No wonder a candidate doesn't want to be called a "liberal," or see his name linked to the "tea party." According to a Rasmussen Reports 1,000-likely-voter poll, voters across the nation still see those as the two most negative political labels. Of the two, the "tea party" label is considered the worse, with 44 percent of those polled in a telephone survey calling the t-words bad news; 26 percent say they're positive words; another 26 percent think of them as somewhere in between.

A day after the only debate in Floridas U.S. Senate contest, and with less than three weeks until Election Day to set anything up, Jeff Cohen, campaign manager for Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers, sent a letter today to the campaign of U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando, seeking more face-to-face contests.. There was no immediate response from the Nelson campaign. October 18, 2012 Mr. Pete MitchellCampaign Manager

Florida recognized seven businesses for being exceptional employers of people with disabilities on Thursday. Employment is one of my top priorities, as most people know, and that includes people with disabilities, Gov. Rick Scott stated in a release. I am happy to see so many businesses that are inclusive of all individuals in their companys work force. There is always an opportunity to be more inclusive. I hope additional companies will follow suit and be open to considering all people who can compete for a position.

The campaign team for U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers, announced its post-debate spin room team for tonight at Nova Southeastern University in Davie:Al Cardenas, chairman of the American Conservative Union, former chairman of the Republican Party of FloridaU.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs CommitteeLenny Curry, chairman of Republican Party of FloridaColonel Mike McCalister, retired, United States Army

A day after highlighting that openings in STEM related jobs in Florida are up online, the Governors Office noted that the number of positions to be filled have grown 15.1 percent in the past year.A release from the state Department of Economic Opportunity, emailed out from the Governors Office on Wednesday, noted that there were 368,575 jobs posted online in September, up 35,277 from the same period in 2011.

Voters will get a chance to see the one time that longtime U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando, has agreed to sit with his Republican challenger, Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers -- tonight (Oct. 17) at 7 p.m. The televised forum being held at Nova Southeastern University in Davie comes as a new Rasmussen Reports poll on Monday showed the race tightening into a 46-45 contest, with Nelson holding the edge.

In conjunction with Voter Survey Service (VSS) of Harrisburg, Pa., Sunshine State News will release survey results and analyses in two of Florida's most fiercely contested congressional races on Thursday and Friday VSS, a division of Susquehana Polling and Research Inc., is the same firm that in 2010 conducted some of the most accurate polls taken of races in the Florida primary and general election. Thursday's Sunshine State News Poll offers a snapshot of the CD 22 race between Democrat Lois Frankel and Republican Adam Hasner.

Unless there is some upheaval by voters in the next two election cycles, Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St.Petersburg, will be running for minority leader rather than House speaker as he was technically required to declare. In an Oct. 11 letter to House Clerk Bob Ward, Rouson, a former Pinellas County prosecutor, formally announced his "intention to stand for election as speaker for the 2014-2016 term."

State Rep. Perry Thurston (D-Plantation), the incoming House Democratic Leader, issued an "Open Letter to Floridians" Monday regarding Floridas judiciary. In the letter, Thurston urges Floridians to vote no on Floridas Amendment 5,andyes to retaining Florida Supreme Court justices Barbara Pariente, R. Fred Lewis, and Peggy Quince.

Libertarian stalwart and tea party godfather Congressman Ron Paul of Texas has endorsed Dr. Ted Yoho, Republican nominee for North Central Floridas 3rdCongressional District. Ted Yoho is one of 11 House candidates across the United States to be endorsed by Paul. I endorse Ted Yoho for Floridas 3rdDistrict. His commitment to the Constitution and individual liberties is exactly what we need more of in the House, said Congressman Paul. Yoho thanked Dr. Paul for his support.

Identified by the Cato Institute and the Wall Street Journal last week as one of the top governors in the country for his tax reform policies and fiscal stewardship, Florida Gov. Rick Scott apparently caught the attention of the national media. Gov. Rick Scott will be in New York on Monday meeting with members of the media.

Bob Crowder, the Martin County sheriff who lost to Allen West in the District 18 Republican congressional primary, is going to back the Democrat in the general election, Patrick Murphy. Well, sort of. It's actually his wife Debbie who stepped out in front of her husband and released the statement. "While he was unable to compete against West's millions in out-of-state tea party money ...Bob was committed to giving Republican voters a choice in the primary, rather than letting the party dictate who our representative would be," she said.

Gov. Rick Scott has ordered state and national flags at half-staff outside the Broward County Courthouse, Coral Spring City Hall and Florida Capitol on Monday, Oct. 15 in honor of Warrant Officer Joseph L. Schiro. Schiro, 27 of Coral Springs, assigned to 1st Special Forces Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C.; died Oct. 6 in Chak district, Afghanistan, of wounds caused by small-arms fire..

Rep. Mike Horner, R-Kissimmee, who abruptly ended his re-election campaign after his name surfaced last month on a brothel client list, is now stepping away from his job as the head of the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce.I am concerned that my presence has become a distraction from the important mission of the chamber, Horner stated in a release. As CEO, the chambers welfare is my top priority.

Three Republican state senators -- Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland; Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah; and Dennis Jones, R-Seminole -- have come out in support of the three state Supreme Court justices up for merit retention.