U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the South Florida Republican who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released a statement on Thursday on the death of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, now in a crowded Republican primary to take on Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, issued a statement on Thursday regarding the death of former Libyan strongman Moammar Gadhafi.

As he files his paperwork in New Hampshire, home of the first presidential primary, on Thursday, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania can count on the support of 14 legislators from the Granite State -- three of whom endorsed him on Wednesday. Santorum announced on Wednesday that he had received the backing of state Sen. Fenton Groen, R-Rochester, and two Republican state representatives -- John McDonnell of Chichester and John Sedensky of Hampstead.

Florida senators will be told later today they will face a shortfall of almost $2 billion when they start patching together the budget for next year. The Senate Budget Committee is scheduled to get a revised bottom line this afternoon from the Legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research, the states economists.

Following her claim that the economy is on the "upswing," Democratic National Committee boss Debbie Wasserman Schultz is trying to pump up her party's coffers in Mississippi. DWS's fundraising tour caught the attention of Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, who called the Democrats "frighteningly out of touch." While DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is in Mississippi today on behalf of the Mississippi Democratic Party, shell likely continue repeating her outlandish claims.

While Gov. Rick Scott pledged that a new Race to the Top grant application will not burden Florida with additional costs or red tape (see this Sunshine State News article), the state reportedly will spend up to $17,500 of its current Race to the Top funds for nonacademic purposes Thursday night.

Politico's top story of Thursday morning regales the woes of organized labor's political campaign fundraising as it limps into election year 2012. The Robin Bravender story claims that unions have been slow to coordinate their spending strategy under the new campaign rules: "They dont appear to have clear fundraising goals. Many say theyre planning to stick with the same tactics theyve turned to in the past, even after a bruising 2010 election."

Gov. Rick Scott has added Daniel J. Gerber, David P. Gillespie and Judge Clayton D. Simmons while reappointing Philip F. Nohrr to the 18th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission. Nohrr, Gillespie and Simmons were each on the list of nominees submitted by the Florida Bar. According to the release from the governor's office:

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas released a Web video on Wednesday in which he takes aim at one of his chief rivals for the Republican presidential nomination -- former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts. The ad slams Romney for being misleading on a number of issues including health care, his political experience and hiring illegal aliens.

"Barack Obama's latest effort to tell the people of our nation he's actually created jobs is failing -- but that hasn't stopped him from pouring more corporate money into the campaign. Now, Obama is actively reaching out to the Hispanic community in hoping to convince them he is their friend." Whoops! Change "Barack Obama" to "Rick Scott" and "nation" to "Florida," and you have the latest left-wing campaign against the governor. Florida Watch Action has launched a Spanish version of "Pink Slip Rick," complete with free bumper stickers reading "Ricky En Reversa."

In a Senate floor speech -- in which he defended his party's push for more government jobs -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid baldly declared on Wednesday: Its very clear that private-sector jobs have been doing just fine." Republicans noted that the Democrat's statement came on the same day a new Labor Department report showed Washington, D.C., had surpassed Silicon Valley as the wealthiest metropolitan area in the country.

Randall S. Maggard, vice president of Sonnys Discount Appliances Inc., has been appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the Pasco County seat on the Southwest Florida WaterManagement District governing board. The appointment requires senate confirmation. Maggard, 48, served from 2003 to 2010 on the Coastal Rivers Basin board. He has also served as a member of the Zephyrhills Economic Development Council. A graduate of Pasco-Hernando Community College, he succeeds Ronald E. Oakley. If confirmed his term would be to March 1, 2015.

Rick Scott is showing he's no drive-by governor. When he questioned last week whether anthropology grads are prepared for the job market, it wasn't just something he posed to a Tallahassee luncheon crowd. He also sent a detailed list of questions to state university officials, asking for information on issues related to whether graduates are primed and ready to find a good job based on their education.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam will meet with a trade delegation from South Korea in Ocala on Wednesday night and insisted that the new free-trade agreement with that nation -- as well as deals with Colombia and Panama -- will help farmers in the Sunshine State. Florida agricultural commodities are exported to more than 130 nations and 50 have agriculture-related imports of more than $10 million annually, said Putnam. The free-trade agreements will allow us to continue to focus on promoting Fresh From Florida commodities around the globe.

Dark horse Republican presidential hopeful Fred Karger, a veteran political operative and activist, sent a letter to Gov. Rick Scott, House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, and Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning on the Sunshine States early primary date.