Former House Speaker and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio is going after Gov. Charlie Crist, running for the Senate as an independent. In a recent CNN appearance, Rubio ripped into Crist, saying the governor was more concerned with press appearances and publicity than actually pressing the Obama administration to solve the continued problems resulting from the oil spill in the Gulf. During the same CNN appearance, Rubio said that with America’s continued dependency on foreign oil, offshore drilling remained a policy option, despite the spill … Democratic congressional candidate Joe Garcia, running for the seat that U.S. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart is vacating, will be on the campaign trail on Sunday, speaking at the Elks Lodge in South Miami … Micky Dolenz of the 60’s rock band The Monkees was in Washington on Wednesday urging the passage of the Performance Rights Act, a measure reforming royalties that artists earn when their music is played on the radio. He performed the classic Monkees song “I’m a Believer” with two Florida congressmen helping him out -- U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney on drums and newly elected U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch on keyboard …

Think the Interstate 4 corridor is decisive territory in Florida politics? Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott does. Of the $16 million his campaign has spent so far, Scott put $7 million of that into ad buys in Tampa and Orlando … Attorney General Bill McCollum has spent $1.8 million in ad buys, with more than $1.1 million of that going into the Tampa and Orlando markets … Independent gubernatorial candidate Bud Chiles hit Miami on Friday, visiting community organizations including the Thelma Gibson Health Initiative, the St. Albans Child Enrichment Center and the Frankie Shannon Rolle Neighborhood Service Center … Looking for more signs that the Democratic establishment is hopping off the bandwagon for U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek's campaign for the U.S. Senate? Jeff Lieser, who had been part of state CFO and current Democratic gubernatorial favorite Alex Sink's fund-raising team in 2006, is jumping ship. The Tampa attorney is now leading efforts in Crist's independent U.S. Senate campaign to raise money from Democratic donors ...