Charlie Crist, former Florida governor turned independent Senate candidate turned ambulance-chasing billboard lawyer, is now rumored to be trying his hand as a thunder stealer.

They say, metaphorically speaking, he's going to crash the Republican National Convention next week by officially switching to join the Democratic Party so he can run for governor in 2014. The long-anticipated switch is hardly a surprise. At present the Dems have a gubernatorial-candidate shortlist so stunted it's barely a tweet.

Here's the statement Gov. Rick Scott issued early Wednesday afternoon on Tropical Storm Isaac:

The Daily Caller tells a fascinating story:

In late July, John Hynansky a longtime friend of Vice President Joe Biden, and a major donor to Bidens campaigns as well as President Barack Obamas was awarded a $20 million taxpayer loan to build a foreign-car dealership in Ukraine.

Voters are evenly divided as to whether Paul Ryan or Joe Biden is better qualified to serve as president, according to a Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey just out.

John Hofmeister, retired president of Shell Oil Co. and founder of Citizens for Affordable Energy, dropped more than a few jaws Thursday morning when he declared, "I am a lifelong Democrat, but I can't and I won't vote for Barack Obama in 2012."

Keynoting the Florida Energy Summit, the electric Hofmeister said, "I can't vote for the president because I've spoken to him. He told me he wants more of the same energy policies that have driven us to $4 a gallon gas. He isn't going to change course.

Right on schedule Wednesday afternoon, Agriculture and Consumer Services Secretary Adam Putnam welcomed the more than 500 participants to the second annual Florida Energy Summit at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando.

Putnam described some of the items on the agenda, thanked sponsors and explained why his hopes are so high for this year's program.

"We passed a remarkable energy bill this last session," he said. "It isn't everything we hoped for, but we are so anxious to get your ideas on how we should move forward."

Republican Dave Weldon, who lost his bid for U.S. Senate in Tuesday's primary to U.S. Rep. Connie Mack IV, issued the following statement in defeat:

Carolyn Timmann, who resigned her postion as director of open government in the executive office of Gov. Rick Scott effective Jan. 1, 2012, defeated two opponents to win election as Martin County clerk of the circuit court.

Republican National Chairman Reince Priebus announced Tuesday morning that freshman Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, 41-year-old son of Cuban immigrants, one of the party's brightest stars, has been chosen to introduce presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney at the Republican National Convention in Tampa.

"This will firmly establish Marco as the man to watch in the GOP," said political consultant Joel Endelman. "He gets a chance to shine in his own state, a state Romney has to have to win the White House. The boy is on his way."

It's been a question mark for months now: Will Sarah Palin stir 'em up at the Republican National Convention just two weeks away?

Everything I said at the 2008 convention about then-candidate Obama still stands today, she told Fox News Greta Van Susteren. This year is a good opportunity for other voices to speak at the convention and Im excited to hear them.