Friends, my foot.

For those who thought it wasn't possible, the glacial pace of Everglades restoration just got slower thanks to an environmental group that ironically bills itself as "Friends of the Everglades."

Used to be Charlie Crist could slip under the fence with the ease of a New Jersey garden snake, and once out of state, he could say about anything and win applause. That was then.

Seems Charlie's forked tongue has been well and truly discovered.

In 2008 Florida's pension system, fourth largest in the country, was 100 percent funded. In fact Florida was one of only four states in such an enviable position.

No longer.

A consulting actuary for Milliman, Inc., told the Florida Retirement System Actuarial Assumption Estimating Conference Monday that the state is good for only 87.9 percent of the money it promised its retirees -- that's a worsened number, down from 89.3 percent last year.

The Democratic National Committee put out the call in August for a massive infusion of cash, and thousands of "low-dollar donors online and in the mail" answered it. Its fund-raising haul for September, reports Politico, is more than $16 million. In fact, September was the Dems' best month of the 2010 campaign, better even than its $13.3 million take in March.

Republicans are feeling their oats. With less than a month to go till midterms, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is riding a towering wave of confidence that includes clean sweeps in four states and claims "every Republican incumbent running for re-election will win."

When one congressman is so salty he creeps out another congressman, you know you've got a problem.

Seems the offensively salty lawmaker is -- surprise, surprise -- our boy.

Yes, Florida's go-nuclear Democrat, U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, falls under the category of "good reason why more than 130 former members of Congress wrote a letter to every congressional candidate in both parties" last week, begging them to cut out the personal attacks and "focus on promise solving."

Rachel Maddow? What's a Rachel Maddow?

Sorry, MSNBC, apparently not many folks could pick your liberal show-host out of an anchor chair, let alone a crowd.

Somebody forgot to tell Florida Sen. Mike Fasano the Republicans don't like Gov. Charlie Crist anymore.

The New Port Richey Repub is about to term-limit out of the Senate, which is just as well, because he likes Charlie plenty and doesn't care who knows.