Less than an hour before the Legislature was to convene at noon on Tuesday for a special session, Gov. Charlie Crist spoke to Floridians who were visiting the Capitol to lobby for the Legislature to forward a proposed constitutional amendment banning oil drilling in Florida waters to the November ballot and received a standing ovation for his support of the ban.

Hours before the Legislature convened at noon on Tuesday to open a special session, Democrats in Tallahassee called for Republican leadership to forward a proposed constitutional amendment banning oil drilling in state waters to the voters in November. While rumors continue to fly that the Legislature would quickly adjourn, the House Democrats urged the Republicans to focus on the proposed amendment. The issue today is to pass legislation to allow people to vote whether to let Florida become an oil state, said House Democratic Leader Franklin Sands of Weston.

A member of President Barack Obama's national 2008 finance committee and a top adviser on Latino outreach is planning a fund-raiser for Charlie Crist that will consist largely of Obama supporters, the Wall Street Journal reports. Alfredo Balsera is now advising Crist, and he has informed the White House, the Journal story stated today. The Journal also reported that Crist has retained a political consulting firm that counts Anita Dunn as a partner. Dunn was the White House communications director until November.

With rumors continuing to fly that the House will promptly adjourn after being called to special session on Tuesday, independent gubernatorial candidate Bud Chiles said that the Legislature needs to forward a proposed constitutional amendment banning oil drilling in state waters to the voters in November.

In addition to just saying "no" to Obamacare, cap-and-trade and union card checks, Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio is saying "yes" to a series of job-creating initiatives. Hosting a virtual town hall meeting via teleconference Monday evening, Rubio touted an economic agenda that "channels Ronald Reagan and Jack Kemp." Emphasizing global trade, domestic job creation and tax cuts, the Senate hopeful laid out "Ideas to Reclaim America." He then opened the mike to listeners to solicit their input.

With Attorney General Bill McCollum talking health care and making a play for primary voters in Naples on Monday, the team of Rick Scott -- his chief rival for the Republican gubernatorial campaign -- is warning conservatives not to buy McCollums spin.

Charlie Crist's campaign put out a press release today saying he supports the extension of unemployment benefits. "In these challenging economic times, we have an obligation to help people keep a roof over their heads," the governor stated. But though pressed for economic relief at the special legislative session he called this week, the governor continues to stick with one agenda item: offshore drilling.

Public Policy Polling (PPP) is offering a glimpse into a poll it will release Tuesday, which reveals a little bit of who is backing independent Gov. Charlie Crist in the U.S. Senate race. One thing we asked on the poll was whether people thought Charlie Crist should caucus with the Democrats or Republicans if he was elected. Forty-three percent of respondents said he should go with the Democrats and 37 percent with the Republicans, noted PPP.

Workers started surveying the rock and sand under sections of Interstate 4 Monday to begin laying the groundwork for the high-speed rail line. The geological work in Orange and Polk counties marks the start of the $2.5 billion rail project that will connect Tampa and Orlando with trains running down the center of I-4. Once crews conclude their work, construction will begin. If all goes according to plan, trains hitting 168 mph will roll sometime in 2015. It would be the nation's first high-speed rail project running on dedicated tracks.

The Democrats held their Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Hollywood this weekend and raised more than $700,000 for the party. Its a strange year for Florida Democrats.

Former Rep. Loranne Ausley, the Democratic candidate for state CFO, continued to attack her Republican rival, Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, on Monday. Urging the Senate to forward a proposed constitutional amendment banning oil drilling in Florida waters to the voters, Ausley wrote in an e-mail to supporters, The Legislature is scheduled to convene at noon tomorrow, and the current plan by Atwater and House Speaker Larry Cretul is to do nothing!

Well, that didn't take long. After sending a letter to U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek -- his chief competitor for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination -- on Monday morning, warning that the race was going to get nastier, billionaire financier Jeff Greene took aim at his rival. Greene released a new television ad, trashing Meek and blaming the congressman for Floridas continuing high unemployment.

The campaign team for Rick Scott, currently ahead of Attorney General Bill McCollum for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, is forwarding a letter to the Florida Times-Union from former RPOF chairman Tom Slade taking shots at the GOP leadership in Tallahassee, including McCollum and his key allies.

The National Federation of Independent Businesses just endorsed former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the likely Republican nominee, in the race for the U.S. Senate. For nearly a decade we have worked closely with Marco Rubio as he has defended and supported small businesses in the state Legislature, said NFIB Florida Executive Director Bill Herrle on Monday morning. Rubio has a nearly 100 percent lifetime pro-small-business voting record with NFIB, which is easy proof that he is the right candidate for small business.