WASHINGTON — Missouri’s senior senator, Christopher “Kit” Bond, will be in Florida today and tomorrow campaigning for his presidential favorite, Rudy Giuliani, hoping to boost the former New York mayor in his risky campaign strategy. Giuliani has essentially sat out the early primaries, ceding all the attention to his rivals. But he’s been getting some good fortune in terms of the outcomes. Rather than someone running away with the race by this point, his competitors have been splitting the results, with Mike Huckabee winning Iowa, John McCain taking New Hampshire and Mitt Romney emerging victorious this week from Michigan.If Fred Thompson captures South Carolina, you’ll know the Gods are smiling on Rudy.

Bond’s serving as national co-chair, Senate liaison and Missouri general chairman for Giuliani’s campaign.

What draws Bond to Giuliani? For one, they’re both pragmatists and ideological moderates. For another, Bond is known to have little use for his Senate colleague McCain, a frequent critic of the work of St. Louis-based Boeing’s defense division. Bond and Giuliani are both tough-minded defense hawks and national security advocates. Come to think of it, a Giuliani-Bond ticket, whatever else one might think about it, would be formidable in terms of homeland defense. Sources say, incidentally, that a high-ranking official in Giuliani’s campaign looks favorably on that idea, but at this point it hasn’t even risen to the level of a rumor.

Bond says he likes Giuliani’s values of “freedom, responsiblity, prosperity, compassion and a commitment to future generations.” Bond also says that Giuliani “has proposed the largest tax cut in American history.” He also says he and Giuliano “share the belielf that safety and security are Job No. 1 for the elected leadership of this country.”

In Florida, Bond will talk to veterans in Orlando, meet with growers in Vero Beach, join Giuliano for a rally in Titusville, among other activities.

Bond’s support of Giuliani has created a political split between the erstwhile GOP Missouri Senate team of Bond and Jim Talent, with the latter on board with Romney.

Bond will make a number of stops in Florida – from talking to veterans in Orlando to meeting with growers in Vero Beach to join Rudy for a rally in Titusville.