Dove Outreach Church Pastor Terry Jones said this afternoon that he will cancel the Quran burning event in exchange for moving the proposed mosque from the Ground Zero location. "This has been a very, very difficult, trying time," Jones told reporters outside of his nondenominational church in Gainesville.

He said he will travel to New York to meet with the Imam on Saturday and ask him to move the mosque and "we would consider that a sign from God." More here.

Jones said he has been in contact with the Imam and "he has agreed to move the location. We felt that would be a sign that God would want us to do that....The Imam has agreed to move the mosque. We have agreed to cancel the event."

There is no confirmation that the Imam is willing to move his proposed mosque and in a statement, he said he has not spoken to Jones and will not "barter" his religion.

Jones met with the FBI for 35 minutes today, reportedly received a phone call from Defense Secretary Robert Gates and received an appeal to cancel his plans from President Barack Obama. Also Thursday, the state department issued a travel warning for Americans.

GAINESVILLE (AP) — A Christian minister in Florida is canceling plans to burn Qurans on Sept. 11, heeding an international outcry that drew criticism from President Barack Obama and religious and political leaders across the Muslim world.

A week ago, Repbulican Pam Bondi agreed to participate in two debates in the attorney general's race. But her Democratic rival Dan Gelber says two isn't enough.

Gelber is proposing seven or more debates. In a letter sent Thursday to the Bondi campaign, Gelber said "your proposal of two public debates will make it very difficult for many of the voters to learn where each of us stands on the issues." The one point of agreement is the Oct. 16 debate hosted by Bay News 9/Central Florida News 13.

"It is imperative that the people of our state have the opportunity to hear directly from my opponent and me on these important issues and be aware of the very different choices in leadership we will offer," Bondi said in a statement.

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Gov. Charlie Crist added his voice Thursday to the condemnation of a Gainesville pastor's plans to burn the Koran this weekend. "I think it's deplorable," he said at an unrelated appearance at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in St. Petersburg.

He said he had tried to reach the associate pastor at the Dove World Outreach Center to ask the church to change its plans, but that his voicemails were not returned. Crist said that kind of display "for any religion is inappropriate for anywhere in America."

But he won't exercise state power to stop it, he told reporters. "We have freedom of speech here."

Jeff Harrington, Times staff writer

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The U.S. State Department of has  issued a worldwide caution and a travel warning because of the Gainesville pastor's planned burning of the Koran. Meanwhile, as the White House considers calling Dove World Outreach Center pastor Terry Jones, more angry protests erupt in Afghanistan.

"This is obviously a serious concern to us. We believe it is something that will endanger our forces,'' said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, at a press conference today.

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Asked earlier this month about establishing a political committee to raise unfettered contributions, Alex Sink said this: "If my campaign decides to set up a 527, then the contributions will be fully transparent."

But her answer on Sept. 2 was less than transparent. State records show two days earlier, on Aug. 31, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate signed a form to solicit contributions and manage a 527 called Hold Them Accountable Inc.

The committee was established two weeks earlier by the Sink campaign's lawyer, Ron Meyer, and lists a longtime Sink family friend, Liana Fox, as the chairperson. It received one contribution -- a $500 check -- from the campaign finance chairman, Richard Swann, an Orlando lawyer.

Asked about the misleading statement, Sink spokeswoman Kyra Jennings would only say "the campaign has followed the rules."

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The Florida State Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed Democrat Alex Sink, following the endorsement earlier this year from the larger Police Benevolent Association.

The unions endorsed Attorney General Bill McCollum and Sink in the primary and both have now endorsed Sink for the general election.

"Alex Sink's support of law enforcement and public safety is unwavering, and she is the kind of honest, upstanding leader all Floridians need on their side in Tallahassee," said FOP president James Preston, in a statement.  "We know we can count on Alex to look out for the needs of law enforcement officers and to put the safety of law-abiding Floridians first. Alex Sink has been a strong advocate and loyal friend to the professional law enforcement officers who make up the FOP, and we are proud to support her."

The last time the FOP endorsed a Demcorat for governor was in 1994, when then-Gov. Lawton Chiles was running against Republican Jeb Bush. The PBA last endorsed a Democrat for governor in 1990, Chiles' first year as a candidate for governor.

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Automated Voter Survey Service poll for Sunshine State News (Sept. 1-5 and Sept. 7, margin of error +/-3 percent):

... The survey of likely voters shows Rubio with 43 percent, independent Charlie Crist with 29 percent, Democrat Kendrick Meek with 23 percent and the remaining 5 percent undecided. ...
..."Rubio’s lead at this stage in the race is due to his fairly broad appeal across the political spectrum, primarily among GOP voters and independents, the latter of which is what’s really hurting Crist," said Jim Lee, president of VSS.

"Among independents, Rubio even leads Crist narrowly, 38 percent to 36 percent," Lee said. Meek garners just 16 percent of independents.

Rubio captures a solid 70 percent of GOP voters versus just 21 percent for Crist and 6 percent for Meek, the poll reveals. Among Democrats, Meek won a modest 45 percent of the vote, with Crist at 35 percent and Rubio 14 percent.

It is worth noting that Sunshine State News has not dislosed who funds it - or its poll. Bill McCollum's campaign used to complain regularly about Sunshine State, and its poll, being in the tank for Scott, but in the end proved more accurate than others.

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Glance at the website for Republican Attorney General candidate Pam Bondi and you might think she's running for Congress. "Bondi vs. Pelosi,'' it declares, promising she will "stand up to Washington."

Likewise the Florida GOP TV ads almost sound like Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink must be running for office in Washington instead of Tallahassee: footage of President Barack Obama urging people to do "whatever it takes" to elect Sink and a grave narrator noting that Sink supported Obama's health care overhaul and stimulus package.

And Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Scott rarely misses a chance to accuse Sink of supporting Obama's "big government" agenda.

With most signs pointing to big Republican gains in the fall midterm elections, Republican strategists are determined to turn even local and state races into referendums on Obama and the Democratic Party nationally. But one of the key questions is whether the Republican tide will rise to the level of a tsunami that not only changes control over the U.S. House and Senate, but sweeps Republicans into offices up and down the ticket in Florida and across the country.

More here

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Republican Pam Bondi's campaign for attorney general touted an endorsement from the Fraternal Order of Police on Wednesday. The organization cited Bondi's 18 years as a state prosecutor. Read the full release below.

“The support of the Fraternal Order of Police is so important because I am committed to fighting criminals and protecting our families, our neighborhoods and our communities,” said Pam. “Florida’s sworn law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every single day to keep our state safe, and I am honored to be their choice as Florida's next Attorney General.”

“As an 18 year career prosecutor in the 13th Judicial Circuit and a strong advocate for justice, Pam has demonstrated a commitment to the citizens of Florida that exceeds politics as usual. We have seen firsthand her willingness to step up and fight for what is right,” said James W. Preston, President, Florida State FOP Lodge. “We are confident the experience, remarkable leadership, knowledge and work ethic she will bring to the office of Attorney General will serve our great state with integrity and honor. Florida deserves no less.”

“As a prosecutor for nearly two decades, I've worked closely with our law enforcement community to protect our state and its citizens,” said Pam. “As Florida’s Attorney General, public safety will continue to be one of my top priorities.”

Bondi spent 18 years serving the State Attorney’s Office in Hillsborough County, where she prosecuted criminals of every type, including kidnappers, murderers, gang members, drug traffickers and child predators.

The Florida FOP represents 20,000 professional law enforcement officers state-wide. The FOP is the oldest and largest organization in the nation working for law enforcement members.

A new CNN/Time poll of registered voters puts Democrat Alex Sink ahead of Republican Rick Scott in the Florida governor's race by a 7 point margin. Sink's 49 percent to 42 percent lead is built with a significant advantage among independent voters.

The poll includes "leaners" -- voters who aren't yet sold on their pick -- and is tempered by a 3.5 percent margin of error. See the full results here.

The fascinating numbers are in the cross-tabs. Sink hold the edge with support from South Florida where she tops her rival by a 62 percent to 33 percent margin (all other geographies are a dead heat or within the MOE) and among moderates where Sink leads Scott 67 percent to 24 percent (Sink wins liberals and Scott wins conservatives by similar proportions). Sink also bests Scott among those making less than $50,000 and those who live in urban areas.

The three-way U.S. Senate race is much closer: Marco Rubio 36 percent, Charlie Crist 34 percent and Kendrick Meek 24 percent. Crist pulls 44 percent of those who call themselves liberal and 21 percent of those identified as conservative.

Florida Tea Party and 9/12 members have begun a campaign to pressure Libertarian Alex Snitker to drop out of the U.S. Senate race, fearing he will strip votes from Republican Marco Rubio.

"They’re saying, 'A vote for Snitker is a vote for Crist,' " Snitker told the Buzz this afternoon. In recent days, he's gotten numerous e-mails and Facebook messages to get out of the race. He's not.

"It’s flattery," Snitker said. "They’re scared I am a true constitutional conservative, a.k.a. a libertarian, and Rubio's not."

Snitker said he has been shut out of a South Pinellas 9/12 event Sunday at Ferg's in St. Petersburg that is supposed to feature Rubio. "They know that some of those people will no longer be going for Rubio, they'll be going for me. They are looking for a regular guy, not a career politician."

One e-mail from a woman named Peg read, "We can't afford to take a chance on you and how will you feel if you are the reason we can not succeed in getting the majority we so desperately need?  It would change the course of history in this country and you would be the one we all blame."

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Both campaigns for governor in Florida are entering a new staffing-up phase for the eight-week general election sprint. Republican Rick Scott has hired Erin Isaac, Gov. Charlie Crist's former communications director, to handle media relations for Scott's running mate, Rep. Jennifer Carroll. Scott spokeswoman Jen Baker says the Scott campaign has also hired Bettina Inclan, a communications and political strategist who most recently was press secretary for Steve Poizner, a candidate for governor in California.

Inclan is a Miami native with experience in Hispanic political issues and is a former deputy press secretary to U.S. Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Miami.

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In response to Democrat Alex Sink's announcement that she and her husband will release their individual tax returns for the past five years, Republican Rick Scott's campaign said that he and his wife intend to do the same.

Sink said her returns will be available online next week. Scott plans to release them as soon as possible, said Jennifer Baker, Scott spokeswoman.

"Our intention has always been to release them, and we will release them shortly,'' Baker said.

Scott's campaign was first asked to release his tax returns on June 17, when his Republican primary opponent, Attorney General Bill McCollum, urged him to release them. Baker said they promised to release their returns at that time, but "Bill McCollum didn't release his and it got lost in the day to day issues of the campaign."

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Rick Scott just sent this statement regarding plans to burn dozens of Korans on the anniversary of 9/11 at a Gainesville church: “As an outsider fighting to turn our state around, my priority remains focused on creating jobs and getting Florida moving again. But, as the anniversary of the September 11th attacks approaches, anyone who seeks to lead this state has an obligation to speak out on an entirely different matter.

The eyes of the nation have turned to Florida and a small group here that plans to burn the Koran on September 11th. I sincerely ask the organizers to stop, reflect and change their plans.

I agree with General Petraeus. This kind of provocation is deeply wrong and even dangerous.

As this situation unfolds, Floridians of all faiths should come together and say this provocation doesn’t reflect the values of our great state.”

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On Oct. 11, President Obama will travel to Florida where he will attend a fundraiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Coral Gables, an administration official confirmed to the Buzz today. More details will be released at a later date.

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Rumors quickly spread this morning that U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was bucking his party and endorsing no party candidate Charlie Crist for the U.S. Senate. Not true, says PolitiFact. Read what happened here.

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