A TRADITION OF COMPETENCE IN FLORIDA:

Gov. Charlie Crist handled the first natural disaster since taking office quickly and compassionately, and his concern and leadership in the wake of a deadly tornado earned him respect from other officials Saturday.

Crist took office Jan. 2, replacing Gov. Jeb Bush, who was universally praised in Florida for the way he guided the state through eight hurricanes in two years. Now Crist is responding to his first major weather-related test, a tornado that struck early Friday and killed at least 20 and destroyed or severely damaged about 1,500 homes.

Louisiana, not so much.