When Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink came out in favor yesterday of continuing the Bush-era federal tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, Sink’s campaign clarified that she was advocating for an extension only, “not to make them permanent.”

But Sink took a different stance today on MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown,” where she told interviewer Chuck Todd that “I think that they should most likely be permanently extended, because they’re all about support for small businesses and we don’t need anything that’s going to inhibit our ability to increase jobs here in Florida.”

Watch the full interview here.

A new Time/CNN poll shows Marco Rubio with a narrow lead—statistically a tie—in the Florida U.S. Senate race, and Alex Sink with a statistically significant lead over Rick Scott in the governor’s race.

The numbers:

—In the Senate race, Rubio 36 percent, Charlie Crist 34, Kendrick Meek 24 percent, and 6 percent neither or no opinion.
—In the governor’s race, Sink 49 percent, Scott 42 percent and 9 percent neither or no opinion.

The poll, which included registered voters as opposed to likely voters, carries a 3.5 percent error margin.

The poll found Meek with a significant lead among non-white voters in the Senate race, and with more than half the Democrats in the sample. Crist got 36 percent of Democrats.

In the governor’s race, Sink got nearly all her margin from a significant lead among women voters, while Scott nearly tied her among men voters.

The findings among sub-groups carry larger error margins.

The state Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed Tampa Republican Pam Bondi for Florida attorney general. 

Bondi, a career prosecutor in the Hillsborough County state attorney’s office, faces state Sen. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, in what is expected to be one of the most competitive races on the November ballot.

The Florida lodge of the FOP represents 20,000 active and retired law officers.

Bondi said she was honored by the endorsement, and Florida Lodge FOP President James Preston said the decision to endorse Bondi was unanimous.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott announced today that he has agreed to participate in two statewide televised debates with Democratic candidate Alex Sink, who is still calling for five.

From the Scott campaign’s announcement:
“Rick looks forward to debating the issues important to Floridians. People deserve to know that there is a clear choice between an outsider and successful businessman with a proven track record of creating jobs, balancing budgets and a Tallahassee insider and Obama liberal who supports job killing policies and as Chief Financial Officer has presided over historic job loss, increased insurance premiums and mismanaged pension trusts,” said spokesman Jen Baker.

The second debate will be held on Monday, October 25th at the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus and is sponsored by the St. Petersburg Times and CNN. The debate will be broadcasted statewide through CNN affiliates and hosted by CNN anchor John King.

Sink has not yet agreed to the CNN debate, which spokeswoman Kyra Jennings said the candidate is “open to considering.” But Jennings also noted that the event is scheduled for the same day as a statewide NBC debate to which Sink has already agreed.

Jennings added: “It is unfortunate that Rick Scott wants to significantly limit the number of debates, and hide his record from the people of Florida.  We hope that Rick Scott will agree to do five statewide televised debates as Alex Sink has called for, and will release his tax returns so the people of Florida can compare the candidates’ background and plans for our state.”

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