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 …

CNN Poll: Which candidate cares more about you?  —  Tampa (CNN) - A new national survey illustrates the challenge Mitt Romney faces at the Republican convention as the GOP presidential challenger gets re-introduced to the American public.  —  While a CNN/ORC International poll indicates …

Romney Touts Romneycare: I'm The Guy That Got ‘Health Care For All The Women And Men In My State’  —  Just two weeks after a Romney spokesperson faced a barrage of conservative criticism for highlighting the success of the governor's Massachusetts health care law, Romney himself bragged …

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.”

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 …

NEWS FLASH  —  ALLEN WEST: OBAMA IS ‘SERVING UP A CRAP SANDWICH WITH A SMILE’ |  During an appearance on Fox News on Saturday morning, Rep. Allen West (R-FL) accused Obama of serving up a “crap sandwich.”  “Let's be very honest and let's put this in military vernacular …

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 …

O'Malley dismisses GOP as a ‘party of exclusion’  —  Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley said on Sunday the Republican presidential ticket will be sending “not-so-subtly coded messages” to white voters as the campaign continues.  —  “When you have a party that says coded things …

Dispatch Poll results: Tight races put undecided voters in control  —  10 percent up for grabs in presidential race; Senate struggle has 12 percent of wiggle room  —  The closest Dispatch Poll in modern history shows the races for president and U.S. Senate in a dead heat in battleground Ohio.

Paul: I don't fully endorse Romney  —  In an interview with the New York Times, Ron Paul details the ask from GOP officials in return for a convention speaking slot, and explains why he declined. … Paul's refusal to play ball stands in contrast to his son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul …

Despite working-class image, Ryan comes from family of wealth  —  Paul Ryan was born into one of the most prominent families in Janesville, Wis., and his rise to political power and financial stability was boosted by family money and connections.  —  Paul Ryan, speaking in Ohio …

Romney Adopts Harder Message for Last Stretch  —  TAMPA, Fla. — Mitt Romney is heading into his nominating convention with his advisers convinced he needs a more combative footing against President Obama in order to appeal to white, working-class voters and to persuade them that he is the best answer to their economic frustrations.

Romney defends Swiss bank account  —  Mitt Romney defended his foreign investments in an interview aired Sunday, noting that his personal finances have followed all U.S. laws and he got no special tax savings from a Swiss bank account.  —  “Well, first of all, there was no reduction …

Obama: Neil Armstrong ‘among the greatest of American heroes’  —  President Obama on Saturday mourned the passing of Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.  —  Armstrong died on Saturday at the age of 82.  —  Obama praised Armstrong “as among the greatest of American heroes …