On Tuesday, businessman Craig Miller, who is now running for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, backed the cut, cap and balance pledge. The pledge opposes raising the federal debt limit and backs a balanced federal budget and lower spending. It is supported by a number of prominent conservative organizations, including FreedomWorks, Club for Growth and the Family Research Council, as well as many Republican officeholders and candidates.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, who has represented parts of the First Coast and North Florida in Washington for more than a decade, offered strong support on Tuesday morning for the cut, cap and balance legislation that will be voted on in the U.S. House later in the day. The proposal opposes raising the federal debt limit and backs a balanced federal budget and lower spending.

Besides former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota announcing on Tuesday that he was going to speak at CPACs Florida event come September, he also revealed that he would speak at a debate held by the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) during the Presidency 5 straw poll, and he added two key additions to his team in the Sunshine State.

With Mitt Romney taking a pass on Florida's Presidency 5 straw poll, Tim Pawlenty will try to one-up the former Massachusetts governor on the CPAC stage during P5. "CPAC has played a pivotal role in energizing the national Republican Party, and I and my fellow Floridians are proud to host the first regional CPAC here in the Sunshine State," said Florida Rep. Will Weatherford, who has endorsed the former Minnesota governor, whose poll ratings remains stuck in single digits nationally.

U.S. Rep. Allen West says a planned sale of Abrams tanks to Egypt could play into the hands of radicals and further destabilize the region. In a letter to Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon on Monday, West wrote: "It has come to my attention that the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress on July 1, 2011 of a possible foreign military sale to the government of Egypt for 125 M1A1 Abrams tank kits for coproduction and associated weapons, equipment, parts, training and logistical support.

With state Senate President Mike Haridopolos bowing out of the Republican primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, the floodgates of conservative support have opened to back former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner for the GOP nomination. Less than 12 hours after Haridopolos pulled out, FreedomWorks became the third conservative group to back Hasner on Monday.

More support from the conservative movement for former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasners bid for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012. On Monday, Hasner got the backing of the Concerned Women Political Action Committee (CWPAC).

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that chain bookstore Borders will likely be shutting down after failing to get a substantive bid during its bankruptcy process, which began in February. Borders, which began in 1971, has 399 stores nationwide, employing 10,700 people. It has 12 stores in Florida.

On Monday, the American Conservative Union (ACU) revealed that U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio would be speaking to the Conservative Political Action Conference Florida (CPAC FL) meeting in Orlando on Friday, Sept. 23.

U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, takes on President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and other Democrats in an interview that ranges from the debt crisis to the "Fast and Furious" Mexican gun probe. On the latter, West renews his call for the attorney general's firing. See the video here.

Iowa-based American Future Fund PAC (AFF PAC) endorsed former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012. AFF PAC pointed to Hasners backing of a federal balanced budget amendment and his support for Israel as reasons to back him.

Reactions are pouring in across the state after state Senate President Mike Haridopolos announced on Monday morning that he was pulling out of the crowded Republican primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012. As Ive said a bunch of times before, the election is a long ways off, noted Nelson on his Facebook page. Right now Im just focused on doing my job. Come Election Day, if folks like the job Ive done, the politics will take care of itself.

State Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, announced Monday morning that he is withdrawing from the 2012 U.S. Senate race. Haridopolos was part of a crowded Republican primary looking to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012. The Senate president pointed to the difficulties of managing the state Senate while seeking the U.S. Senate seat at the same time.

Businessman and retired Army officer Mike McCalister, who is running in a crowded Republican primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, signed the Cut, Cap and Balance pledge on Monday. The pledge opposes raising the federal debt limit and backs a balanced federal budget and lower spending. The measure is backed by a number of prominent conservative organizations, including FreedomWorks, Club for Growth and the Family Research Council. Some of McCalisters chief rivals for the Republican nomination -- namely former U.S. Sen.

Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, who is running in a crowded Republican primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, came out swinging at the end of last week, insisting that Nelson and President Barack Obama were pushing to raise taxes.