VERO BEACH — At the Indian River County GOP’s Lincoln Day dinner Thursday night, down-in-the-polls Gov. Charlie Crist offered this observation about proto-Republican Abraham Lincoln:

“You know, when he was running for reelection for president, nobody thought he’d win. He was down in the polls. That happens from time to time.”

Crist paused and got a few laughs, then continued: “But he pulled it out, because the people trusted him and they understood. And he said something at Gettysburg that we all should never forget…”

Crist was introduced by America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh, who is looking beyond Crist’s 2010 U.S. Senate race.

“We need Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate. I have a game plan for him. I want him to go right on the Senate Judiciary (Committee), with Patrick Leahy and Orrin Hatch, etc, etc. I want him to kick some ass up there on the Judiciary. He has 22 years of experience. He’s run everything you can on a state level and then I figure he’d be a very good candidate for United States president.”

VERO BEACH — America’s Most Wanted host John Walsh is backing Gov. Charlie Crist’s Republican U.S. Senate bid and is scheduled to appear with him here at tonight’s Indian River GOP Lincoln Day dinner.

Crist is wrapping up a day of governing and campaigning here at The Club at Pointe West, where he’ll deliver the keynote speech at the Republican repast.

Crist toured the St. Lucie River and Estuary this morning (“magnificent,” he called it) with former state Senate President Ken Pruitt and Environmental Protection Secretary Mike Sole, then visited Indian River State College in Fort Pierce for an economic development roundtable. He then attended a $500-a-head fund-raiser with Walsh before coming to the Lincoln Day dinner.

After a U.S. Senate fundraiser last night in Palm Beach Gardens, Republican Gov. Charlie Crist is in the Treasure Coast today for a mix of official events and campaigning. (Crist flew commercial on Wednesday and did not travel on a state plane for this trip, a state official said.) His schedule today:

As Gov. Crist:

10:30 a.m.: St. Lucie River and Estuary tour with Florida Environmental Protection Department Secretary Mike Sole, Sunset Bay Marina and Anchorage, Stuart.

12:30 p.m.: Indian River State College visit, Fort Pierce.

2 p.m.: Indian River County economic development roundtable, Indian River County Chamber of Commerce, Vero Beach.

As candidate Crist:

5 p.m.: $500/head reception, hosted by John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted, at Quail Valley River Club, Vero Beach.

As candidate & Gov. Crist:

6:30 p.m.: Indian River GOP Lincoln Day Dinner, The Club at Pointe West, Vero Beach.

Gov. Charlie Crist and Attorney General Bill McCollum, both Republicans, were in full campaign mode this morning announcing 77 arrests during a 10-effort to round up child pornographers and molesters.

The governor’s press conference room was re-arranged to accommodate to huge maps showing where the arrests were made how widespread child porn is around the state. They also displayed 76 of the 77 mug shots of the men who were arrested.

The duo even brought in John Walsh, the host of America’s Most Wanted, who has been at Crist’s side several times before, including Crist’s signing of the “anti-murder” law in 2007 and when Crist announced his campaign for governor in 2005.

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