On Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott called for cutting $400 million in taxes and fees as he looks to roll back a motor vehicle registration fee enacted in 2009 by then-Gov. Charlie Crist. Despite being a Democrat for only a year, Crist is the favorite for his new partys nomination to challenge Scott in 2014 even though he spent most of his political career with the Republicans.

Sounds like U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., will vote against the federal budget deal crafted by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. DeSantis posted his problems with the agreement on Facebook on Thursday:

Democrat William Rankin's campaign for chief financial officer has all the excitement of a dud firecracker. In the whole of November Rankin brought in $151. Which at least is six times more than his October harvest of 25 bucks. As much as Democrats are looking for a worthy challenger to take on CFO Jeff Atwater, their donors are probably discovering Rankin -- whose claims about himself are off the charts -- isn't the one.

Former U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., announced on Thursday that he would head out to Arkansas in the new year to help campaign for U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who is running against U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark. A poll released this week shows Tom leading liberal Democrat Mark Pryor, 48 percent to 41 percent, in the U.S. Senate race in Arkansas, West informed supporters on Thursday. This poll also shows Tom leading among Independents by 21 points and women by 4 points.

Despite President Barack Obama shaking the hand of communist tyrant Raul Castro at Nelson Mandelas funeral, a new poll shows Americans are not expecting relations with Cuba to improve over the next year. Rasmussen Reports released a poll on Thursday which finds that a majority of likely voters -- 54 percent -- do not expect relations between the two nations to change much in the next year. While 10 percent think things will worsen, 17 percent believe relations will improve in 2014.Almost a fifth of those surveyed -- 18 percent -- are undecided.

"The Choice is Right", according to David Jolly's campaign, and anyone who's watched "ThePriceIs Right" will recognize David Jolly's latest celebrity supporter as former host of the show, Bob Barker, who will be appearing in a 30-second campaign ad that will run on local station WTSP Thursday during "The Price is Right." During the ad, Barkersays:

Common Core State Standards, which are set to be fully implemented in many states by the 2014-2015 school year, seem to be meeting more and more opposition as the days go by. A new documentary called "Building the Machine" is slated to be released in February. The three-minute preview of the 30-minute film paints a picture of a secretive process of developing the standards in which contributors were asked not to discuss what took place in the meeting to create Common Core.

From his perch on the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., ripped the decision of President Barack Obama to shake Cuban Communist dictator Raul Castros hand at the funeral of Nelson Mandela.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues to showcase his opposition to the federal budget deal crafted by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis. Rubio appeared on Megyn Kellys show on Fox News on Wednesday and slammed the deal, saying it will only increase federal spending.

The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) has been focusing on attacking former Gov. Charlie Crist -- the favorite for the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Rick Scott next year despite spending most of his political career as a Republican -- on President Barack Obamas federal health-care law. Thursday proved no different as Lenny Curry, the chairman of the RPOF, hit Crist on Obamacare.

U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., said on Wednesday he would support the budget agreement reached by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, Wis.Crenshaw, the chairman of the House Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, said the agreement would help reduce the deficit.

Ed Moore, the president of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF), was named to the Irish Education 100, a group that honors Irish-American educators. Moore will be recognized at an event in New York City next week. I am extremely honored to be included among the top education leaders nominated for the 2013 Irish Education 100, said Moore on Wednesday. This distinction pays tribute to both my Irish heritage and my unwavering passion for working toward success for students in Floridas independent institutions of higher learning.

On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott said Department of Children and Families (DCF) Interim Secretary Esther Jacobo will stay at her post until at least the end of the 2014 legislative session.

The U.S. House voted on Tuesday to pass a bill consolidating federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility leases, including in Pasco County. The bill won the support of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., the vice chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

Pope Francis was named Time Magazines "Person of the Year on Wednesday and a new poll finds Americans have a good opinion of him.