Businessman and Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has had a strong showing at the Republican Party of Floridas (RPOF) Presidency 5 event and is looking for more momentum on Saturday at the straw poll in Orlando. Cains efforts have gotten him the backing of a very prominent Florida legislator -- Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood. Plakon, who represents parts of Orange and Seminole counties, endorsed Cain on Friday.

Lenny Curry, elected Friday night to serve the remaining term of the late Dave Bitner as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, opened Saturday's Presidency 5 event in Orlando by declaring the convention sends a message that Americans are ready to get back to work. It all starts right here in Florida today, Curry told delegates as they arrived for the daylong event in the Orange County Convention Center. As we saw in Thursday nights debate, no matter which candidate you support, we have a field of candidates who are ready to win in 2012.

Barack Obama's promises to "save" education jobs are getting more fantastic by the day. In 2010, the administration predicted that its $10 billion teacher-union bailout would save 9,200 teacher jobs in Florida. Now the White House is predicting another, somewhat smaller, bailout could save 280,000 teacher jobs nationwide. Obama & Co. said the first stimulus would support jobs by providing enough funds to modernize 485 schools in Florida. But the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner beat out three other Republican candidates looking to challenge Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012 in a straw poll held at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event on Friday in Orlando. Hasner attempted to frame the result as a big win over former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux who finished in third place behind Hasner and retired Army officer Mike McCalister.

Businessman and retired Army officer Mike McCalister is celebrating his strong second-place showing in a straw poll of the Republican candidates looking to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012. McCalister garnered 30 percent in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event in Orlando on Friday -- right behind former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner who won with 34 percent. Thanks to our volunteer army today, McCalister wrote supporters on Friday night. We took second against all odds with (an) all-volunteer team.

As expected, the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) elected Lenny Curry of Duval County to be its chairman in a meeting held in Orlando. On Friday night, the RPOFs state executive committee unanimously backed Curry to replace the late Dave Bitner. Curry, who had been vice chairman under Bitner, had been serving as interim chairman since that time. Also on Friday night, Blaise Ingoglia of Hernando County was chosen to replace Curry as vice chairman.

Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner says U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is more vulnerable in Florida than President Barack Obama.

Looking for coverage live from Presidency 5? You've come to the right place. Check out sunshinestatenews.com starting at 8:30 Saturday morning for streaming video from Florida's biggest conservative event of the year at Florida's leading political news source. Even better, how about making SSN your homepage? You won't miss a minute of the action. Either way, y'all come back now, ya hear?

Florida Rep. Gayle Harrell, R-Stuart, says the mood among delegates following Thursdays P5 debate, and around the Orange County Convention Center on Friday, appears to favor former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney as the Sept. 24 Republican Party of Florida's presidential straw poll approaches. Delegates vote between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Four Republicans who are looking to challenge Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012 squared off in a straw poll on Friday at the American Conservative Unions (ACU) Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event in Orlando.

Conservative businessman Ron Rushing is challenging Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner of Orlando in the Republican primaries. Gardiner currently represents parts of Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, though this could change with redistricting which starts in early 2012. Rushing talked to Sunshine State News about his campaign and what he hopes to focus on in the election cycle.

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., compares her economic outlook to one of the nations most notoriously quiet presidents: Calvin Coolidge. "He said its the greatest political privilege thats ever been afforded to the human race, to live under the American Constitution, Bachmann said Friday while on the main stage at CPAC's Florida Conference. Thats my view, too. She compared Coolidges comment to President Franklin Delano Roosevelts statement that the Constitution is the most marvelously elastic compilation of rules of government ever written.

Many of the attendees at the RPOFs Presidency 5 event in Orlando stood in line to vote in the U.S. Senate straw poll held by the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Friday afternoon -- and have a hint as to why the annual CPAC event in the Beltway is a happening for many right-of-center activists.

Sunshine State News caught up with Florida state Rep. Lake Ray, R-Jacksonville, one of the leaders in the Legislature on ports issues, on Friday at the Republican Party of Floridas (RPOF) Presidency 5 event in Orlando. Ray said that the chief issue facing the Legislature during the 2012 session would be economic recovery as Florida continues to lag behind the nation with high unemployment.

No matter what happens in the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) straw poll later on Friday, Central Florida businessman and Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Craig Miller will be staying in the spotlight on Saturday. Miller will be heading to Daytona Beach on Saturday to continue his series of Miller on Main Street workday events. This time Miller will be working at Bruce Rossmeyer's Daytona Harley-Davidson for the third in the series.