Then it was the McCain campaign's turn to hang the liberal tag on Romney with senior policy adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin comparing Romney's health care plan he signed into law in Massachusetts as "Hillary Clinton's health care plan."

"At stake in the November election is a conservative Republican vision of low taxes, rapid job growth and families in charge of health care," Holtz-Eakin said. "Governor Romney's record is the opposite: raising taxes, sluggish job growth and a Democrat's big government health plan. His record speaks louder than his words."

Monday's skirmishes between McCain and Romney signify that Florida — once thought to be former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's state to lose — has basically become a two-man race, each holding leads in recent polls.

Romney, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opened his press conference at the West Palm Beach gas station Monday "on a personal note," talking about the death of LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley.

"Like millions of other members of my faith, I didn't get to know President Hinckley on a very personal one-to-one basis. Instead, I knew him as a member of my church and saw him as a leader of great capacity, of great ability to reach out and touch a large number of people with a very personal and human connection," Romney said. "His humility and gentleness I think will always be a part of the memory that we have of President Gordon B. Hinckley."

Romney said he met President Hinckley a few times during the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City to ask for help from the church for funding or access to property. He said he was impressed by President Hinckley's knowledge of the church's holdings.

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