Florida Gov. Charlie Crist today gave his stamp of approval to a possible U.S. Senate run for former governor 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

Asked if she will run for Mel Martinez soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat, State Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink said "I don't know."

Is she seriously considering it? "Of course. Shouldn't I?" Sink said. She said she'd decide sometime after the New Year and news of former Gov. Jeb Bush considering a run wouldn't be a big factor.

"The decision for me will be a very personal decision," Sink said, walking back to her office Thursday afternoon after having lunch at Andrew's Capital Grill & Bar.

If Sink and Bush decide to run, it'll be personal. Sink's husband, Bill McBride, was beaten badly in 2002 in his run against Bush, who won by about 13 percentage points.

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Graham of Florida is back in the news as co-chairman of a congressionally mandated commission on weapons of mass destruction and terrorism, which released its report on threats and recommendations this week.

Graham, 72, a Democrat, is past chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and is serving as a senior adviser on intelligence matters to President-elect Barack Obama. But he says he has had no discussions about taking a job in the administration, such as CIA director or the White House director of national intelligence.

Asked if he'd consider such a post, Graham tells Buzz, "Well, I never say never, but I'm enjoying what I'm doing, and right now I'm going to be busy (into the next year) shopping this WMD report."

You can find a copy of the bipartisan WMD commission's report here.

For a St. Petersburg Times Q&A with Graham after he and the commission's other co-chairman, former Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., briefed President Bush and Vice President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday, go here.

And, FYI, Graham says he has no interest in running for that Senate seat being vacated in 2010 by Republican Mel Martinez.

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Progress Florida, a liberal advocacy group in Tallahassee, is trying to ratchet up the heat on House Speaker Ray Sansom, asking in an online poll if the House Speaker should be censured, step down as speaker or give up his "sweetheart" job at Northwest Florida State College.

"On the same day Ray Sansom (R-Destin) was named the new Speaker of the Florida House it was announced he would be drawing a six-figure salary from Northwest Florida State College (formerly Okaloosa-Walton Community College)," the poll reads. "And get this: Earlier this year, in the midst of a state budget crisis, Sansom steered $25-million to the college even though officials only requested $1-million." The St. Petersburg Times story on this issue is here.

Also, Sansom's home paper, the Northwest Florida Daily News, has a biting editorial today. "The Destin Republican deserves every bit of the grief he's getting. After having pushed for more transparency in colleges' decision-making, Rep. Sansom should have known better than to cut a deal with Dr. Richburg outside the public eye - especially a deal that's so outlandishly lucrative. A part-time job at $110,000? No wonder people are angry."

The St. Petersburg Times has another editorial on the situtation, calling for Sasnsom to quit the college. Read it here.

He's tanned, rested and ready. But two years out of the Governor's Mansion, can Jeb Bush, Florida's my-way-or-the-highway ex-CEO, really see himself in the "world's greatest deliberative body," plodding through slow-going compromises with 99 other U.S. senators?

"It was a shocker to me,'' said former state Republican chairman Tom Slade. "He has always been incredibly clear about his negative feelings about being in the United States Senate. But make no mistake, he is the 800-pound gorilla in Florida."

For all of Bush's derision of Washington politics over the years, longtime friends say he is seriously looking at running because of the times and the mess his party is in. Bush, 55, sees a directionless Republican Party struggling for a consistent message and a set of core beliefs. No one has ever questioned Bush's core, conservative principles.

Story here.

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At a holiday reception for the press corps Wednesday night, Gov. Charlie Crist announced that he will allow a "pool" reporter to cover his wedding to Carole Rome next Friday. He chose Lucy Morgan of the St. Petersburg Times, one of a number of reporters pressing for access to the wedding and for the list of invitees.

After mentioning Morgan, Crist said: "Maybe I let the cat out of the bag. So be it. We're open around here." Crist and his staff are trying to balance their desire for privacy with media interest in the wedding -- the first time a sitting Florida governor will be married since Claude Kirk in 1967. In a pool arrangement, a reporter observes for all news organizations, including competitors.

Crist has declined to release the guest list, calling it "private," and has expressed discomfort with appearing to hurt the feelings of those not invited. "This is a small reception with close friends and family," Crist said, acknowledging that some invitees are lobbyists who seek to influence him.

At the reception, Crist and Rome welcomed reporters, editors and state agency communications staffers in the foyer of the Governor's Mansion. In brief remarks, with most of the capital press in the room, he singled out communications director Erin Isaac. "She works incredibly hard. I'm very blessed to have you in this administration, Erin. Thanks for not going anywhere," Crist said.

He said he was "blessed" to have found Rome, adding of his wedding: "In just nine days, it gets consummated in a very formal way in my hometown of St. Petersburg, and I'm looking forward to it."

-- Steve Bousquet and Marc Caputo

Two Tampa Bay area legislators were fined by the Florida Elections Commission for violating election law in their campaigns.

Sen. Charlie Justice, D-St. Petersburg, has to pay $1,000 after the FEC found that he violated the $500 limit on donations from a single company in each election. An investigation showed his campaign accepted two $500 checks from Humana before the 2006 primary. The campaign disputed another complaint that it willingly accepted contributions beyond the limit from Plumbers Local Union #519 PAC. The commission agreed and did not fine Justice on that count.

"We cooperated with the commission," Justice said, adding he's already paid the fine. "There was a mistake."

Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, was fined $750 after a complaint that he published an ad for a fundraiser that didn't include a disclaimer. State law requires that advertisements say that the purchase of tickets or contributions made at the fundraiser were contributions to the campaign. The complaint also alleges that his political advertisements didn't include a disclaimer saying that the ads were paid for by his campaign. The commission noted that it considers the allegation a minor violation.

-- Stephanie Garry, Times Staff Writer

When asked whether he'd consider running for U.S. Senate in 2010, Gov. Charlie Crist said he "loved" being governor and he was mostly thinking about his upcoming wedding.

When asked about the possibility of Gov. Jeb Bush running for U.S. Senate, Crist said: "We'll see what develops. I imagine a lot of people will have interest. Time will tell. These things usually take a lot of things to sort out," Crist said.

"He's a great Floridian," he added.

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From Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer: "Speaker Sansom is fully qualified for his position at Northwest Florida State College. Members of the Florida Legislature receive minimal compensation for their service, requiring all members to have additional employment. Before Chairman Thurman starts giving out employment advice, she should consider where her own paychecks come from."

UPDATE: Sansom responds: "The elections are over, but the partisan political attacks never stop. Floridians want us to concentrate on recharging the state’s economy and balancing the budget. That’s where our focus is."

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UPDATE! Check out the official committee assignments here.

Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, will be the new Senate Ways and Means Committee chairman, putting the Polk County citrus grower in charge of the budget in what's expected to be an exceedingly tight two years.

Senate President Jeff Atwater has not officially announced his choices. But as in past cycles, the decisions are circulating among lobbyists, staffers and others who closely follow the process. Senators who currently chair other key spending committees (Sen. Durell Peaden on health and human services, Sen. Steve Wise at preK-12 schools, Sen. Evelyn Lynn at higher education, Sen. Mike Fasano on transportation and economic development and Sen. Victor Crist on civil and criminal justice) will all remain in their current posts over the next two years, The Buzz has learned.

Sen. Mike Haridopolos, R-Indialantic, will head the Senate Governmental Operations Committee and will direct the upcoming reapportionment process. (He is seeking the Senate presidency in 2010.)

Steve Bousquet and Alex Leary, Times staff writers

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Andy Palmer has been selected by Rep. Dean Cannon as the new director of House campaigns for the Republican Party of Florida. He replaces Chip Case, who will move into general campaign consulting and lobbying.

"An experienced manager who understands Florida politics, Andy has the integrity, professionalism and skill to successfully manage our 2010 re-election campaign efforts," said Cannon, who will assume responsibility for House campaigns in January 2009 and who is next in line to be speaker of the chamber.

Palmer is a former executive director of the Republican Party of Florida. In 2004, he served as the 72-hour director for the Republican National Committee, overseeing the get-out-the-vote effort. Most recently, he served as a senior consultant to Congressman-elect Tom Rooney and helped him win a hotly contested primary election and go on to unseat incumbent Democrat Congressman Tim Mahoney, who was embroiled in a sex scandal. Andy also has extensive experience working on House campaigns in Florida.

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Florida Democratic Party chairwoman Karen Thurman issued a statement today saying Ray Sansom should step down from his position with Northwest Florida State College or as speaker of the Florida House.

"In response to our state's economic crisis and ballooning deficits, the Republican leaders in the Legislature, including Speaker Ray Sansom, have said that Floridians need to 'tighten their belts' and make sacrifices to justify their massive cuts to education, health care and public safety, as well as raising tuition rates on Florida's college students by as much as 15 percent. With media outlets across Florida reporting that our state was forced to cut more than $4-billion from education, health care and public safety programs, Sansom delivered more than $25-million in additional funds to Northwest Florida State College. Less than a year later, Northwest Florida State College hired Sansom for a $110,000 a year, part-time job.

"The appearance of impropriety is too great for Ray Sansom to as remain speaker and keep his job with  Northwest Florida State College; therefore it is only appropriate for him to resign from one or both jobs. In doing so, Sansom can lead by example in these tough times."

In an interview this week with the Times, Sansom said he has no intention of leaving the college. The top Democrat in the House, Rep. Franklin Sands, declined to comment on the matter Monday.

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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."

Barack Obama is expected to name someone to a new White House position to coordinate efforts to prevent nuclear and biological weapon proliferation.  Who better than former Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Bob Graham? Graham helped lead the bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism, which has a sobering new report out.

"The consequences of a biological attack are almost beyond comprehension. It would be 9/11 times 10 or a hundred in terms of the number of people who would be killed," Graham said on CNN, suggesting Pakistan looks like a prime source for trouble: "Pakistan is the intersection of the perfect storm. Terrorists occupy its northwest territories. It has had a history of proliferating nuclear materials. It is the sixth or seventh largest nuclear state in the world. It has an unstable government. It has a very -- to use the word acrimonious is an understatement -- relationship with India. It is the potential bombshell where terrorism and weapons of mass destruction will intersect."

In a brief and wide-ranging chat with Gov. Charlie Crist, he seemed cool not just to running for the Senate again, but to almost any question the press asked. Here's a transcript:

Q: Do you like the sound of Sen. Charlie Crist?

“I ran for it once. I sure like Gov. Charlie Crist thanks to the people of Florida.”

Q: This could be a messy Republican primary, with Allan Bense, Marco Rubio and even Jeb Bush (though he’s temperamentally not hard-wired for a legislative body) looking interested. Anything you will do to clear the field?

A: “I believe in democracy as you know. I look forward to the opportunity to consult with Sen. Martinez. And see what his desires are, if he has any advice or counsel along those lines.”

Q: Why did Mel Martinez say he was stepping down?

A: “It’s for his family.”

Q: What are the chances a Republican can win in this purple state?

A: “The chances are good. It all depends, obviously, on who the candidate is. That’s probably more important in Florida than in a lot of states. But Florida has proven time and time again that she votes the person and not the party.”

Q: Preference: Bense or Rubio?

A: “No”

Q: In a letter today to Barack Obama, you suggested all 4.8-million Floridians ‘will’ get affordable health insurance when it’s no guarantee.

A: “There was caveat language in it: Choice, opportunity.” (Not quite)

Q: You said there was a $6B deficit. Revenue estimators say $7 billion. Is there any reason for the discrepancy?

A: No. Six was the number we got from Jerry (McDaniel the budget director)

Q: You said we’re “creating” 38,000 new jobs. Yet the last job-loss figures don’t show this. Why?

A: “Creating versus. Created.”

Q: So we’re creating?

A: “Hopefully”

Q: How about the idea that $1.4B is “pumping” through the economy. It hasn’t happened yet?

A: “No. We’re still rolling it out.”

Q: Do you support Sen. Nan Rich’s bill banning the ban on gay adoptions?

A: I’d have to see the full language on it, but I feel the same way as I have before.

Q: What is that?

A: The way I felt before. You going to come to the (Christmas) tree lighting?

Q: Yes. How about bestiality (also a Nan Rich bill). Should it be banned in Florida?

A: I think it is.

Q: It’s not.

Answer from spokeswoman Erin Isaac: And on that note, we'll see you at the mansion.

--Marc Caputo

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The most popular Florida Senate Committee this year? Regulated Industries, by a landslide.

More than half of the Florida Senate asked to be appointed to Regulated Industries this year, which shapes policy on gambling, horse racing, beer and wine. A full 22 senators, including 12 Republicans and 10 Democrats, asked to be on Regulated Industries, and 15 senators ranked it within their top five choices.

It has always been a lucrative committee for lawmakers, who can rake in big contributions from deep-pocketed industries. But it's probably even more popular in this tight budget year, especially with the possible expansion of gambling looming as a hot topic.

The other surprisingly hot committee was Transportation and Economic Development Appropriations, with many Tampa Bay and Orlando lawmakers ranking it within their top three choices. Sens. Paula Dockery, Mike Fasano and Tony Hill all ranked it their top choice. Buzz smells CSX (choo-choo!).

One committee not as popular this year is Children and Families, with only six lawmakers raising their hand to be on it.

Sens. Ken Pruitt, Don Gaetz and Mike Haridopolos didn't give any preferences; all three said they would go wherever Senate President Jeff Atwater needed them.

By contrast, Sen. Victor Crist noted in his preferences that "I need Mondays & Fridays in the district." But he asked to again chair criminal justice appropriations, which meets extensively during the last weeks of session.

Sen. Evelyn Lynn asked the question many are wondering: How much power will the rules committee have this year? She wrote she "really wants rules if it will be a decision making committee determining which bills will be heard on the floor."

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Former House Speaker Allan Bense, R-Panama City, who was recruited to run for the Senate in 2006 but said his legislative duties were first priority, is interested.

"Mel Martinez has been a wonderful U.S. senator, and he's a good friend of mine. I'm sorry to see him step down. Like other Republicans and Democrats, I'm going to consider running. I'm going to take a look at it for the next three or five weeks. I think our country needs more business people in elected office, especially in these times today."

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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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Sen. Don Gaetz has been appointed to chair the Senate Select Committee on Florida's Economy. Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, is the vice chairman.

Other panel members include Republican Sens. J.D. Alexander, Mike Haridopolos, Ken Pruitt, Jim King and Mike Bennett. Democratic Sens. Dan Gelber, Tony Hill and Eleanor Sobel were also appointed.

He also lays out exactly what he'd like the committee to accomplish. Read it here.

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