Sen. Marco Rubio won't be taking Manatee chamber's 'people-to-people' trip to Cuba

Not that he was invited, but consider it a zero chance that U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio would join the Manatee County Chamber of Commerce on its "people-to-people" visit next spring to Cuba.

Rubio, R-Fla., on Thursday laid into such trips and the Obama administration policies that make them possible.

“When I look at this stuff, you know what I want to say? Come on, man. This is about promoting democracy and freedom in Cuba?" Rubio said in a speech on the Senate floor. "This is not about promoting democracy and freedom in Cuba. This is nothing more than tourism. This is tourism for Americans that, at best, are curious about Cuba and, at worst, sympathize with the Cuban regime."




Meanwhile, another Florida lawmaker, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, was pleased that her colleagues removed from a spending bill a measure that would have re-instituted limits on how often Cuban Americans can visit family members on the island and how much they can send them. Castor had argued that the limits would have hurt Cuban American families and economically hurt Tampa International Airport, which recently began hosting charter flights to the island.

“Cuban-American families can breathe a sigh of relief that their ability to visit family on the island nation will not be curtailed, especially during the holiday season, by last-minute political maneuvers," Castor said in a news release. Convenient, new airline flights such as those from Tampa International Airport will continue to serve our neighbors and boost our economy. I expect to see even more demand for these flights in the coming months and years.

Hey, Charlie Crist, rock and roll never forgets (UPDATED)

Watch Charlie Crist's apology below.

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Former Gov. Charlie Crist and Talking Heads frontman David Byrne have reached a settlement in a lawsuit Byrne brought against Crist after the governor used the Talking Heads hit, "Road to Nowhere," in a commercial for his Senate campaign last year.

The Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau reports:

Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has quietly settled a lawsuit filed by Talking Heads musician David Byrne who accused the one-time Republican candidate of misappropriating a song in an attack ad.

The details of the settlement, which was tentatively reached last week in Tampa, are confidential. During the talks, some observed that Crist and Byrne palled around and seemed like old friends.

“It was kind of like that,” Crist said with a laugh. “He’s a wonderful guy. A very kind man. I really have great respect for him. He’s an incredible artist. We had a good interaction last week and a nice settlement. And I’m very pleased.”

Crist was represented by his new employer, trial attorney John Morgan, in mediation.

Byrne had sued for $1 million after Crist’s U.S. Senate campaign released a January 2010 YouTube web video that attacked Marco Rubio and featured the 1985 Talking Heads’ hit “Road to Nowhere.”

Crist’s campaign did not seek permission from Byrne, other members of the Talking Heads or Warner Brothers.

Byrne found out about it and quickly demanded that Crist’s campaign pull the ad off the web, which it did. But Byrne didn’t stop there. He pressed ahead with a suit alleging copyright infringement.

“I was pretty upset," Byrne told Billboard.com last year. The suit, he told Billboard.com “is not about politics...It’s about copyright and about the fact that it does imply that I would have licensed it and endorsed him and whatever he stands for."

We don't want to risk Byrne's wrath by posting the campaign video.

But here is the original.

Charlie Crist's apology:

Crist plays word game in first campaign ad

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist today released the first television ad for his general election campaign for the U.S. Senate.

In the ad, Crist visually rejects both the Republicans and the Democrats to reveal who he vows he will represent if elected.

Senate hopeful Meek campaigns in Bradenton today

U.S. Senate candidate Kendrick Meek this afternoon will tour a Bradenton nursing home and speak with union workers during a stop on his "Real Dem Express" bus tour across the state.

Meek, a U.S. representative from Miami, is seeking the Democratic nomination for a seat in the U.S. Senate. His chief rival is businessman Jeff Greene.

Early voting is currently underway for the Aug. 24 primary. The winner will face presumptive Republican nominee Marco Rubio and Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running as an independent, in the Nov. 2 general election.

Meek is set to arrive at 2:45 p.m. at the Casa Mora Rehabilitation & Extended Care center, 1902 59th St. W., Bradenton, at 2:45 p.m. He will tour the center, as well as meet with local members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union.

Crist: I'll announce my political plans on Thursday

Gov. Charlie Crist this morning said he will end the guessing game about his political future on Thursday with an announcement on whether he will abandon the Republican Party and run for U.S. Senate as an independent. (The deadline for a decision is Friday.)

The Miami Herald's Naked Politics blog has video.

Meanwhile, Marco Rubio, who without a vote cast has knocked Crist from his once lofty perch on the state's political landscape and forced him to reconsider his party affiliation, took another step towards qualifying for the race.

Rubio to visit Sarasota for fundraiser

U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio - a darling of no less than Sarah Palin - will be in Sarasota later this week to pick up some cash for his campaign.

Rubio, a former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, is currently leading in most opinion polls in the race against Gov. Charlie Crist for the Republican nomination for the seat now held by Sen. George Lemieux, who was appointed by Crist after Mel Martinez resigned.

On Thursday, Rubio is scheduled to appear at a fundraiser sponsored by Sarasota Volunteers for Marco Rubio at the Sarasota Yacht Club, 1100 John Ringling Blvd., Sarasota. The event will run from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

So far this year, Rubio has raised more than three times as much money as Crist for their respective campaigns. Rubio has reported raising $3.6 million, and Crist has raised $1.1 million.

Organizers are asking attendees at the Sarasota event to donate between $500 and $2,400 - the maximum allowed by federal election law during the primary campaign. For more information or to donate a smaller amount, contact Gale Wyman at (941) 312-6100 or wymanlees1@comcast.net

Giluiani takes his revenge out on Charlie Crist

Rudy Giluiani hung his 2008 presidential bid on a strong showing in the Florida Republican primary. His campaign, however, was derailed by several factors - including Gov. Charlie Crist's endorsement of John McCain a few days before Republicans went to the polls.

On Monday, Giluiani finally got his payback against the governor when he endorsed Marco Rubio for the Republican nomination for Senate.

"This is an easy choice. Not just for Republicans but for Floridians. He is the one and only candidate we can trust to represent Republican principles in Washington,'' Giuliani said during a 20-minute speech in Coral Gables.

Giliuani finished a distant third in the 2008 primary, so it may be overstating it to conclude that Crist's non-endorsement doomed his candidacy. Or that it will give that much of an edge to Rubio.

But politicians have long memories, and when given a chance, like the one Giuliani had Monday, they aren't shy about taking out their revenge when they feel slighted.

Rubio, FOX News wait for Crist to decide on debate

FOX News has agreed to host a debate between Gov. Charlie Crist and former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio so Florida Republicans can decide who should be the party's nominee for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Naked Politics, the Miami Herald's political blog, reports that Rubio, the darling of many of the same conservatives who made FOX News Channel the No. 1 cable TV news network, has accepted an invite for a March 28 debate, so all that is needed now is for Crist to do the same.

The debate would be moderated by FOX's Chris Wallace, and take place either in Florida or in Washington, D.C.

"We've made no secret about our enthusiasm to debate Charlie Crist in this campaign so when FOX News proposed, we accepted,'' said Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos.

Rubio, Meek 'tweet' about their airborne meet

Politicians are increasingly using Facebook and other social media to keep tabs on their supporters and to provide almost constant information about their whereabouts and happenings, to the most minute level.

For example, about 4:45 p.m. today, U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami - who is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and was in Tampa earlier today for President Barack Obama's town hall - updated his Facebook status with this tidbit:

(O)n a Southwest flight from Tampa to Ft. Lauderdale. I'm in seat 12A. Who's in seat 9A? Marco Rubio! Exchanged a few laughs. Keeping an eye on him :)
(emoticon included)

The identical message was posted on Meek's Twitter page.

For those not following him on Facebook or Twitter, Rubio is the former Florida House speaker running for the Republican nomination for the same U.S. Senate seat.

Rubio also Tweeted about the airborne encounter with his possible future rival:

On same SW Flight from Tampa as Kendrick Meek and (U.S. Rep. Debbie) Wasserman Schultz. Wonder what they where doing in Tampa today? LOL
(Internet lingo included)

And to think, if Florida already had high-speed train service, this type of encounter between political leaders might never had happened and been recorded for posterity.

Crist won't dodge Obama this time around

Gov. Charlie Crist, feeling the sting of the man-hug that won't go away, made himself unavailable the last time President Barack Obama came to Florida. The governor even said he wasn't aware that Obama's schedule would have him in the Sunshine State.

However, the White House this morning confirmed that Crist would be leading the greeting party when Air Force One lands at McDill Air Force Base in Tampa about noon today. After touring a maintenance hangar, Obama will take a motorcade ride to the University of Tampa for a town hall meeting on the economy that is expected to include an announcement about federal stimulus funding for a planned high-speed rail line linking Tampa and Orlando.

Perhaps sensitive to political realities - too many fresh photos of Crist and Obama within feet of each other likely would do Crist no good in his heated battle with Marco Rubio for the GOP Senate nomination - Crist turned down a White House invitation for the town hall, according to Politico.

In wake of hometown loss, Crist goes on attack (UPDATED)

The home fires, at least when it comes to the race for the Republican Party's U.S. Senate nomination, are not burning for Charlie Crist.

Pinellas County native Crist on Monday was dealt an embarrassing - albeit only symbolic - blow Pinellas GOP activists gave Crist's rival Marco Rubio a big - albeit only symbolic - win in a straw poll.

"I volunteered for Charlie for nine years. I love Charlie as a person. If he was here, I would give him a big hug. He actually called me about this (straw poll) yesterday," said Wilna Varney of Largo, who voted for Rubio. "But I'm a more conservative person, and I'm going to support the more conservative candidate."

Brushing off the defeat, Crist this morning unveiled a new Web ad that alleges that when it comes to issues conservatives like Varney care about, Rubio is flip-flopper:



On Wednesday, Rubio responded: