Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin announced via a statement on Wednesday -- read on the Mark Levin radio show--that she will not run for the Republican presidential nomination. Palin said she could be more effective in helping common-sense conservatism on the sidelines, aiding other candidates. While there had been speculation that she would run -- and Palin left the door open to the possibility -- she had done little to set up a campaign operation in early states like Iowa, New Hampshire and Florida.

Businessman Herman Cain reeled in a fifth member of the Florida House to endorse his bid for the Republican presidential nomination -- Rep. Jimmie Smith, R-Lecanto. He has the common-sense, practical vision we need to get our nation back on track, Smith noted about Cain on his Twitter account. Smith represents all of Citrus County and parts of Hernando and Levy counties.

On Wednesday, Floridas two U.S. senators -- Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Marco Rubio -- joined First Coast Republican U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw in sending a letter to Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, the newly appointed chief of naval operations, urging him to speed up the timeline for a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be based at Mayport.

The team behind U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas announced on Wednesday that their bid for the Republican presidential nomination brought in more than $8 million in the third quarter of 2011 from more than 100,000 donors. The amount and nature of donations to Ron Paul proves his fundraising prowess and also demonstrates in real numbers the grass-roots support Dr. Paul receives from average Americans, said Jesse Benton, Pauls campaign chairman, on Wednesday.

GOP presidential candidate and current front-runner Mitt Romney continued his criticism of the White House, voiced opposition to a proposed second federal stimulus and called it exciting that Florida had moved up its primary to Jan. 31.

Republican presidential hopeful former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania announced late on Tuesday that he had won the backing of a leading Republican in New Hampshire -- former state Rep. Bill Cahill. Cahill will serve as a co-chairman of Santorums campaign in the Granite State, which will hold the nations first presidential primary.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis weighed in on Tuesday on reports that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder knew about the problems with the federal "Fast and Furious" program which allowed guns to fall into the hands of drug traffickers.

With Republican presidential hopeful former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts in Tallahassee on Wednesday, three future leaders of the Florida House -- incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, and Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Trinity -- announced they were backing him. All three had been behind former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota who pulled out of the race back in August.

A national CBS News poll released late Tuesday found that businessman Herman Cain, who won the Presidency 5 straw poll in Orlando last month, has moved up dramatically in the last two weeks and is now tied with former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts to lead the pack of presidential hopefuls. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who led a CBS News poll from two weeks ago, has dropped to third place.

Republican presidential hopeful Gov. Rick Perry of Texas announced on Wednesday that his presidential campaign brought in more than $17 million during the seven weeks he was an active candidate in the third quarter of 2011. From Aug. 13, the day Perry announced he was running, until Sept. 30, more than 22,000 supporters -- 49 percent of them from the Lone Star State -- contributed to the Perry campaign. The Perry team announced that they had $15 million on hand.

On Wednesday morning, state Rep. Eric Eisnaugle, R-Orlando, one of the leading conservatives in the Florida House of Representatives, announced that he was backing his former caucus leader -- former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner -- for the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012. Eisnaugle, whose wife Carrie is the president of Florida Right-to-Life, praised Hasners conservative stances on social and economic issues.

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney will be in Tallahassee today, meeting separately with business leaders and Gov. Rick Scott. Romney, who took what he recalled as his sixth trip to the Central Florida retirement haven of The Villages on Tuesday, will bring his campaign to the Seminole Wind Restaurant, 2226 N. Monroe St., just after noon. At 2:15 p.m., Romney is slated to meet with Gov. Scott in the governors office at the Capitol. Scott hasnt formally endorsed any GOP primary candidate.

Gov. Rick Scott named Christopher J. Greene and Mark P. Stanton to the 7th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, and Reginald S. Gibson Jr., Russell T. Kirshy, F. Joseph McMackin III and Pamela Stewart to the 20th Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission.

Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) Chairman Lenny Curry named Mike Grissom to serve as the RPOFs executive director on Tuesday. Mike brings a wealth of political experience to the RPOF, said Curry. As deputy executive director, Mike worked alongside Andy Palmer to lay the groundwork for the partys 2012 victory plan and played an integral role in the planning and execution of Presidency 5. I am confident that his experience in that position will ensure a speedy and seamless transition.

Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, and Rep. Eric Eisnaugle, R-Orlando, have filed legislation intended to eliminate loopholes they and state Attorney General Pam Bondi say have allowed scam artists to thrive on people seeking to quickly sell timeshares.