''It's possible,'' Atwater said, ``but I would not consider that as failure. We have a very tough situation here.''

Atwater said lawmakers ''walked a fine line'' to make sure they weren't cutting too much or taking too much money from taxpayers.

To ensure the tax increases were veto-proof, lawmakers tied the new revenues directly to funding for schools and Medicaid, a state-federal health insurance program serving 2.6 million Floridians.

By not vetoing the new taxes, Crist violated a no-new-taxes pledge he made on the campaign trail in 2006. He also has signed an anti-tax pledge geared toward governors, written by the conservative Washington group Americans for Tax Reform. Earlier this month, the Republican governor signed a similar no-new-taxes pledge for federal candidates now that he's running for the U.S. Senate.

The tax issue wasn't Crist's only budget reversal.

On Wednesday, Crist described his decision to veto a $6 million raid on the weapons-licensing trust fund as a way to protect Second Amendment rights.

Yet in February, Crist had asked legislators to take even more money from the trust fund, $8 million.

Asked to explain his change of heart on the trust fund, Crist said he was convinced by Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson, whose agency oversees the licensure of concealed weapons. Applications for concealed weapons permits have skyrocketed. Crist described the veto as a ``safety issue.''

The National Rifle Association strongly lobbied against the trust-fund cut, besieging the governor's office with e-mails from nearly 20,000 gun owners.

Crist's decision to cancel the 2 percent pay cut on state workers earning more than $45,000 was met with cheers from Democratic Senate leader Al Lawson of Tallahassee. He said Crist would look like ''a hero.'' Crist said the veto would protect the economy by ensuring the 28,000 state workers who faced a pay cut would have more money to spend.

Crist's two targeted vetoes will likely make him a champion among two vocal constituency groups: gun owners and state workers.

STATE WORKERS

But while the NRA praised the weapons trust-fund veto, state workers were more circumspect.

To make up for the loss of the $56 million pay cut, Crist directed all state agencies to trim their budgets.

Salaries could still be among the cuts.

''Without additional revenues to balance the state agencies, the veto is form rather than actual substance,'' said Ed Griffith, a spokesman for the Miami-Dade state attorney's office.

But Doug Martin, spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union, said the group is ''very pleased'' with Crist's veto.

Crist insisted the economy is showing signs of improvement now that consumer confidence is up and the unemployment rate is down two-tenths of a percent to 9.6 percent.

Crist also pointed out home sales are increasing, though he didn't mention that the sales are buoyed by foreclosures and other ''distressed'' sales.

Crist drew comfort from the fact that Florida is in better shape than other states.

''At least a dozen states have raised taxes on sales, income and gas or are considering doing so,'' Crist said. ``Other states are cutting medical services to low-income children. Other states are reducing the school year. Not here in Florida.''

Staff writers Mary Ellen Klas and Steve Bousquet contributed to this report.

Marc Caputo can be reached at mcaputo@MiamiHerald.com.

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