Five reasons Jeb Bush for run for U.S. Senate and five reasons he shouldn't. Here.

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Dan Ruth makes his St. Pete Times debut: "...And true to the Kabuki dance traditions of the hustings, Florida's junior senator dutifully insisted that even though his political career had about as much of a future as Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's, why there was no question if he had decided to pursue another term ? tut, tut and a harrumph for good measure ? he would have prevailed.

"A cynic might well wonder if Mel Martinez was sitting on a 60 percent-plus lovefest from the body politic might he still be insisting he can't wait to retire from the public arena to make funny orange peel faces for the grand tots like the retired Don Corleone in The Godfather. "

U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, one of Florida's brightest Republican stars, says you can scratch him off that list of potential candidates to fill Mel Martinez's U.S. Senate seat.

"I am not giving serious consideration to the Senate seat," he tells Buzz. "You could say my interests lie elsewhere."

Like where? Ag commissioner? Governor? Lt. governor? Well, for now, his Bartow-area House seat, which includes part of Hillsborough County. Putnam, 34, decided not to run for reelection as chairman of the House Republican Conference, the third-highest GOP job there, to focus on legislating, particularly on the Financial Services Committee, which oversees the banking and insurance industries.

"I think I'd leave it at that for now," he said.

Martinez announced that he will not seek reelection in 2010. Potential Republican candidates include former Gov. Jeb Bush and Rep. Connie Mack, son of the former senator, while the possible Dem list includes CFO Alex Sink and Rep. Allen Boyd.

Human Events , plugging an online petition drive by redstate.com to encourage Jeb Bush to run for the U.S. Senate, contends that Mel Martinez provided this anonymous quote to Politico recently: “We need someone who speaks from the center,” he says. “Sarah Palin is not the voice of our party.”

"Good riddance then that Mel is on his way out. ...  The Republican Party now has a great opportunity to choose a conservative replacement. There is one conservative who could lock up the nomination, win the contest, and be a conservative voice in Washington from Florida. His name is Jeb Bush."

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National Review : "Jeb Bush doesn’t need to be a senator. But the Senate could use Jeb Bush. ... That he is the son and brother of presidents probably means the White House is closed to him. But there is much more to Jeb Bush than his family tree, and the presidency is not the only office in which he can serve the nation. We heartily encourage him to seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Mel Martinez. There is an opportunity in the Republican caucus for a leader with skill, vision, command of the issues, and a commitment to conservative principles (though Bush could stand to reconsider his advocacy of amnesty for illegal immigrants). He has the right blend of ideas, and the temperament, to join the ranks of such senators as Phil Gramm and Barry Goldwater ? standard-bearers who helped rejuvenate conservatism and the party that remains its principal instrument.

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Dan Gelber blogs about the maneuvering of those who might run for senate:

"...The truth is for anyone, like me, who is passionate about public service the job of a U.S. Senator is so important and the trust is so great, that it can only be looked at seriously. Even for someone like Jeb Bush who probably is not as awed by the position as others might be, such a decision to run requires a good deal of due diligence. So, stay tuned and undoubtedly this storyline will have many turns and surprises. As for me, I am seriously looking at it. Hope that wasn’t too coy."

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More enthusiasm for the idea of Sen. Jeb Bush from Michael Barone : "It has long been thought that Bush is temperamentally ill-suited to be a legislator, and in fact he has never been one. But he is a man of original ideas as well as impressive follow-through. As a senator he would attract national attention initially as the brother and son of presidents, but over time he would do so because of the quality of his ideas. One other thing: He is fluent in Spanish and has proven appeal to Hispanic voters."

U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Monticello, is seriously considering a run for the Senate and will make up his mind by mid January. He didn't say it, but his tone in a phone conversation a few minutes ago sounded to us like a candidate more likely than not to jump in.

"I want a good partner for President-elect Obama in the United States Senate from Florida,'' said Boyd, 63, a 12-year incumbent and former state House member.

He said he is talking with family, prospective donors, and others as part of his due diligence, and weighing whether he wants to leave a job he enjoys. He has been talked about as a potential candidate for agriculture commissioner or governor, but Boyd said the Senate is the only new office he's really considering.

He said the decision this week by Republican Mel Martinez not to seek reelection in 2010 didn't change his plans, but "obviously changed the dynamics."

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist today gave his stamp of approval to a possible U.S. Senate run for former Gov. Jeb Bush, who has said he was considering a campaign for the seat Mel Martinez will leave in 2010.

"Gov. Bush would be a great candidate, and I hope that he runs,'' said Crist, speaking at Art Basel Miami Beach. "I would encourage him to run if that's what he wants to do.''

Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald

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Jeb Bush gave Politico a more direct response on a prospective U.S. Senate bid than he gave the Florida press: "I am considering it."

We're hearing that he still is more likely not to run than jump in, but that he is indeed taking a look and talking it over with his family, friends and advisers. Donors are excited and naturally so is the press corps.

First Read: "If Jeb jumps in, it would be very similar to Hillary Clinton’s 2000 Senate bid, and would propel the Florida Senate contest to the premiere race of 2010. A Bush hasn't served in the Senate since Prescott's tenure in Connecticut. Jeb's father failed to win bids for Texas Senate."

Hey, a political writer can dream, right?

Let's stipulate that almost every name out there for Mel Martinez's senate seat is rank speculation at this point. But the fact remains that on the Republican side, only two people -- Charlie Crist and Jeb Bush -- could effectively clear the GOP field on a Senate race, just as Alex Sink, to a lesser extent, would on the Democratic side.

And for either Republican, the Senate seat would be their best shot at a long-term political perch that ultimately could lead to, say, the White House. Plus, wouldn't it be a fun to have a wide open governor's race in 2010 if Crist did decide to aim for Washington?

"I think the governor is really in the catbird seat right now. He's a formidable, formidable person,'' said 2004 Senate candidate Betty Castor. "And I don't know that the governor has to make up his mind right away. Everybody else probably does."

Her daughter, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, isn't expressing any interest, but how about Betty making another run for the Senate? "I would support Alex Sink,'' she said.

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" Gov. Bush has not given serious consideration to running for the U.S. Senate, or any other office at this point. He remains focused on the important policy issues facing our country in these challenging times, chiefly education reform. Gov. Bush hopes to play a constructive role in the future of the party, advocating ideas and polices to get the conservative cause back on track.

"He commends Sen. Martinez on his extraordinary legacy of public service."

Bush spokeswoman Kristy Campbell

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Mel Martinez, a Cuban immigrant who came to America with nothing and rose to U.S. Housing Secretary and then U.S. Senator, just announced that he will not seek re-election after serving out the next two years of his term. Martinez, 62, said he made the announcement early to give the "many qualified individuals" time to organize and prepare for the open seat election in 2010.

"The Senate is the only federal office carrying a six-year term, so a decision about whether to run for re-election is one that my family and I have carefully considered over the past year. It was a question that came to mind as I wrote my book ?- causing me to reflect on the path I’ve chosen, and to think about, with love and gratitude, those who’ve traveled with me.

"The inescapable truth, for me, is that the call to public service is strong, but the call to home, family and lifelong friends is even stronger. So today, with deep love for this country and with sincere gratitude to the people who placed their trust in me, I announce that I will not run for re-election to the United States Senate."

The Orlando Republican was expected to face a tough re-election, but he said that had nothing to do with his decision, he said, noting that he has faced much tougher odds in his public and private life. He is the only Republican Hispanic in the U.S. Senate, and his departure will leave a big hole in Hispanic Republican leadership in Washington.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez plans a major announcement in Orlando shortly, and a highly placed Republican source says Martinez will announce that he's not seeking re-election and that he may leave his seat in advance of the end of his term in 2010. That would open the door for Gov. Charlie Crist to appoint a replacement in advance of a wide-open Senate race in '10.

In another development, Democratic Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is expected to announce later Tuesday that she will seek re-election to her Cabinet post in 2010, forgoing a possible bid for either Martinez's Senate seat or governor.

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Politico has "a source familiar with her decision" saying that Alex Sink decided over the Thanksgiving weekend not to run for the U.S. Senate or governor in 2010 and instead to seek another term as CFO.

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Florida Sens. Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson settled their World Series wager with their Pennsylvania colleagues on Wednesday, delivering to them pastries and fish from the Tampa Bay area because of the Rays' loss to the Phillies last month.

Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey got Cuban pastries, Ted Peters' Smoked Fish and copies of the Columbia Restaurant's Spanish cookbook. The Florida senators will also hand over a box of citrus once the fruit ripens.

"The oranges are still a little bitter over the Rays’ loss," they wrote in a note to Casey and Specter. "It will take till the end of November for them to sweeten."

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Quinnipiac 11/11-16 Fla poll (moe +/-2.7%): " Florida Gov. Charlie Crist remains overwhelmingly popular with a 68 - 18 percent job approval rating that makes him a strong favorite for re-election in 2010, but Sen. Mel Martinez's 42 - 33 percent approval rating makes him much more vulnerable, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. ...

A group called Public Policy Polling reports that in three polls this summer that Sen. Mel Martinez's job approval rating had tanked. The group works primarily for Democrats.

In June his approval rating was 23%, in July it was 24%, and in September it was 23%.

They found that CFO Alex Sink would beat him in a hypothetical 2010 race, 37-31.

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Rudy Giuliani to reporters moments ago:

"We're going to have people in Florida right to the very end because we know how important it is. And we know we have to win Florida, and we will. Everything we see is enormous enthusiasm all through the state of Florida. I think there's a real growing sense that as you get down to the end, John McCain is the right man for the country and the right man for the state."

Giuliani was joined on a conference call with Sen. Mel Martinez, who declared equal optimism for McCain in the closing moments of the race. "I know what it takes to close in this state is to close strong and I think we are closing strong."

Asked about robo calls blasting Obama, Martinez said he had heard some from Democrats suggesting that seniors could lose Social Security benefits. That's an old tactic, Martinez said, adding, "I guess we can call that Lawton Chiles style of campaigning." He quickly qualified his remark to say he was not speaking ill of the dead.

On a conference call to extol Sen. John McCain's plan to direct the government to spend $300-billion buying and refinancing shaky mortgages to help people stay in their homes, Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and a fellow former Housing secretary, Jack Kemp, found themselves on the spot over this hot-button campaign issue:

Why won't Gov. Sarah Palin go to China?

As appealing as that may be to some of her Republican critics, the reporter meant it a good thing.

Buzz couldn't catch his affiliation, other than the word "world," but he clearly thought McCains' running mate was missing a golden opportunity by turning down an invitation to speak at a Beijing univeristy on Monday, the day before the election.

He argued that doing so would fill any gaps in her foreign affairs resume and guarantee victory for the McCain-Palin ticket. "She could get elected!" he shouted.

Sen. Mel Martinez said he agrees with Gov. Charlie Crist's executive order to extend early voting hours and knocked down talk that it hurts Republicans.

"If we're not good enough to get people to the polls and if we've got to rely on inconvenience of voters, that's no way to win an election," he said while flying from Tampa to West Palm with John McCain. "It's democracy at work. We want people to vote. We just have to get our people there, too."

Martinez said McCain is strong in Florida and alluded to Barack Obama's struggles late in the Democratic primary. "If Lehman and AIG had not happened," Martinez said, "we would still be up seven."

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., has agreed to pay $110,500 for violating federal campaign finance laws governing contribution limits and reporting requirements from his 2004 campaign, Federal Elections Commission records show.

In an FEC agreement struck Oct. 10, Martinez’s campaign agreed to the improprieties and the fines and promised to revamp the system it uses to track of donations.

The FEC, meanwhile, said it didn’t believe Martinez personally violated the Federal Election Campaign Act, and that it has “made no findings that the violations described in this Conciliation Agreement were knowing and willful.”

The cost to Martinez’s campaign includes a fine of $99,000, which the FEC was kept relatively low thanks to the campaign’s cooperation during the investigation, and $11,500 in donations that exceeded the $2,000 limit for cash contributions, but which could not be properly returned or rolled over to another campaign account.

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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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Kitty Martinez! The wife of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., has been traveling around with Cindy McCain and the wives of other Republican politicos during Mrs. McCain's "Velvet Thunder" tour of Pennsylvania in recent days. The prospective first lady introduced her to the crowd at T.C. Millwork just now outside Philadelphia.

Sen. Martinez frequently travels with Sen. John McCain, too.

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More from that Hamilton Beattie poll below:

"U.S. Senator Mel Martinez appears to be facing an uphill battle for re-election, with only 44 percent of voters saying they will vote to re-elect the Republican Senator and 40 percent supporting a generic Democratic candidate, with 16 percent undecided. Governor Charlie Crist maintains a stronger (but by no means safe) lead in a bid for re-election, receiving 52 percent of the vote over 34 percent for a generic Democratic candidate, with 14 percent undecided."

"The trend of close elections between well-funded candidates looks to continue in 2010, with real competition for the U.S. Senate seat and with a governor who is personally popular, but who barely receives a majority of the vote against an unnamed candidate," said polster David Beattie. Beattie said he conducted the poll for public release rather than any client (he doesn't have a statewide client this year and wants to have Florida benchmarks to compare with past cycles), but remember his clients include Alex Sink and Bill Nelson.

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Gov. Charlie Crist and Sen. Mel Martinez are accompanying Gov. Sarah Palin on her two-day Florida trip. In this AP photo, they board a plane after the rally in Clearwater. The trio was in Jacksonville this morning, and now Palin is headed to Pensacola. (more photos below)

(AP) SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A wallet belonging to U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., was stolen when his rental car was broken into over the weekend, police said.

Martinez, his wife and son had driven from Chicago to attend the Stanford-Notre Dame football game on Saturday, and the wallet was inadvertently left on the front seat of the car in the driveway of Notre Dame professor emeritus Jay Dolan in nearby Granger, Ind.

A neighbor later found Martinez's wallet in the yard. The senator's credentials were intact, but $180 in cash was missing.

Martinez's nephew, Eric Maust, is a punter for the Irish.

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The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly, 74-25, to pass the $700-billion bailout package late Wednesday.

Florida's senators went their own ways. Republican Mel Martinez voted for the bill, and Democrat Bill Nelson voted against it.

The story from our sister publication Congressional Quarterly is on the jump.

More from that FL Strategic Vision poll: 56 percent approve of Charlie Crist's performance, 32 percent disapprove; 53 percent approve of Bill Nelson's and 37 percent disapprove; 48 percent approve of Mel Martinez's, 40 percent disapprove.

Forty-seven percent oppose the proposed $700-billion bailout proposal, and 24 percent support it.

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U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., has introduced a Senate version House-passed bill aimed at finding missing seniors. The House version, which was introduced by U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, had the support of the entire Florida delegation and passed by voice vote last week.

It directs the U.S. Department of Justice to design a program that will give states grants for Silver Alert systems, akin to the Amber Alert, that will help local law enforcement agencies and the public find seniors who wander off.

Martinez's version is slightly different, but could be reconciled with the House version if it passes. He filed the measure with Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., a fellow member of the Special Committee on Aging.

During yesterday's rally in Jacksonville, John McCain gave a warm shout-out to Sen. Mel Martinez, calling him the "American dream," then adding:

"All of you know that Mel Martinez came to this country with nothing but the shirt on his back, without his parents, without any money, and he became a Cabinet member and a great United States senator. That's what America's all about, Sen. Mel Martinez."

Martinez, who is having a tough time in the polls, was treated to rousing applause. Want to hear McCain's speech? Click here .

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More from that 9/6-7 PPP poll: Democratic U.S. Reps. Allen Boyd and Ron Klein both lead Sen. Mel Martinez in a hypothetical match-up, 37%-34%. Martinez's approval rating was 23% in the poll.

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Sen. Mel Martinez leads a double life.

On the national stage, he's a beloved front-man for the GOP, the party's most prominent Hispanic leader and the man President Bush tapped to lead the Republican National Committee after the disastrous 2006 elections. He was the only Floridian who addressed the party's convention, delivering a prime-time speech Thursday arguing that Sen. John McCain is the best candidate to protect America.

Back home in Florida, though, the state's junior senator has a giant target on his back. Florida Democrats are lining up to run against him in 2010. Many Republicans complain he spends too little time courting local Republicans. Hillsborough state committee member Carol Carter said she skipped Martinez's reception in St. Paul on Wednesday because Martinez spends so little time in the Tampa Bay area: "If he can't find me, I can't find him." More here.

Despite the speculation Martinez won't run again, he said there's "no question" he'll seek another term.

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Don't think this is a big surprise, but here's one name that we can scratch from big list of potential contenders for U.S. Senate in 2010: Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the rising Congressional star from Weston.

"I'm not running for senate. I have three small kids, and when I came wouldn't be able to be with my kids. I would have to be somewhere else in Florida. I am not interested in running for Senate," she said, sounding pretty Shermanesque.

Strategic Vision has John McCain at 49% and Barack Obama at 42% in FL.

59% approve of Charlie Crist's performance; 55% approve of Bill Nelson's; and 48% approve of Mel Martinez's.

... For a speaking gig at Republican convention (sorry). Gov. Charlie Crist and Mel Martinez both are scheduled to speak Thursday night - the theme that evening is peace - as are John McCain , Sam Brownback and Tim Pawlenty .

Hard to see much indication of McCain's vice presidential pick with this schedule as other oft-mentioned are also scheduduled to speak. Still, Wednesday, would be a likely time for the VP to speak, and Mitt Romney and Bobby Jindal are set for that night. Joe Lieberman is Mon, Tom Ridge and Sarah Palin Tues).

"Our convention will showcase a cross-section of leaders who will highlight John McCain’s long commitment to putting our country first -- before self-interest or politics," said McCain 2008 Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker. "The speakers will address John McCain’s unmatched record of service and sacrifice for America, and his vision for moving our nation forward to keep us safe and get our economy back on track."

Stewart: "We've got another election coming up. Has Florida announced their plans for how they're going to ruin this one?"

Martinez: "It's a little bit like your show. We just kind of make it up as we go along."

Speaking on NPR's Diane Rehm Show this morning, Florida Sen. Mel Martinez said Bush appears to have gotten it wrong about Russian leader Vladimir Putin when he so famously said, back in June 2001, "I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy... I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country."

Martinez was discussing the conflict between Russia and the Republican of Georgia, a strong U.S. ally. Instead, he's said, he's partial to Sen. John McCain's view: "Perhaps McCain's assessment that he saw K-G-B when he looked into his eyes might be more correct," Martinez said.

Martinez said U.S. military intervention is inconceivable, but America and NATO must send a "strong message to Russia" that it's "not acceptable simply to recreate the Soviet empire and overrun these nations."

Ukraine could be next, "and what about the Czech Republic?" he said.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, the Florida Republican, will be on the nationally syndicated Diane Rehm Show this morning from 11 to noon to discuss his new book, "A Sense of Belonging - From Castro's Cuba to the U.S. Senate, One Man's Pursuit of the American Dream."

The Senate's first Cuban-American also will be discussing his political career and top issues facing the Senate and the GOP. The show runs nationally on public radio.

PPP robo poll : "The Democrats crossing over to support McCain are disproportionately older white females, an indication that Hillary Clinton's base may not be completely behind Obama in the Sunshine State.

"Obama has slipped with Hispanic voters in the last month, leading among them just 48-45 after holding a 51-37 advantage in PPP's previous Florida poll. The numbers show an unusual gender gap, with McCain leading by 11 points among women while trailing by 5 points with men. Last month's results similarly showed Obama doing eight points better with men than women, a trend PPP has not seen in any of its other state by state polling. Obama has a large lead among young voters, McCain has a big one with senior citizens, and the candidates are virtually tied with those in between."

Also some weird U.S. Senate match-ups against Mel Martinez (Bob Graham beating Martinez by 20 pionts and Debbie Wasserman Schultz basically tied).

The Hill on the dicey terrain politicians walk when it comes to photos that can come back to haunt (maybe like this one): "...I don’t have a policy ? probably should,” Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) said. He estimated that he takes “hundreds of pictures with people,” even getting asked to pose at places he’d otherwise consider inappropriate for a photo opportunity, like church. "

This morning, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez pounded Sen. Barack Obama during a conference call arranged by the McCain campaign, saying the Democrat was "AWOL" during the immigration debate in Congress.

But the Obama campaign dug up this letter that Martinez sent to Obama thanking him for support of the immigration reform bill. It noted the letter came after Obama had supported an amendment that would have sunsetted the guest worker program, a provision Martinez decried today as a "poison pill."

"While it failed, your backing of this important legislation meant a lot to me personally," Martinez wrote. "I know that standing firm in the face of extreme pressure has not been easy, and again, I thank you."

Florida Sen. Mel Martinez this morning helped promote a new TV ad for John McCain, asserting in a call with reporters that the Arizona Republican has been a leader in immigration reform while Barack Obama has been "AWOL" on the issue.

The 1-minute ad, which is in English and running in Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico but not Florida, underscores the increasingly important Hispanic vote. It praises the military service of Hispanics rather than confront the touchy immigration debate.

Strategic Vision poll : John McCain 49%, Barack Obama 41%; 47% oppose McCain picking Charlie Crist for veep, 36% favor; 59% favor increased exploration and drilling off Florida.

Approvals/disapprovals: Crist 58/34; Bill Nelson 54/35; Mel Martinez 47/41

Public Policy Polling robo poll : Barack Obama 46%, John McCain 44%. "It's shaping up to be another tight contest in Florida, but based on much greater Hispanic support than John Kerry saw in 2004, Barack Obama has the early lead. George W. Bush won Hispanic voters in the state 56-44 last time, but this survey shows Obama leading among them 51-37."

The poll also finds a mighty vulnerable Mel Martinez in 2010, with an abysmal 23% approval rating. Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, a Democrat, beats the Republican 37% to 31%. Rep. Robert Wexler (Sorry Dan Gelber , guess this N.C. pollster hasn't heard of you yet) ties Martinez 33% to 33%. "By contrast Democratic Senator Bill Nelson enjoys a 42/29 approval in the state. Even among Republicans just 37% of respondents approve of Martinez, with 31% disapproving. Just 15% of independents and 12% of Democrats expressed support for the job he is doing....This poll provides pretty strong evidence that Martinez will be one of the most endangered Republican Senators in the country in 2010."

... this spring, when Martinez joined several other senators and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty at McCain's ranch in Sedona.

Martinez tells Buzz he doesn't know he'd be McCain's pick, but McCain mention it at the gathering.

That's the rumor Time Magazine' s Joe Klein is spreading. Although Klein,  of Primary Color s fame, admits he's not sure it's true.

But Klein reports that he's heard that McCain is frustrated he can't go with his top three choices, among them: Gov. Jeb Bush, whose last name makes him unapproachable, and Sen. Mel Martinez whose Cuban birth place make him ineligible. Read about it here.

Vice-President Dick Cheney's office has acknowledged he was wrong when he told the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday that  China was drilling for oil off Cuba's coast, just 60 miles from Key West.

Republicans used that talking point this week as they pushed for opening more of the Outer-Continental Shelf to oil and gas exploration, including the eastern Gulf of Mexico off Florida. That talking point brought some intra-party push-back from Sen. Mel Martinez, Florida Republican, who took to the Senate floor to refute it.

Though that doesn't mean the Cubans don't want to.

You can read the full story below.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, Republican from Florida, took to the Senate floor today to try to put the kibosh on a growing myth on Capitol Hill, being spread by members of his own party: That China is drilling for oil and gas just 60 miles off Key West, closer to Florida than American companies can drill.

"China is not drilling off the coast of Cuba," Martinez said. "Reports to the contrary are simply false. They're rumors, akin to urban legend."

The China argument is a favorite of pro-drilling forces on Capitol Hill who don't like federal restrictions on drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. With gas prices over $4 per gallon, Republicans again are trying to open up more of nation's coasts to drilling.

The House Republican leader, John Boehner of Ohio, sent out a statement Wednesday saying, "While China explores oil and gas 60 miles from American shores, Dem majority keeps energy resources under lock-and-key. When it comes to energy exploration, do Democratic leaders really trust the Chinese more than Americans?"

Environment Florida lauded Florida's U.S. senators, Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Mel Martinez, for voting today to advance a climate change bill that would limit carbon dioxide emissions in hopes of slowing global warming.

Despite the support of a majority of senators, Republicans ensured it lacked the votes to get past a procedural hurdle.

The vote was especially striking for Martinez, who bucked President Bush and the Senate Republican leadership to support advancing the bill.

"Climate change is the most important environmental issue of our generation," Martinez said in a statement. "I voted to move this issue forward in Congress because Florida is uniquely vulnerable to the threats of rising sea levels and intensified hurricanes that could result if carbon emissions continue to go unchecked."

4/30-5/1 robo poll of 623 registered Florida voters by War Room Logistics of Gainesville: John McCain 47%, Barack Obama 40% (independents - 45% McCain, 38 percent Obama); McCain 44%, Hillary Clinton 45% (independents 39 McCain, 39 Clinton).

52% said Gov. Charlie Crist is doing a good or excellent job, and 47 percent said fair or poor. 51% said the economy was the top issue, followed by the Iraq war at 15%.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez's chief of staff is leaving for the private sector, and the senator has promoted his Florida field director to replace him.

John Little, Martinez's chief since his election in 2004, is joining The Petrizzo Group, a D.C. lobbying firm, as a policy consultant on federal issues affecting Florida.

His replacement is Deputy Chief of Staff Tom Weinberg, who also served as state director in the Orlando office. Weinberg worked for Martinez, a Republican, when he was mayor of Orange County. The new state director is Kevin Doyle of Jacksonville.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist made landfall Tuesday in wintry Washington, buttering up the guys who hold the federal purse strings to make sure money designated for the Everglades  actually arrives.

"It's already been put into the process, we just need to get it appropriated now," Crist said at the U.S. Capitol with Sen. Mel Martinez, his host for the Senate's weekly Republican Policy Luncheon. Other special guests included Vice President Dick Cheney and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. The senators also heard from Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, whom Crist is backing.

Check out the favorabilty/unfavorability ratings on a recent Florida House Democrats' internal poll obtained by the Buzz:

Hillary Clinton 50 fav/48 unfav; Barack Obama 59 fav/32 unfav; Charlie Crist 69 fav/14 unfav; George W. Bush 41 fav/56 unfav; Mel Martinez 45/27; Bill Nelson 59/18

John McCain, heading out of Florida on his campaign plane, was asked by a CNN reporter what accounted for his victory. "I'm not at very good at analysis but obviously Gov. Crist and Mel Martinez were very helpful," an exhausted looking McCain said on TV, going on to name the economy and other issues. (AP photo)

Former Gov. Mitt Romney was asked late Friday afternoon at a St. Petersburg private airport to respond to the news that Sen. John McCain had won the endorsement of Sen. Mel Martinez.

"I think endorsements by and large are nice things to get but don't do a lot for you in terms of actually getting votes," Romney said. "I always try to seek good endorsements....but if other guys get them, well, that's fine, you can't get 'em all."

Later, Romney Florida campaign chair Al Cardenas acknowledged he has spoken with Martinez often in recent weeks also courting his endorsement.

"If he was not going to support us, I'm glad he supported somebody at the end of the process, when a lot of people have already made up their minds as they intend to vote," Cardenas said.

Today, the Romney campaign released a new web ad that spoofs a real McCain ad, saying that McCain is the "favorite Republican among Democrats."

After playing coy for more than a week, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez is expected today to endorse John McCain for president, possibly in Miami. McCain is scheduled to make an appearance at 5 p.m. today in Miami to speak to the Latin Builders Association.

Mel Martinez and John McCain have no plans to appear together Monday in south Florida, says Melissa Shuffield, a former Martinez staffer working for the McCain campaign. And while it's no secret Martinez is a big fan of McCain's, Shuffield tells us that "at this moment there's no endorsement" planned.

---Wes Allison

Florida's two U.S. senators, Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Mel Martinez, have collaborated a public service announcement urging Floridians to vote in the Jan. 29 presidential primary.

You'll remember that the national Democratic Party stripped all of Florida's delegates to the national nominating convention after the state Legislature moved the primary a week earlier than allowed under party rules. The major Democratic candidates have pledged not to campaign here because of it (though somehow raising money in Florida is fine).

The national Republicans, meanwhile, docked their Florida cousins half of their delegates to the Republican National Convention.

No matter, Nelson and Martinez say in the PSA, which the senators unveiled on YouTube today. They're offering it in English and Spanish to TV stations across the state.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida says he may endorse one of the Republican candidates for president before the state's Jan. 29 primary. "I might, but I haven't really made that decision," Martinez said. "Right now I'm just thinking about it and getting a lot of phone calls."

Martinez was the general chairman of the Republican National Committee until he resigned the post last fall. All the top Republican candidates but one - former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson - have called in hopes of winning support, Martinez said, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Arizona Sen. John McCain.

...To NJ Sen. Robert Mendendez over the USF Bulls' October 20-27 football loss to the Rutgers Scarlett Knights. Here are Ryan Dufffy, Brad Rawls and Jessica Garcia delivering the goods. Sure beats the saltwater taffy and cranberries Menendez would have had to hand over.

"“As promised, these strawberries are intended to help remind Senator Menendez that Florida is the sweetest place to live, visit, and play sports,” Martinez said. “Picked yesterday in Plant City, Florida, this is one of this season’s first batches of strawberries and I hope my good friend enjoys what Florida has to offer.”

Making the rounds at tonight's CNN/YouTube Republican debate in St. Petersburg, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez said he was hoping the candidates would get off the sound bytes and get down to specifics. Noting that 3-million Floridians live without health insurance, he said he was particularly hopeful they'd start telling voters how they aimed to improve access to health care.

"It's time to begin to offer the American people solutions," he said at the Mahaffey Theater before the 8 p.m. debate. "I think the American people are hungry for solutions...

"On a campaign, you can go for a long time on a few words and sound bytes. At some point you have to offer solutions, and I think we're at that point."

Polls have shown former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani consistently ahead. But as to whether that would hold through the Jan. 29 primary, Martinez said, "I'm not sure, I think this race will close in Florida dramatically."

Sen. Mel Martinez is resigning as chairman of the Republican National Committee, making official a move that has been known for weeks.

"His goal was to ensure our party had the structure and resources in place for all Republican candidates in the 2008 elections to be successful," President George Bush said in a statement. "He has more than fulfilled that mission."

As the leading Republican presidential candidates prepare to converge on Orlando for the Florida GOP's "Presidency IV" weekend Oct. 20-21, state Republican chairman Jim Greer shows little interest in downplaying speculation about Charlie Crist getting tapped as someone's running mate. In fact, Greer sounds ready to nominate Crist for Mount Rushmore.

"Gov. Crist has clearly shown that he governs in a parallel manner to Ronald Reagan, to Abraham Lincoln," Greer responded to the question of Crist as a vice presidential candidate in a taped interview for Political Connections airing today on Bay News 9. "He believes that everyone should have a seat at the table and that's getting him recognition and attention across the nation." 

Nor, surprisingly, did Greer rule out Mel Martinez stepping down at the end of his first term. "If" he runs again, Greer said, Martinez would win.

More here.

Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., says there’s no set date for when he’ll step down as general chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Despite recent reports that Martinez, 60, plans to step down as soon as the Republicans choose their nominee for president, the senator said Tuesday he won’t leave unless he believes the party is prepared to support that nominee.

“I’m going to stay as long as I need to stay and make sure we’re in good shape for the ’08 cycle,” he told Buzz at the Capitol.

Early 2008 would make sense. Like all RNC officers, Martinez - the Senate's first Cuban-born member - was formally elected in January to a two-year term. But party officials said it was always understood that he would stay only as long it took for the RNC, battered after last year’s losses in Congress, to get prepared to support the presidential nominee, who will be chosen in spring.

Martinez noted Tuesday that the RNC had out-raised its Democratic counterpart handily. There’s no specific plan for him to step down, he said, but “I’m not going to be there forever.”

The RNC chairman, Mike Duncan, runs the day-to-day operations. As general chairman, Martinez’s main job is to raise money and serve as a liaison between the party and its various constituencies, as well as to reach out to potential Hispanic voters.

That’s taken a bit of a hit lately, as Republican senators killed a moderate immigration reform plan that Martinez and Bush favored. Some top Republican candidates for president, meanwhile, have taken a hard-line approach on immigration and have eschewed invites to national Hispanic events and at least one debate.

There's also the matter of his own reelection. Polls show his approval ratings among Florida voters between 30 and 40 percent, and it might not hurt to spend more time at home, and less time working for the national party. He is up for reelection in 2010.

“If I were Mel Martinez, I'd be spending my time building a really intimidating war chest, and that’s hard to do when you’re RNC chair,” said Jennifer Duffy, editor of the non-partisan Cook Political Report.

Robert Novak: "Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida, who was named general chairman of the Republican Party only nine months ago, has advised associates that he will leave the post as soon as somebody clinches the party's presidential nomination. That probably will come after the Feb. 5 primary elections next year.

"When Martinez took the party post Jan. 19, it was expected he would stay on through the 2008 elections as the GOP's principal national spokesman. Many Republicans now grumble that Martinez has been ineffective in that role, partly because he has been drowned out by the many presidential hopefuls.

"Kentucky lawyer Mike Duncan, who came on board with Martinez as chairman of the Republican National Committee, is expected to remain running day-to-day operations at national party headquarters for the balance of his two-year term."

A preliminary shot in a 2010 Senate race? Dan Gelber sent this missive to Mel Martinez over the senator's opposition to expanding the children''s health insurance program, SCHIP:

"...As Chairman of the Republican National Committee, I recognize your role and responsibility to defend and endorse President Bush’s legislative agenda, including his opposition to the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan.  However, the rhetoric of “entitlements” and “socialized medicine” seems designed to fire up the President’s political base rather than honestly helping your colleagues figure out how to fix a system that has left more than nine million American children without health care.   Ironically, your position hurts Florida more than nearly any other state as only Texas has a higher percentage of uninsured children than we do. .."

Martinez's statement: "I support SCHIP. I support the program with the original mission of covering low income children who do not have health insurance...It is bad policy to take a program designed to help poor children and creat a new entitlement for familie making $80,000 a year."

From the Washington Post today : "I was hoping that there would be good participation in the Univision forum," Martinez said. "It's a very busy primary calendar, and their schedules are such that this forum didn't fit in. Now is this a rejection of Hispanic voters? Of course not. And I hope it's not seen that way."

AP: A military cargo plane carrying three senators and a House member was forced to take evasive maneuvers and dispatch flares to avoid ground fire after taking off from Baghdad on Thursday night. The lawmakers said their plane, a C-130, was under fire from three rocket-propelled grenades over the course of several minutes as they left for Jordan.

“It was a scary moment,” said Senator Mel Martinez, Republican of Florida, who said he had just taken off his body armor when he saw a flash outside the window. “Our pilots were terrific. They banked in one direction and then banked the other direction, and they set off the flares.”

Mel Martinez : "Alberto Gonzales is an honorable man whose life history speaks volumes about what’s best about America. ... Alberto Gonzales has conducted himself always with honesty, dedication and integrity. He is my friend and he is a good man. He and his family have my thanks for their sacrifice for serving during difficult times, and my best wishes for the future."

Bill Nelson: “We have an urgent need to restore credibility at the Justice Department.  My hope is President Bush’s new pick will take politics out of enforcing the law.”

Adam Putnam: “The Department of Justice now has the opportunity to benefit from fresh leadership. What the American people need right now is an effective, independent Attorney General who will be undistracted in his or her efforts to enforce our laws, secure our borders, and vigorously prosecute the war against militant Islamist jihadists.

Strategic Vision's 8/10-12 poll of 1,200 likely Florida voters (moe +- 3). R's: Rudy Giuliani 34%; Fred Thompson 18%; undecided 16 % Mitt Romney 10%; John McCain 8%; Newt Gingrich 3%; Tom Tancredo 3%; Mike Huckabee 3%. D's: Hillary Clinton 40%; Barack Obama 20%; John Edwards 16%; Undecided 10%; Bill Richardson 9%; Joseph Biden 3%; Christopher Dodd 1%; Dennis Kucinich 1%.

71% approve of Charlie Crist's overall performance, 37 percent approve of President Bush's and 20 percent approve of Congress's job performance. 53 percent approve of Bill Nelson and 43 percent Mel Martinez

Sen. Mel Martinez, the head of the Republican National Committee, took a swipe Tuesday at the leading Republican presidential candidates for not offering solid solutions to America's immigration crisis.

"Presidential contests are about leadership. ... It's about leading on the tough issues," Martinez told the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce. "It was easy to say, 'This wasn't good enough, this isn't right, I don't agree with Martinez.' ... But at the end of the day what is your answer? How would you solve this?" More here .

Sen. Mel Martinez, while stressing that he didn't want to "meddle" in state politics, told the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce today that "it would be a real step backward" if Florida leaders let no-fault auto insurance lapse. Noting that he had spent a good chunk of his legal career "collecting PIP benefits and suing insurance companies when they didn't pay them,'' Martinez called PIP "a very important component on health care in Florida."

A conservative outfit called We the People is asking its members and fellow frustrated righties to pick their favorite RINO - Republican in Name Only - from a list of 15 that includes Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla.

Martinez angered many conservatives with his aggressive support for a (failed) compromise measure that would have given millions of illegal immigrant workers a route to legal status. Other nominees include true Republican moderates like Sens. Arlen Specter and Olympia Snowe, conservative Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona (who also compromised on immigration) and presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani.

If this sounds like fun to you, you can vote at Republicans In Name Only . Subcategories include which RINO is most likely to cart an illegal immigrant across the border or attend a Barbara Streisand concert.

We the People is run by an Asheville, N.C., businesman named Daniel Gilbert, who also happens to be running for president.

HOLLYWOOD -- The Buzz tracked down Gov. Charlie Crist after his well-received speech at the Young Republicans event to ask about his reaction to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's comments earlier in the day.

Romney, in response to a question from an audience member about attractive vice president contenders, mentioned Crist's name as well as those of former Gov. Jeb Bush and U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez.

He acknowledged it was "presumptuous" to name names now, but then said, "You can think of a number of people in Florida who would fall on that list from your governor to your former governor to your senator."

Flanked by a mob of adoring fans, Crist at first avoided a direct response. He said he was too busy focusing on being governor of Florida to give Romney's remarks any serious thought.

But then he acknowledged that he has had "indirect conversations through other people, through other campaigns" about the potential VP nod. Now that's straight-talk.

--John Frank, Times staff writer

From the AP: The Chairman of the Republican Party on Friday lambasted Democrats and Republicans who helped kill an immigration bill in the Senate and challenged them to come up with a solution beyond "just build a fence along the border."

"The voices of negativity now have a responsibility to come up with an answer," RNC Chairman and U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla. said. "How will you fix the situation to make peoples' lives better? How will you continue to grow the economy? How will we bring people out of the shadows for our national security and for the sake of being a country that is just?" he demanded.

Martinez spoke during a gathering of more than 1,000 Hispanic officials from across the country at Disney World, a day after the immigration bill's Senate supporters fell short of the 60 votes needed to limit debate and clear the way for its final passage.Martinez promised to work with members of the U.S. House of Representatives to try to revive the legislation, a measure the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials supports.

There are ominous signs for the Florida GOP when it comes to the state's fastest-growing ethnic group. Consider:

• When Democrat Bill McBride lost his bid for governor in 2002, he won just 36 percent of the vote in one of Miami-Dade's most heavily Hispanic, reliably Republican state House districts. Last year, McBride's wife and fellow Democrat Alex Sink was elected chief financial officer and carried 53 percent of the vote there.
• In Florida's virtually tied 2000 election, overwhelmingly Republican Cuban-Americans made up about 75 percent of Florida's Hispanic electorate. Today? More like 40 percent.
• Jeb Bush in 2002 performed more than 7 percent better in Central Florida's Osceola County, with its booming population of non-Cuban Hispanics, than Charlie Crist did in 2006. More here .

...And listen to state Sen. Mike Bennett, R-anti-war: "Most people realize that we're not necessarily over there for the moralistic, right reason," said Bennett, on today's "Political Connections on Bay News 9. "If there wasn't money involved, if there wasn't oil involved, if big oil wasn't pushing this, if there wasn't a lot of money behind it, I don't think we'd be there."

Today's print Buzz column is here .

While in Georgia touting immigration reform yesterday, President Bush singled out U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez who was traveling with him:

"I don't know if you know his story, but his mother and father put him on an airplane to come to the United States of America to be raised by total strangers because they didn't want their son to grow up under a tyrant named Fidel Castro."

"He used to sit in the Cabinet of the president of the United States. Now he sits in the United States Senate. What a wonderful country it is, where people can come to live in a country based upon liberty and realize the great blessings of our country."

These days, Mel Martinez begins each morning in a room just off the Senate floor listening to 11 of his colleagues argue the intricacies of a potentially historic immigration proposal. Sometimes, Martinez tries to lighten the intense atmosphere that builds up when polar opposites debate an emotional issue. Other times, the Senate's only immigrant sits quietly in an overstuffed crimson leather chair only to have someone ask: "Mel, certainly you have an opinion about this?"

More here .

For a combative Christian political crusader like John Stemberger, these are trying times. The front-runners for the Republican presidential nomination are thrice-married Rudy Giuliani, who openly supports abortion rights, and John McCain, who once called Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson "agents of intolerance." Charlie Crist, whom Stemberger bashed last year as a "conservative impostor, " now sits in the governor's office with soaring approval ratings after clobbering Stemberger's preferred candidate in the Republican primary.

Stemberger, the loudest voice in Florida's Christian right movement, lately looks like he's all mouth and little might. But in the same week that Falwell died, Stemberger sounds neither cocky nor chastened. "It's not our job to be victorious. It's our job to be faithful. It's our job to stand up for truth and to speak the truth, " the Orlando trial lawyer said in an office sprinkled with photos of Jeb Bush and Robert Bork and a "Beware of Attack Lawyer" warning sign.

More here.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez was honored this week by an immigration advocacy group, National Immigration Forum, as a leader who has “shaped the pro-immigrant movement.”

But the National Immigration Forum is also one of the members of the board of the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, a group that just last week began a print and radio ad campaign targeting Martinez for not doing enough on the immigration issue.

Are they for him or against him?

The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint today against U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, alleging multiple campaign finance violations stemming from the 2004 election.

The complaint is based on a recent audit that revealed that the campaign failed to disclose occupations and identification information for donors and accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in excessive contributions.

"The violations committed by Martinez for Senate are unprecedented in both size and scope” said Melanie Sloan, the group's executive director. “Basically, Mel Martinez broke the law in order to win an election. Now, years later, he is a sitting senator and the chairman of the Republican National Committee. A failure by the FEC to severely sanction the Martinez for Senate campaign committee will demonstrate that violating the law pays.”

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez was one of the lucky few invited to attend a black tie dinner with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Tuesday night before the royal couple flew back to England.

The Queen held the dinner at the British Embassy in honor of the President and First Lady. The Washington Post reports that guests included "members of his cabinet and political and cultural VIPs who British Ambassador Sir David Manning hoped might amuse the queen" including the former President Bush, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Alan Greenspan and Sens. John Warner, Dianne Feinstein and Martinez.

Martinez, who didn't have the greatest week trying to broker a compromise over immigration reform, told reporters on Wednesday: "I had dinner with the Queen last night. That was cool."

The Florida Immigrant Coalition is holding prayer vigils outside the offices of U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez today and tomorrow to try to pressure him to support comprehensive immigration reform in Congress this year.

Events took place in Tampa and Miami today. Tomorrow there will be another vigils outside a church in Tallahassee as part of a national effort during "Faith and Family Week."

"We know Sen. Martinez has strong family values and cares about the moral fabric of our community, we hope he will put those values in action by playing a leadership role in making this reform happen," said Pastor Moises Secundino, one of the Tampa area pastors hosting a vigil.

Martinez said it's unfair for groups to be targeting him and, he said, it may hurt efforts to pass a bill in Congress.

From American Research Group May 4-8 poll of 600 likely Democratic primary voters and 600 likely Republican primary voters:

Rs: Rudy Giuliani 31%; John McCain 18%; Fred Thompson 13%; Mitt Romney 11%; Newt Gingrich 8%, undecided 13%.

D's: Hillary Clinton 45%; Barack Obama 17%; John Edwards 15%; Joe Biden 3%; Bill Richardson 3%; undecided 14%

A group of immigrant advocates, the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, will begin a nation-wide media campaign today in Florida encouraging Congress to pass a bill that would allow illegal immigrants a path to citzenship and guest worker provisions.

The first print ads will focus on Sen. Mel Martinez, the first Cuban-American senator and new chairman of the Republican National Committee. The group claims Martinez has backed away from his bipartisan approach last year, and now supports a White House proposal that hurts immigrants.

"Sen. Martinez needs to step up, be a leader and get it done right,” said Clarissa Martinez, campaign manager for the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. "Americans want solutions, not politics.  We are here today to tell Sen. Martinez, the President, and politicians of any party, that failure to address one of the nation’s most pressing issues will come at a heavy price. We are tired of politicians of both parties who say one thing and do another. The hypocrisy must stop."

The campaign also will include radio ads and a call-in campaign.

Updated: Martinez released a statement in response: "It's disappointing there are groups out there ready to drive wedges and politicize this critically important issue. Anyone who knows me knows I've been working since day one on this matter and for clearly partisan groups to design a national campaign and put out advertisements signals to me that they're more interested in creating a divide than working toward a solution. I would call on their national leaders to drop this effort, drop the politics, and get behind our bipartisan efforts to achieve consensus."

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez is returning almost $100,000 in donations after a federal audit showed that his 2004 campaign did not collect the necessary information about some donors.

Martinez, a Republican, spent $12 million in the race to defeat Democrat Betty Castor. He said his campaign has corrected the mistakes and financial reports.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez said he's ready to push a proposal giving Puerto Rico a chance to become the 51st state or an independent nation. “Some people just don’t want to see any change,” Martinez said.

A similiar measure is expected to move in the House in the next few weeks, according to a story in our sister publication, Congressional Quarterly.

In Mel Martinez's first 2 1/2 months as general chairman of the Republican National Committee, Florida's junior senator has been far less involved than even he expected. There have been no press releases, only a handful of fundraising calls and few meetings with supporters. He took his first out-of-state trip for the RNC just this week, introducing President Bush at a Los Angeles fundraiser that brought in $2.3-million.

More here .

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez helped the Republican Party raise a whopping $2.3-million at a Los Angeles fundraiser headlined by President Bush and hosted by Bush Pioneer and investment banker Brad Freeman.

Martinez, general chairman of the Republican National Committee, introduced Bush and hosted a dinner for about 25 of the guests later Wednesday night. On Thursday, Martinez met with individual supporters, lunched with actor Andy Garcia and 24 executive producer Manny Coto and hosted a Hispanic event in the evening.

Martinez's wife, Kitty, and their youngest son accompanied him to California. The two went to a taping of American Idol. Tomorrow, the family will visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. "What every good Republican should do," Martinez told the Buzz.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez will attend a Republican fundraiser with President Bush tomorrow night at a private home in Los Angeles. It'll be one of his first duties as general chairman of the Republican Party.

Bush will go directly to his Crawford, Texas ranch for vacation after the event while Martinez stays in California for a series of closed-door meetings. One will be with fellow Cuban-American, Andy Garcia, one of Hollywood's few Republicans.

Sen. Mel Martinez, the new chairman of the Republican Party, sent out an email to supporters Wednesday, standing behind embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

"Alberto Gonzales is a man of integrity and high ethical standards. He has pledged to cooperate with Congress and I am confident he will. I have said that it is irresponsible to pronounce judgment on the replacement of the U.S. Attorneys before we have the facts. Unfortunately, some would prefer to make political pronouncements instead of getting the facts....The Democrats may feign outrage to distract from their discord on the serious issues our nation faces, but sooner or later they will have to face the real responsibilities of governing."

Once again, Congress.org has compiled a list of the most powerful members of Congress. No surprise that new Democratic leaders, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, top the list.

In the Senate, Bill Nelson ranks 26th and Mel Martinez, the new chairman of the Republican party, ranks a low 89th. In the House, Alcee Hastings ranks as the highest Floridian at 19 (higher than Debbie Wasserman Schultz at 32 and Kendrick Meek at 55) while Tampa freshmen Kathy Castor is doing quite well at 127 -- the 6th most influential Florida member.

See the full list here. See just Florida here.

The U.S. Senate voted 94-0 to confirm the nomination of Magistrate Judge Marcia Morales Howard of Jacksonville to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. 

Howard, a federal magistrate since 2003, formerly worked for Foley & Lardner and McGuire Woods.

Sen. Mel Martinez noted that she has been recommended by the nominating commission he set up with Sen. Bill Nelson. Martinez called it "a model of bipartisan cooperation."

The Florida Democatic Party is blasting U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez for missing two votes last week about Iraq.

"This war is the most important issue facing our country, and Mel Martinez can't even show up? The Republican Party of Florida slammed Jim Davis again and again for missing votes on inconsequential things such as naming post offices. What do they have to say now about their Senator missing these crucial votes?" said Karen Thurman, the party's chairwoman.

Last Monday when the U.S. Senate voted on a procedural motion on whether to procede on the debate, Martinez was at a doctor's appointment.

Last Thursday when the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Gen. George W. Casey to be Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army, Martinez was attending his foster mother's funeral.

Martinez's vote would not have changed the outcome in either case.

Update: The Florida Democratic party says it made a mistake in Thurman's podcast about Martinez's votes (which it has corrected), and that it was a single vote last Monday that it criticized him for missing. They stand by that criticism.

Two years before the tale of Sami Al-Arian helped sink Betty Castor's campaign against Mel Martinez for the U.S. Senate, Castor's successor as University of South Florida president tried to quietly buy Al-Arian's departure from the university. To read more about the secret, nearly $1-million offer, click here .

The election may be almost four years away but it looks like U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez already has some competition for his 2010 re-election bid: Orlando resident Dave Roberts.

Roberts says on his Website that he works in accounting, is married to a public school teacher and has four children. "I love the state of Florida and don't want to move to Washington D.C., but I am tired of putting my trust in politicians that continually betray conservative ideals for the sake of power, or for any reason at all,'' he writes.

Much of his Website is devoted to the issue of illegal immigration, a hot topic in Washington these days and one in where Martinez played an instrumental (and controversial) role last year.

Roberts' Website (with the slogan "Go home Mel Martinez") is here .

Roll Call's Lou Jacobson wrote up his recent lunchtime chat with assorted Fl reporters, political consultants and political scientists about the political climate in Florida. We/he touched on everything from Jeb to Charlie to competitive congressional seats. Look in comments to see the column.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez's office announced Friday that his State Director Matthew Hunter will be a senior advisor to Martinez in his new role as general chairman of the Republican party.

Orange County Deputy County Administrator Thomas Weinberg will replce Hunter as state director (and deputy chief of staff) -- a job that consists of managing offices in Orlando, Jacksonville, Miami, Pensacola, Tampa, Naples and West Palm Beach.

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida sat down with reporters to talk about his new job as chairman of the Republican Party, about wooing back independents and about living in a right-of-center country. Read Q&A here.

As expected, Sen. Mel Martinez promoted Ken Lundberg to communications director.

Lundberg joined the Martinez office as press secretary in June 2005 and before that worked for U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Jacksonville.

“Ken is hard working, dedicated, and has done an outstanding job of serving the state of Florida. I look forward to his continued work in advancing my initiatives related to Everglades restoration, education, hurricane preparation and the many other issues vital to our state,” Martinez said.

Lundberg succeeds Kerry Feehery, who last week was appointed by Gov. Charlie Crist to serve as director of the executive office of the governor in Washington, D.C.

From CQ: "A forlorn effort to keep Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida from the top job at the Republican National Committee is once again illuminating a sharp divide among Republicans on immigration. Opposition is coming from a group of conservative members of the RNC who consider Martinez far too lenient on illegal immigration. They also are annoyed that Martinez would become the committee’s chief spokesman when he is not a member."

More here .

It's no suprise that Mel Martinez ranked 9th among Republican senators in voting most often with President Bush in 2006. But Florida's other senator, Bill Nelson, wasn't too far down on the list either.

Nelson ranked 7th among Democratic senators, according to Congressional Quarterly , our sister publication which compiles the annual list. He voted with Bush 60.3 percent of the time; Martinez voted with him 92.4 percent.

Among Republican House members, former Rep. Katherine Harris came in 3rd (100 percent) and Rep. Allen Boyd came in 13th among Democrats (61.5 percent)

Sen. Mel Martinez, a few weeks away from becoming Republican National Committee Chairman, acknowledged he's evading questions about Florida GOP leaders pushing for an early presidential primary. Both national parties are strongly discouraging early primaries, and Martinez may soon have to balance the desires of his state GOP with the national party he leads.

"From a national perspective I think there's going to be a good deal of reticence,'' Martinez said, while walking through the governor's mansion.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson 's foray to Syria may not have won him any accolades from the White House, but Floridians don't seem to have a problem with it.

A new Quinnipiac Poll released Thursday shows the Florida Democrat with a 51 percent approval rating, besting both Republican Sen. Mel Martinez at 42 percent and President Bush at 38 percent approval rating.

The poll also shows that Floridians love their Wal-Mart and politicians might want to be careful about bashing the retail giant.

To read the entire poll, Download quinnipiac_poll_122106.doc

Charlie Crist and Jim Davis attended a gathering of the Florida congressional delegation Friday in what was likely the first meeting between the former opponents since the election.

Crist, the state's newly elected governor and featured guest, was greeted with handshakes and pats on the back. Davis was one of 17  Florida House members who attended, along with U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez.

When Davis walked in a couple minutes late, Crist got up from his seat at the head of the table, walked over to him and shook his hand.

"Jim was a worthy opponent,'' Crist said. "It was tough and spirited campaign and I appreciate the way you comported yourself throughout it. You are a gentlemen and a great public servant."

Davis responded: "I feel the same way, Charlie. I look forward to helping you succeed." His colleagues gave his a round of applause.

Even without the Crist-Davis drama, there were several other memorable moments from the last Florida delegation meeting of the 109th Congress which is set to adjourn Friday.

* Rep. Corrine Brown trying to speak after Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart but being interrupted by his brother, Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, the next member scheduled to speak. "You think you can go next because he's your brother?" she asked. (We assume she was joking but she sure didn't sound like it and with her you just never know.) Mario Diaz-Balart let her speak.

* A late Rep. Katherine Harris standing in the hall, trying to get in through a locked door. She was able to slip in another door when Martinez left early to vote.

* Rep. C.W. Bill Young's kind words about all the departing House colleagues - Mike Bilirakis, Katherine Harris, Clay Shaw and, of course, Jim Davis. (There was no mention of former Rep. Mark Foley.) 

English First, a group active in this year's congressional immigration debate, opposes Florida Sen. Mel Martinez's bid to become the leader of the Republican National Committee.

President Bush asked Martinez to serve as RNC general chairman but he still must be voted in by members at a meeting Jan. 20.

Martinez, the first Cuban-American elected to the Senate, has been criticized for months for his stance on immigration reform which would allow many of the nation's illegal immigrants to eventually become citizens.

English First created a website to motivate the Martinez opposition.

A sampling of the conservative blogosphere on RNC Chair Mel Martinez:

Hotair.com : "Hot Air commenters agree: it’s an awful pick, transparently aimed at appealing to pro-amnesty Hispanic voters. If the GOP goes ahead and puts Boehner and Blunt back in place in the minority leadership, you’re looking at a very dire electoral situation in 2008."

Thomas on Redstate.com : "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the next best thing (by a little) to making Kevin Phillips the new RNC Chair: Bonehead Martinez. Yes, that's right, Bonehead, who with a five-point Bush win in trending-Red Florida at his back, barely managed to beat one of the more anodyne, bland Democrats to run for the Senate outside of Massachusetts; Bonehead, who managed to take a dicey political situation in the Terri Schiavo affair and make himself into a Google search result; Bonehead, who if asked to eat eggs over easy and shave at the same time, would end up with shiny whites and yolk smeared in fork-tine streaks across his face; Bonehead is going to be the RNC Chair."

Michelle Malkin : "Oh, well. Michael Steele has been passed up for Sen. Mel Martinez. Yes, a squish on border security is now the RNC chair. Has the GOP learned anything?"

Opinipundit : "One word, UGHH!"

Texas Hold 'Em : "These guys are making Howard Dean look brilliant by comparison."