Pence says his only two personal trips to Florida just happened to come at the same time he was needed to take the reins of state government. There's no reason to think Pence is telling anything but the truth. However, when political insiders and average Kentuckians heard Pence was in Florida when Fletcher when in the hospital for a blood clot, their collective question was "what's the Lt. Governor doing on vacation again?.....in the middle of a legislative session?"
The Lt. Governor says he works long, hard hours. Again, no reason to doubt him. But due to bad timing, bad luck or stupidity, he's set himself up for a hammering by any future political opponents. Imagine the TV commercials if Pence runs for Governor:

ANNOUNCER: "When Kentucky's Governor was in the hospital, not once, but twice, where was the man we elected to step in and run the state? Steve Pence was on a Florida beach, sunning himself and drinking Pina Coladas. Steve Pence...when Kentuckians needed him most, he cared the least".

Unfair? Absolutely. But I see this political hammering coming from a mile away (or a year away if Pence runs for Gov. in '07).
Just to set the record straight, Pence's kids were on winter break from school in February. He chose to spend the rest of the week vacationing in Florida with his family instead of returning to Frankfort when Fletcher's gall bladder went bad.
On March 9th, Pence was flying into Orlando when he found out Fletcher was back in the hospital with a blood clot. The Lieutenant Governor says he got off the plane and immediately found a flight back to Kentucky. Pence believed the blood clot situation sounded more serious.
So where was Pence headed the second time? To Daytona. For Bike Week. Yep, straight laced Steve Pence was headed to the annual motorcycle convention in Daytona. Your Lt. Gov. is a biker. Rides a Harley. Always wears a helmet. He'll need it when a future political opponent starts bombing him with charges of being the absentee Lt. Governor.