An even greater expanse of federal water off Northwest Florida is now open for commercial and recreational fishing. In a press statement Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Crist declared bad times for the Panhandle economy on the mend and good times ready to roll for recreational and commercial fishermen. "We invite traveling Floridians, as well as visitors from around the nation and the world, to come and fish, explore our beautiful beaches and enjoy Floridas delicious seafood, the governor said.

Billionaire Jeff Greene and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, the two leading candidates in the contentious battle for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate race, are debating this afternoon in Orlando and both campaigns are sending e-mails back and forth. The debate is being held in the studios of WKMG in Orlando and will be broadcast on that station at 9 p.m. It will also be shown at the stations website at that time.

The Council of Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW), a group which has fought against pork and needless spending for more than two decades, released their 2009 ratings on Tuesday, giving high marks to a number of Florida Republicans in Congress.

FreedomWorks PAC, a national conservative political action committee headed up by former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, backed former Rep. Dennis Ross on Tuesday for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam. Ive always said, if you make a deal with the devil, you are the junior partner, said Armey. There are too many junior partners in Washington right now. Dennis Ross is a leader that I trust will think independently and act in accordance with his principles always -- not just when it is politically convenient.

Former Rep. Loranne Ausley, the Democratic candidate for the state CFO position, took aim at the leadership of the Legislature on Tuesday -- namely her Republican opponent, Senate President Jeff Atwater of North Palm Beach. Trailing behind Atwater in the money chase, Ausley stood in front of the First District Court of Appeals building in the southeastern part of Tallahassee and criticized the way the Legislature crafted the state budget.

Just two weeks old, the Tea Party Foundation may be dragged into court to defend its name. The Florida Secretary of State's Office, citing state statute 103.081 and responding to a complaint by the Florida TEA Party, determined that a campaign committee cannot bear the name of a political party. But Jennifer K. Davis, spokeswoman for the secretary of state, said her office "does not have the authority to make someone change their name," and, so, the matter appears headed to court. TEA Party Chairman Frederic O'Neal said legal action is forthcoming.

Ignoring the challenge from Republican primary rival John Lindsey for the moment, the campaign team of former Rep. Dennis Ross, running to replace U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam in Congress, turned its fire to the two candidates fighting for the Democratic nod in the race: Polk County Supervisor of Elections Lori Edwards and Navy veteran Doug Tudor who ran against Putnam in 2008.

With two weeks to go until the Democratic primary, labor leader Luis Meurice launched a series of web videos attacking former Obama administration official Joe Garcia, his chief rival for the partys nod to run for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Marco Diaz-Balart. Focusing on Garcia's positions on oil drilling, the economy and Cuba, Meurice made no effort to be conciliatory toward his opponent.

Former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the likely Republican candidate in the race for the U.S. Senate seat, reminded Florida voters on Tuesday that 18 months have passed since independent rival Gov. Charlie Crist, at the time a Republican, backed President Barack Obamas federal stimulus plan in a rally held in Fort Myers.

During a speech to the South Florida AFL-CIO, Kendrick Meek mentioned tax cuts as part of his plan to help get the economy back on its feet. "Tax cuts for businesses are important," Meek said. When asked specifically about extending Bush-era cuts set to expire at the end of this year, Meek veered away from the liberal mainstream. "Those tax cuts that promote jobs, we're going to continue to do it," he said. "Those tax cuts that are just promoting lining pockets and not helping our economy will definitely be on the table of consideration."

Cash-starved Florida municipalities are getting sneaky. Even in the middle of a deep recession, "taxes" -- the T-word -- is as verboten as ever in the Sunshine State. But guess what word isn't? "Fees" -- apparently not such an F-word as you might think, because cities and counties are getting away with murder imposing them.

Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, running in a close battle for the Republican nomination for attorney general, released a new commercial on Monday, pledging to continue Attorney General Bill McCollums lawsuit against new federal health-care laws backed by President Barack Obama.

Former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre, a longshot hopeful for the Democratic nomination in the U.S. Senate race, announced on Sunday that he is suing Leadership Florida and the Florida Press Association for leaving him out of a debate to be held in Orlando on Tuesday. Ferre claims that the criteria to be included in the debate were the results of a Mason-Dixon poll that was supposed to be taken earlier in the summer but was never conducted. Ferre added that the two groups were excluding him based on a poll released earlier in August.

With Gov. Charlie Crist, running for the U.S. Senate without party affiliation, saying that he was not surprised there was wasted money in the federal stimulus, the campaign team of likely Republican nominee Marco Rubio is attacking the governor for backing the program in the first place.

While the state government of Florida adding the federal E-Verify computer program to crack down on hiring illegal immigrants has been an issue in the contentious Republican gubernatorial primary, now a congressional candidate is bringing up the issue to reinforce his conservative credentials on immigration. Former Ruth's Chris CEO Craig Miller, facing a tight Republican primary contest to take on U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, praised E-Verify early Monday and called for the Sunshine State to implement an Arizona-style immigration law.