reported the St. Petersburg Times. "It's unclear how much of that time is spent together."

However, the report makes no mention of the persistent rumors that Crist, now a candidate for U.S. Senate, is gay. Instead, it suggests that questions about Mrs. Crist revolve around the suspicion that she controls her husband's political career.

"The first lady's rare public appearances in the state capital have fueled a perception that she prodded her husband to forgo a reelection bid in favor of a run for U.S. Senate and possible move to the more fashionable nation's capital," reported the St. Petersburg Times. "Gov. Crist maintains she voiced no such preference."