U.S. Sen Bill Nelson raised $1.85 million in the second quarter, he announced Tuesday, easily besting the fundraising totals of his Republican rivals for his seat. Nelson also has more than $6 million in the bank for his campaign. He is seen as vulnerable by Republicans, who are lining up to take him on. The top three Republicans vying for his seat, though, could not get near his fundraising total from April through June.

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul will not seek re-election to the Texas U.S. House seat he's represented for nearly 24 years, and instead will concentrate on getting the Republican nomination for president to run against President Obama in 2012, a Texas news service reported Tuesday. "I felt it was better that I concentrate on one election," Paul told The Facts, a news service covering Brazoria County, a portion of which the libertarian-leaning Paul represents.

From 2004 to 2008, the net worth of 80 members of Congress more than doubled, according to an analysis from the Center for Responsive Politics. The above video by the activist group Government Gone Wild highlights these findings:

Former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson just will not go quietly into that good night. The bilious Grayson, apparently not chastened by his double-digit smackdown at the hands of Daniel Webster in the 2010 election, nor ashamed of tagging his opponent "Taliban Dan" in an egregiously unfair attack ad during the campaign, announced Monday that he is running for Congress again.

The White House confirmed Tuesday morning that President Barack Obama will officially nominate former U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek to serve as one of three representatives to the United Nations General Assembly, which convenes its next session Sept. 13. "We can confirm that the former congressman from Florida is one of the president's nominees," White House communications aide Inez Labella told Sunshine State News.

Col. Mike McCalister is facing Senate President Mike Haridopolos, former state Rep. Adam Hasner and former Gov. Charlie Crist chief of staff George LeMieux in the Republican primary race for the U.S. Senate, a group he refers to as the "Tallahassee triplets." On Tuesday he was joined by Craig Miller, a fellow political outsider and former CEO of Ruth's Chris. McCalister seemed to welcome him with open arms, releasing the following statement:

Radio talker Laura Ingraham is talking smack about Jeb Bush. Tweaking the former governor for appearing with Barack Obama during one of the president's recent visits to Florida, she vented to New York Post columnist Kyle Smith: "Obama has absolutely blockaded opportunity scholarships for kids in Washington, D.C. How do you appear onstage with him, welcoming him and giving him the imprimatur of legitimacy on education without becoming Charlie Crist?" Ingraham apparently believes the answer is an obvious "You can't."

Teachers seeking information from the Florida Bureau of Educator Certification are in for a long, frustrating wait. On Monday morning, no humans were available at the toll-free line (800-445-6739) and there is no voice-mail option. Callers are instructed to direct their requests to the DOE's website, which generates this automated reply:

George LeMieux said he will report raising more than $950,000 in the second quarter, topping fellow Republicans vying for the right to take on U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. LeMieux, a Fort Lauderdale attorney, touted the haul after Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos led the field with $2.6 million in collections during the first quarter. Adam Hasner, a third candidate in the GOP primary, attempted to blunt LeMieux's news by sending out a press release last week stating:

Since entering the race for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination in June, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota has surged in national polls and surveys of key states -- and a new poll has her leading the pack in Iowa, home of the first caucus.

On Tuesday, Craig Miller, the former CEO of Ruths Chris who ran for the Republican nomination for a Central Florida congressional seat in 2010, is expected to announce that he is entering an already crowded primary to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012. Miller, a Vietnam veteran, has expressed interest in entering the race since early May. Besides touring the state since first leaving the door open, Miller has met with Republican leaders in Washington who have made Nelson --who is seeking a third term --one of their top targets in the 2012 election cycle.

Former corporation boss Herman Cain defeated former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in a straw poll of conservatives in Nevada Saturday, but, according to the Washington Times, the surprise was Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Cain and Romney have declared their candidacies for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012 but Perry has not. Nevertheless, he placed third in the straw poll conducted by The Washington Times and Conservative Leadership Conference in the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Democrat leaders galore staged a town hall meeting in Central Florida Saturday to gain the support of the 300,000-or-so Puerto Ricans living in the area. The event at the Asociaci Borinque de Florida Central in Orlando was attended by dozens.

Atlantis is scheduled to dock with the International Space Station at 11:06 a.m. EST Sunday, two days after blasting off on a historic flight that marks the final liftoff of the U.S. shuttle program. A spokesman at CNN told Sunshine State News the network will carry the maneuver live. Atlantis' job is to deliver supplies and spare parts to the space station, and pick up a broken pump so that it can be inspected back on Earth. According to the NASA website, the crews of Atlantis and the space station will also research the potential for a space refueling system.

Gov. Rick Scott, in consultation with Herschel Vinyard, secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), instructed the Florida Park Service Friday not to proceed with plans for camping at Honeymoon Island State Park. In addition, the Florida Park Service will evaluate how to proceed at Fanning Springs, DeLeon Springs, Edward Ball Wakulla Springs and any other parks being considered for campsite expansions.