Former Florida Democratic Party Chairman and Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox unloaded on U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, his Republican opponent in the race to be Floridas next commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, in an e-mail sent out by the campaign Tuesday.

Health care executive Rick Scott, running ahead of Attorney General Bill McCollum in the polls in the battle for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, took aim at his primary rival and President Barack Obama on Tuesday in comments on the federal government suing Arizona for its new, tougher immigration laws.

Concerned about Elena Kagan's stand against military recruiters at Harvard and her "evasiveness" regarding the commerce clause and the federal health-care law, Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio today opposed the Supreme Court nominee. Rubio's stand contrasts -- apparently -- with that of "independent" Gov. Charlie Crist, who has said he would lean toward confirmation. Back when he was a Republican, Crist said he would have opposed President Barack Obama's previous nominee, Sonia Sotomayor -- though he subsequently couldn't recall the reasons why.

Health care executive Rick Scott, locked in a close battle with Attorney General Bill McCollum for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, used the most recent revelations from the investigation on former Republican Party of Florida Chairman Jim Greer to bash his opponent.

The battle for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination is heating up with a new story emerging every day on the spat between U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and billionaire financier Jeff Greene. Monday's narrative focused on Greenes efforts in Liberty City -- traditionally a stronghold for the Meek familys political operations. Tuesday, Meek hopes to focus attention on Greenes finances. The Meek campaign Web site is now hosting a countdown until July 23 when Greene needs to file his personal financial information with the federal government.

Northwest Florida beaches should stay relatively clean of oil this week, the secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection told reporters Tuesday. I dont expect any impact this week at all, except for some occasional tar balls, said Secretary Mike Sole Tuesday morning in the Florida Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee.

Craig Millers campaign team is forwarding the results of a new poll showing its candidate in first place in the GOP primary to take on U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas. Miller authorized McLaughlin and Associates to poll the district and found most Republicans in the district -- a whopping 66 percent of them -- are undecided. Miller pulled 17 percent while Rep. Sandy Adams, R-Orlando, placed second with 11 percent. The rest of the field pulled 3 percent or less.

With only a few weeks to go until the Aug. 24 primary, Democratic attorney general candidate Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, unveiled a web video on Tuesday morning. Gelber is in a close race with Sen. Dave Aronberg, D-Greenacres, for the Democratic nomination. There are other signs that the Gelber campaign is prepared to make a sprint until the primary -- they will be holding a fund-raiser Tuesday night in Tallahassee.

Former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, is loving this talking point from Chris Matthews. On MSNBCs Morning Joe on Tuesday, Matthews predicted that independent candidate Gov. Charlie Crist, who left the Republicans in August, will caucus with the Democrats if elected in November. The Rubio team is already forwarding the clip with the following message:

Is a Republican tidal wave coming in November? Maybe -- and if there is, it will be more likely to impact the states than Washington.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Greene spent Monday campaigning in Liberty City -- the old stomping ground of former U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, the mother of his chief rival in the U.S. Senate race, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek. As has been his style throughout the campaign, Greene tore into Meek as an infective career politician.

The South Florida Tea Party and more than a dozen other Tea groups are calling on the South Florida Water Management District to reject the Everglades-U.S. Sugar "bailout." "The deal leaves a bad taste in the mouth of taxpayers and environmentalists," said Everett Wilkinson, the Palm Beach Gardens-based chairman of the South Florida Tea Party.

Gov. Charlie Crist could be working both sides of the Jim Greer case if and when the disgraced state GOP chairman goes to trial. A Greer attorney said on Monday that he will call Crist as a defense witness. Last week, the statewide prosecutor's office listed the governor among its potential witnesses. Neither scenario is surprising, given that Crist appointed Greer to chair the state party and that the governor's name was cited 62 times in the investigative report.

As if Florida doesn't have enough problems with Gulf oil, here come Cuba, Spain and the Chinese, ready to drill 60 miles off Key West. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, Cuba's offshore drilling venture will cover tracts just south of the loop current that wraps around the Florida peninsula. "A spill there, even one significantly smaller than the continuing BP spill, could turn into an economic and environmental disaster for Florida," the article states.

Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bill McCollum wrote Friday to attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who was appointed by President Barack Obama to oversee the nation's independent $20 billion escrow account BP will fund to cover oil-spill response and economic loss and damage claims, to tell him he made incorrect comments to Congress Wednesday about how claims will be decided.