Former Gov. Charlie Crist: Here's why I'm backing Barack Obama  —  I've studied, admired and gotten to know a lot of leaders in my life.  Across Florida, in Washington and around the country, I've watched the failure of those who favor extreme rhetoric over sensible compromise …

Hurricane impending, Republicans cancel first day of convention  —  Updated 7:10 p.m. - TAMPA, Fla. — Republicans announced Saturday that they had effectively canceled the first day of its convention for safety concerns associated with an impending hurricane.

NYT's Abramson rebuts Brisbane charge  —  The executive editor of the New York Times is disputing an accusation of liberal bias made by her very own public editor, Arthur Brisbane.  —  In his final column for the Times, Brisbane wrote that his fellow staffers “share a kind of political …

Neil Armstrong |  1930-2012: Neil Armstrong, First Man on Moon, Dies at 82  —  Neil Armstrong, who made the “giant leap for mankind” as the first human to set foot on the moon, died on Saturday.  He was 82.  —  His family said in a statement that the cause was “complications resulting from cardiovascular procedures.”

Romney pulls '08 clip for Medicare pushback  —  It's the weekend before a political convention in Florida and both presidential campaigns are escalating the air war over — what else?  — Medicare.  —  After the Obama campaign released its second attack ad yesterday accusing Mitt Romney …

So, Mitt, what do you really believe?  —  Too much about the Republican candidate for the presidency is far too mysterious  —  WHEN Mitt Romney was governor of liberal Massachusetts, he supported abortion, gun control, tackling climate change and a requirement that everyone should buy health insurance …

Jeb Bush: GOP ‘Needs To Change... Reach Out To A Much Broader Audience Than We Do Today’  —  This morning on NBC, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush delivered a pointed critique of the modern Republican party.  Bush acknowledged that that the GOP “needs to change” and “reach out to a much broader audience.”

The NYPD Explains Why Their Bullets Wounded Nine People Yesterday  —  It's official.  The New York Police Department have admitted that all nine people wounded yesterday in the Empire State Building shootout were from bullets they fired at Jeffrey Johnson.  —  CNN's David Ariosto reports …

That's the message in the skies above today's Romney/Ryan rally in Powell, [Oiho] Ohio.  Courtesy of Jan Crawford at CBS News, here's a banner ad that's being flown overhead:  —  Maeve Reston at the LA Times says MoveOn.org is responsible for this.  That makes sense, because they're super-smart.

Missouri conservatives rally to Akin, blast Republican “establishment”  —  (Reuters) - Missouri conservatives say they are rallying around U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin despite his controversial comments about rape because they are outraged that “establishment” Republican Party leaders tried to railroad him out of the race.