Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux took aim at President Barack Obama and Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson on Wednesday when he weighed in on Obamas talk at Walt Disney World on Thursday -- which Nelson will be skipping. LeMieux is running for the Republican nomination to challenge Nelson in November.

Former Gov. Bob Martinez will return to the governor's mansion tonight. Gov. Rick Scott and first lady Ann Scott will host a reception to honor Martinez starting at 6 p.m. to mark the 25th anniversary of the former Tampa mayor's taking office. Martinez, now a lobbyist with the law firm Holland & Knight, was the second Republican since Reconstruction to be elected to Florida's governor's office.

The James Madison Institute, one of the leading defenders of free-market solutions in Tallahassee, released a backgrounder on Wednesday concerning insurance in the Sunshine State. Workable Solutions for Floridas Challenging Insurance Problemswas penned by two adjunct scholars from JMI who are both affiliated with the Heartland Institute -- Eli Lehrer and R.J. Lehmann.

On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott announced that Kenneth Detzner will take over from Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning. Browning announced earlier in the month that he will step down in February, after the Republican presidential primary on Jan. 31.

The gap between Republicans and Democrats in Florida has narrowed on the eve of Florida's presidential primary. There are 4,063,853 Floridians qualified to vote in the Jan. 31 primary, with the difference between the main parties down to 489,710, according to numbers released Wednesday by the state Division of Elections. Four years ago, there were 657,775 more Democrats in the state.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams, a freshman who represents parts of the Space Coast after serving in the Florida House of Representatives, announced on Wednesday that she is backing former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts for the presidency.

State Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, has been reported as a potential replacement for Kurt Browning as Floridas secretary of state.

Former St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker announced on Tuesday that he is backing former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts for the Republican presidential nomination. Baker joins Romneys team as a senior adviser for urban policy.

President Obama will be in Orlando on Thursday to talk about tourism, but Sen. Bill Nelson won't be there. News reports said Obama will visit Walt Disney World, where a White House aide said the president will "unveil a strategy that will significantly help boost tourism and travel." Nelson's office told reporters that a scheduling conflict will prevent the Democratic senator from appearing with the president -- a statement that was quickly mocked by Nelson's Republican foes.

With South Carolina Republicans voting in the presidential primary on Saturday, a poll of likely voters from Rasmussen Reports unveiled on Tuesday finds former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leading the pack of presidential hopefuls in the Palmetto State.

If youre planning to attend the Magic Kingdom Thursday, expect to find longer lines than normal. The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that President Barack Obama will visit Walt Disney World to unveil a new tourism and travel strategy. Few details about the trip have been released.

The Private Corrections Institute, a Florida-based nonprofit watchdog organization that actually opposes the privatization of correctional services, has -- as would be expected -- sharply condemned the latest state effort to privatize correctional facilities in 18 South Florida counties.

Some of the most prominent lobbyists in Florida are teaming up to create a new firm -- Adams St. Advocates. The new team includes Robert Beck; Barney Bishop, best known for his time with the Associated Industries of Florida; Claudia Davant; David Ericks; and Tanya Jackson. Jim Henry and Candice Ericks will be handling government affairs and Marty Cassini will be general counsel of the new group.

Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, now running in the Republican primary to take on Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, unveiled his team on the First Coast on Tuesday. I am pleased to announce my Jacksonville Victory Team, said LeMieux in a statement. I continue to be honored at the grassroots support the campaign has garnered across the state. With the help of my Jacksonville Team, we will see victory in August and again in November.

The House Health & Human Services Quality Subcommittee backed an effort Tuesday by Attorney General Pam Bondi to establish a task force focused on prescription drug abuse, specifically its impact on newborns. HB 227, announced in October, would create a 10-member statewide task force, with Bondi as chair, that would examine the emerging problem of Neonatal Withdrawal Syndrome as it pertains to prescription drugs.