SOME INTERESTING NOTES FROM THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL...

--- Alex Sink, the Democratic nominee for state Chief Financial Officer, received the endorsement Monday of the Associated Builders & Contractors of Florida. That is an very interesting decision from the group, as it usually endorses Republicans in statewide races --- it also endorsed Charlie Crist for governor and Bill McCollum for attorney general --- but especially because Sink's opponent, Senate President Tom Lee, is one of them (he's a builder)!

The organization represents 1850 contractors and subcontractors across Florida, employing more than 100,000 men and women.

--- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis received two endorsements Monday. The 33,000 member Sierra Club, which backed Davis in the primary, announced that it would support him in the general election as well. Curt Levine, the organization's political director, did acknowledge that Charlie Crist also had a good record on enviromential issues and that some were encouraging the group to endorse both he and Davis.

And Democratic State Senator Al Lawson of Tallahassee said that he was backing Davis. Not a great surprise, but some have begun to speculate that the long time legislator was looking for an appointed position after the election.

--- Speaking of Davis, he and State Senator Rod Smith will appear together for the first time since before their primary election this morning in Tallahassee with Florida Democratic Party chairwoman Karen Thurman. We all know that the latter days of the primary turned somewhat ugly, and that a lot of talk was generated by Smith's not appearing with Davis in a show of party unity. The fact is that the legislator from Alachua simply chose family first, vacationing with his wife and kids in the Carolinas before returning to his Gainesville law practice.

--- Don't expect a legislative special session before the November election. That's according to State Senator J.D. Alexander (R - Lake Wales), who told the Miami Herald that "I think it would be a total zoo to do it before the election''. There have been rumours that Governor Jeb Bush would call the Legislature back to Tallahassee to deal with the insurance issue, but Alexander says look for it to happen after the election, but before year's end. With the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays looming soon after the November 7 election date, lawmakers will be under pressure to get the job done and get home.