A national poll released by Bloomberg News, that was conducted by Selzer & Co., on Thursday morning found that Texas Gov. Rick Perry was leading the pack of Republican presidential candidates -- but former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts was right on his heels. While Perry has been leadingRomney by double digits in most national polls, in the Bloomberg poll the Texans lead was within the margin of error. Perry garnered 26 percent in the poll while Romney took second with 22 percent.

U.S. Rep. David Rivera, a South Florida Republican who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called on America to stand with Israel on Wednesday.

While they are on track to finish dead last in the National League East this year, the Marlins will be on center stage on Opening Day in 2012. Of course they wont be the Florida Marlins come 2012. The Miami Marlins (having been a fan of the Fish since the days of Orestes Destrade, Charles Johnson and Jeff Conine, the new name will take some getting used to) will be hosting the St. Louis Cardinals in the new Marlins Ballpark on Wednesday, April 5.

From his perch on the U.S. House Homeland Security Committee, Florida Republican Congressman Gus Bilirakis is demanding answers from the Obama administration regarding the Fast and Furious program in which the federal government knowingly allowed criminals to obtain weapons -- which resulted in the death of at least two federal agents. Bilirakis sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder demanding to know about the roles played by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in the failed program.

On Wednesday, NASA unveiled the design of the Space Launch System (SLS) which, when completed, will be able to propel the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle far outside the Earths orbit and pave the way for deeper space exploration -- including expeditions to asteroids and Mars. NASA officials are optimistic that the first SLS rocket will be launched in 2017.

Floridas new law requiring welfare recipients to undergo drug tests before receiving temporary cash assistance garnered high marks in a study released on Wednesday by the Naples-based Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA), a conservative think tank. Tarren Bragdon, a former Maine state representative who is the president and CEO of the FGA, authored The Impact of Floridas New Drug Test Requirement for Welfare Cash Assistance.

Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, now running in the crowded Republican primary to take on Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, unveiled the second in a series of Web videos -- this one focusing on why he chose to enter the race.

Republican presidential hopeful former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman announced on Wednesday that prominent business leaders were joining his campaign in an advisory capacity. In a statement, Huntsman unveiled the support of John Mack, the executive chairman of the board of Morgan Stanley. Mack will serve as chairman of the Huntsman campaigns Business Advisory Council.Other council members include Gary Loveman, the chairman, president and CEO of Caesars Entertainment Corp.; Nike co-founder Phil Knight; and former U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chairman Tom Bell.

On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., hammered the Obama administration over education. Rubio sent a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan regarding the administrations handling of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and forcing states to follow policies backed by the White House.

Mike McCalister, a retired Army colonel and a businessman who is running for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, is stressing his conservative credentials. Next week, McCalister will clash with three of his main rivals -- former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, and businessman Craig Miller -- at a forum and straw poll in Orlando which will be part of the American Conservative Unions (ACU) Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Florida meeting. The CPAC event will be held on Friday, Sept. 23.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis took aim at President Barack Obama on immigration on Tuesday and called on the president to end his latest amnesty plan. Bilirakis maintained that the administration was backing a policy to deport only select illegal aliens -- namely those who are criminals or are considered threats --while showing no signs of looking to deport the overwhelming majority of illegal aliens.

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, continuing his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, took aim at President Barack Obamas Middle East policy on Wednesday. While Americans have been focused on the economy and domestic politics, the Middle East has been deteriorating in very threatening ways, noted Gingrich in an e-mail sent out to supporters. In the last few months, events have begun to turn against the United States, Israel, and freedom in the Middle East."

In a stunning repudiation of Barack Obama and his party, a rock-solid Democratic district in New York City elected Republican Bob Turner to Congress on Tuesday. The CD 9 seat formerly held by disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner went Republican for the first time since 1923. Obama carried the district by 11 percentage points just three years ago.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, the chairman of the U.S. House subcommittee on oversight and investigations under the umbrella of the full Energy and Commerce Committee, will have the Obama administration in his line of fire on Wednesday -- namely the Energy Department sending $535 million in federal funds to Solyndra, a California-based green energy company that declared bankruptcy last month.