With four polls, including one from Sunshine State News, showing Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running for the U.S. Senate without party affiliation, trailing front-runner Marco Rubio, the Republican candidate, by double digits, the governor said at a Thursday meeting with staff from the Miami Herald that his campaign may go on the attack -- but vowed it would only be accurate ones.

This promptly led to a sharp reply from the Rubio camp who reminded voters that Crist vowed not to go on the attack in spring.

Florida Republican U.S. Sen. George LeMieux is crowing over the Senate passing the Small-Business Lending Act, which he helped write, by a vote of 61-38 on Thursday afternoon.

The Club for Growth, a conservative PAC which is backing former House Speaker Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate election, launched a series of new ads on Thursday -- including one directed at Gov. Charlie Crist who is running without party affiliation in the Senate contest.

U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd is in for a fight in November from Republican challenger Steve Southerland, but unlike many Democrats --including Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson of Tallahassee who gave Boyd a scare in the primary --the congressman is not backing Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running without party affiliation, for the U.S. Senate.

On Thursday, Boyd endorsed Democratic nominee U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, who is running behind Crist and Republican candidate Marco Rubio in the polls.

While the oil spill in the Gulf severely hurt Floridas fishing industry, there is some good news -- with so much rain, this is shaping up to be a good year for blue crab.

The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) unveiled a website on Thursday seeking to define former Rep. Loranne Ausley, the Democratic candidate for state CFO, for her long and disturbing liberal tax-and-spend record, well out of Floridas mainstream and so named her "Costly Ausley." Ausley faces the Republican candidate, Senate President Jeff Atwater of North Palm Beach, and two candidates who are running without party affiliation in November.

Incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, announced his first two committee chairs on Wednesday: Rep. Denise Grimsely, R-Lake Placid, will take over appropriations and Rep. Gary Aubuchon, R-Cape Coral, will take over rules.

Appropriations and rules are two areas that require an early start, said Cannon. We must develop strategies and options now to prepare for the fiscal year 2011-12 state budget.Similarly, we must identify updates and improvements to the House rules now to prepare for their adoption during the November organization session.

On Wednesday, the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund and the United Sportsmen of Florida (USF) endorsed Rick Scott, the Republican candidate, in the gubernatorial race, citing his support of the Second Amendment.

We sincerely appreciate your support of Second Amendment, self-defense, and anti-crime issues, wrote Marion Hammer, past president of the NRA and executive director of the USF, to Scott. Your position on pro-sportsmen, pro-Second Amendment, and pro-freedom issues has earned you our endorsement and our gratitude.

Theres a new narrative in the battle for the U.S. Senate seat in November -- Republican candidate Marco Rubio has a solid lead over Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running without party affiliation, and Democratic nominee U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek.

Sunshine State News ran a poll on the U.S. Senate race last week that had Republican candidate Marco Rubio leading both opponents -- Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running without party affiliation, and Democratic nominee Kendrick Meek -- by double digits.