Are David McKalip's political allies backing away from him -- despite his apology for sending a racist email depicting President Obama as a witch doctor?

A spokesman for Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Marco Rubio declined to tell TPMmuckraker whether Rubio would continue to work with McKalip, who last month co-hosted a $500-per-person fundraiser for Rubio at the Grand Bellagio Clubhouse in Clearwater.

"Speaker Rubio believes there are more appropriate, civil, and substantial ways to make your point about President Obama's policies," said the spokesman, Alex Burgos. But pressed on whether Rubio would continue to work with McKalip, Burgos wouldn't say. "I don't have an answer right now," he told us.

As we noted earlier, the Florida Medical Association, on whose board McKalip sits, slammed the email in a statement yesterday.