Sen. Martinez talks up Florida on Fox

Sen. Mel Martinez on Fox News this morning: "Florida’s absolutely a dead heat. I mean, we are neck and neck, which I think is good news for the McCain campaign."

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Edwards' admits extramarital affair

The former presidential candidate made his admission on national TV. Click here to read more.

--Joni James, Times state editor

Crist moves the Veep-O-Meter in Sedona

With Charlie Crist out in Arizona this weekend socializing with John McCain and fellow vice presidential contenders Mitt Romney and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, how could the Veep-O-Meter not look strong for our Governor? Crist stikes us as a lot more fun to kick back with than the tea-totaling Romney.
Of course, the trip could be as much about McCain publicly flattering the governor of a critical state as anything else.
For all the national publicity Crist is courting and receiving and the 27 electoral votes he could help deliver there is strikingly little Buzz about him being a likely contender for the final cut.
National Journal conducted an unscientific study of 81 GOP and 78 Demoratic political pros, and only 4 percent said Crist would make a good pick for McCain. Topping the list was former Massachussetts Gov. Romney at 32 percent, former U.S. Trade Representative and Ohio Rep. Rob Portman at 14 percent and and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty at 9 percent.

Dems elect delegates, struggle with staples

One result of the debacle with Florida's so far non-existent Democratic delegates? Huuuge interest in people wanting to become delegates who may or may not get recognized in Denver. A couple hundred activists gathered in Tampa to elect 40 at-large delegates from a candidate field of nearly 400. Being Democrats, they did it with angst and debate over: A)the  merits and means of unstapling ballots and B)more significantly, the party's weighted vote system that basically lets big counties like Broward and Miami-Dade make all the decisions.

"It's not even American!," shouted Volusia County delegate candidate John Mazur, referring to the weighted votes, not the staple conundrum. "It's not right."

Other candidates and party leaders agreed with him, and some of them plan to apply to join a committee to update the state party's laws, which were last written in 2001, Thurman said.

Those Edwards delegates in FL

Sen. John Edwards' endorsement of Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination puts 13 Florida delegates in play. If those delegates follow Edwards' lead and support Obama — and at least half already have decided to do so, according to a survey by the St. Petersburg Times — Clinton's margin over Obama would shrink by one-third. More here.

If those FL Dem delegates get restored...

...Here's how the 210 delegates would be divvied up based on 1/29, as calculated FL DNC member Jon Ausman: Clinton: 105; Obama: 67; Edwards: 13; unpledged: 3; Super delegates: 22.

And if they don't get restored, and we face a brokered convention? Florida will once again be in the center of an electoral mess. Stay tuned.

Jumping from John Edwards to...Bloomberg

Pensacola trial lawyer Fred Levin, a bigtime John Edwards fundraiser, can't muster much enthusiasm for Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or any Republican. "I would hope that after Super Tuesday Michael Bloomberg would see that he is probably the best answer for this country,'' said Levin "He would have no obligation to anyone and the economy is the issue."

There's a lot of outreach and courting going on across Florida to former Edwards and Rudy Giuliani fundraisers. Edwards' former Fl chairman Mitchell Berger is with Obama, while we've yet to hear of a significant former Rudy fundraiser going with Mitt. Among those jumping to McCain: Giuliani Florida finance chairman Joe Fogg, Harry and Dan Sargent, Sarasota chiropractor Gary Kompothecras. Tampa developer Al Austin said he hasn't made up his mind, but Buzz recalls how Mrs. Austin always wanted him to go with McCain. 

Seeing opportunity in Edwards' demise

Kirk Wagar's an enterprising guy. The Miami lawyer and Barack Obama fundraiser went to Puerto Rico on Saturday for a trial lawyers convention and pitched his candidate to John Edwards supporters.

Despite finishing third in South Carolina, Edwards says he'll push on to Feb. 5. But smelling an imminent departure from the race, Wagar was trying to attract a few Edwards money men to his own candidate.

"I'm making sure they know there's a place for them in our campaign," Wagar told the Buzz by phone.

Wagar acknowledged Obama's S.C. rout may have little effect on Florida, where Hillary Rodham Clinton holds a commanding lead. For that, he blames the boycott on campaigning in Florida, suggesting Clinton led the charge because she was already ahead.

"The problem is these people do not know who Barack Obama is and what he stands for," Wagar said. "The reality is this campaign was frozen in August. We haven't been able to communicate with voters since then and we stand by our word. Trust me, there's no one more frustrated than me. I think we could have won Florida. It would have been a stake in the heart of any other campaign."

FL poll: Rudy Leads; Clinton's lead shrinks

InsiderAdvantage 1/7 poll for Southern Political Report: Giuliani 24%; Huckabee 19% McCain 19%; Romney 13%; Thompson 8%; Paul 5%; Hunter 1%; No Opinion: 11%.

Clinton 40%; Obama: 32%; Edwards 9%; Richardson 6%; Kucinich 2%; No Opinion: 10%

FL Poll: Huck Leads, Rudy in 4th place

Jan. 5-7 Datamar robo poll: Mike Huckabee 24%; Mitt Romney 20%; John McCain 18%; Rudy Giuliani 16%.

Hillary Clinton 40%; Barack Obama 28%; John Edwards 19%.