With Moodys Investor Services reporting today that American ports will continue to face economic challenges for the next 12 to 18 months, Gov. Charlie Crist signed a measure reforming regulation of Floridas 14 seaports today. Other states in the region, including Alabama, Virginia and Georgia, will revamp their ports for the expansion of the Panama Canal that will be complete in 2015.

Gov. Charlie Crist is asking British Petroleum for an extra $50 million to fund the state's response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

With an oil sheen and tar balls looming not 10 miles off the coast of Pensacola, Crist sent a letter to BP America President Lamar McKay for $30 million for supplemental protective measures and $20 million for incremental local and state preparedness support costs over the first 60 days of the spill.

With Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott criticizing Attorney General Bill McCollum, his chief rival for the GOP nomination, for his handling of the case against disgraced former RPOF chairman Jim Greer, Republican leaders from across the state are blasting Scott.

Eighteen Republican leaders -- mostly state committeemen -- sent the Scott campaign a letter today demanding Scott retract his statements.

In January 2007, just after winning the election for the Republican Party of Florida chairman, Jim Greer signed the RPOF oath, in which the final provision reads:

"And finally, I pledge to work on behalf of the RPOF in total good faith.

Karen Thurman, chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party, continues to hammer the Republicans on the arrest of disgraced former RPOF Chairman Jim Greer. Thurman sent off a letter to William Shepherd, the prosecutor in the state attorney generals office going after Greer, demanding someone else take up the case.

Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp has put in a lot of time defending NASA in Florida, even challenging President Obama to a debate on the matter, and it is paying dividends for his campaign for the Republican attorney general nomination.

Kottkamp announced his Brevard County campaign team which includes U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, Brevard County Sheriff Jack Parker, Sen. Thad Altman, R-Melbourne, four state representatives, two Brevard County commissioners and a Palm Bay council member.

Floridas newest gubernatorial candidate has a website up and running. Invoking the legacy of his late father, Bud Chiles has set up "Walk with Bud" for his independent run at the governors mansion. Check out the logo for the campaign -- a sun looking like an O over curvy blue lines. Looks like the Obama 2008 logo -- as reporters pointed out to the new candidate.

Bud Chiles, son of Florida political legend Lawton Chiles, just announced that he will run for governor as an independent. A longtime Democrat, Chiles denounced political corruption and pledged to restore the states education system and protect the environment.

Im running for governor to speak for a million Floridians who are out of work right now, said Chiles. Im running to help nearly a million children who have no health care -- and for the millions of people who, like me, believe Florida can and must do better by its families and communities.

While Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman is attempting to link the arrest of former RPOF Chairman Jim Greer to former House Speaker and current GOP U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio, the Rubio camp is not ducking the Greer controversy. The Rubio campaign even released a video tying independent Senate candidate Gov. Charlie Crist to the disgraced former RPOF chairman, saying Crist handpicked Greer.

The Rubio camp blasted Crist in their statement on the new video.