The great state of Florida happens to have not one but two self-financed billionaire political novices running in primaries for top offices this year. Both are challenging veteran politicians with long histories in the state, and according to a new Quinnipiac poll, both have a double-digit lead over their opponents.

The latest PPP poll (PDF) shows Florida Gov. Charlie Crist holding on to his modest plurality in his independent bid for the United States Senate. Republican Marco Rubio comes in second, and the official Democrat is stuck in the teens.

The competitive three-way race for the open Florida Senate seat has some interesting new developments. Republican Marco Rubio is boasting impressive fund-raising numbers, pulling in more than $4.5 million in the second quarter, and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is pushing to place an offshore-drilling ban on the ballot.

46 percent of those surveyed are enthusiastic or comfortable voting for a candidate who is independent and is not affiliated with either political party, while only 23 percent have reservations or would be uncomfortable with it.

Kendrick Meek is now saying that “when I become the nominee, the Democratic nominee, I will be the only pro-choice candidate on the ballot.”

It’s great to hear his enthusiasm for abortion rights, but I have to wonder where Meek’s commitment was last year when he joined with four pro-life Democrats to demand restrictions on insurance coverage for abortion services in the health care bill?

This is not a great time to be a Republican establishment candidate for Senate–even if you’re already a Senator. Voters are dissing old-school officeholders in favor of insurgents whose allegiances rhyme with “me.”

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, running for Senate as an independent, holds a narrow lead in a three-way race. How he’ll fare depends partly on which Democrat will be his opponent. An Aug, 24 primary will decide that.

We’ll have to see how it develops, but the muck is flying in Florida.

Even though he is now running as an independent, Crist still desperately seeks the Tea Party vote through his line item veto of $9.7 million in funding for health care of uninsured Floridians.

In the midst of the unfolding BP oil spill nightmare, two Senators will release a “climate change” bill that potentially expands the practice of offshore drilling. But it will include new protections allowing states to cancel out domestic production that could impact their shores.