McCain, Romney lob "liberal" in final Fla. stretch

By Jason Szep and Tim Gaynor

PANAMA CITY, Florida (Reuters) - In a tight battle in Florida, John McCain and Mitt Romney competed to stick each other with the liberal tag, a political death sentence among conservative Republicans whose votes could be decisive in Tuesday's presidential voting.

Republican candidates scrambled across the large state in a final hunt for votes on Monday on the eve of their biggest nomination test yet in the most wide open White House race in more than 50 years.

Florida's winner could reap momentum heading into "Super Tuesday" on February 5 when more than 20 states vote in a blitz of primaries that could anoint a Republican front-runner to contest November's election to succeed President George W. Bush.

Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, branded three of McCain's signature pieces of legislation in the U.S. Congress as "liberal" and he sought to associate the Arizona senator with Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee.

In West Palm Beach, Romney reminded voters that McCain once said he would entertain the idea of joining Kerry's 2004 campaign as a vice presidential running mate.

"I do recall a story that he was thinking about being John Kerry's running mate. He gave that some thought," Romney told a rally. "Had someone asked me that question, there would not have been a nanosecond of thought about it. It would've been an immediate laugh."

In March 2004, McCain said, "John Kerry is a close friend of mine. We have been friends for years. Obviously I would entertain it." But he added, "I foresee no scenario where that would happen."

On Monday, McCain laughed off the criticism, accusing Romney of lacking conservative credentials, citing the near-universal health care legislation signed by Romney in April 2006.

That law is underpinned by an "individual mandate" compelling people to buy health insurance. It entail subsidies and government regulations. For those earning less than the federal poverty level of $9,800, free coverage is provided.

"Certainly his big government mandated health care system for the state of Massachusetts ... is not conservative," McCain told reporters at shipyard in Jacksonville.

"He is consistent in that he has flip-flopped on every single major issue. As the liberal governor of Massachusetts he raised taxes by $730 million," McCain added.

Romney, a multimillionaire former venture capitalist, has cast himself as a Washington outsider who would use his 25 years of business experience to pull the U.S. economy from the brink of recession and fix a "broken Washington."

Some critics, however, question the economic effectiveness of his 2003-2007 term as Massachusetts governor. While closing a budget deficit, he also generated more than $500 million by raising fees and by closing corporate tax loopholes -- actions considered tax rises by some businesses.

Opponents have also attacked his credibility point to his shifting positions on issues ranging from abortion to gay rights to gun control.

McCain, a 71-year-old former Vietnam prisoner of war and four-term senator who would be the oldest person elected to a first presidential term, has argued that his experience in the Navy and 25 years of leadership in Congress would make him a better commander in chief.