Progress Energy went 0-for-3 at an Atomic Safety and Licensing Board last week as the utility tried to push its proposednuclear power plants in Levy County. The three-judge panel rejected Progress's attempts to squelch a full hearing into environmental harm posed by siting two reactors in the floodplain of Floridas Nature Coast.

Looks like former Gov. Bob Riley is not the only Alabama Republican thinking about running for the GOPs presidential nomination. Dale Peterson has started his own 527 organization and was at the CPAC conference up in Washington last week, encouraging attendees to write him in the presidential straw poll. Peterson, who placed third in the Republican primary to be Alabamas agricultural commissioner, is best known for his memorable commercials.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams announced on Tuesday that she will be hitting the road across her district next week. She will hold events in Oviedo and Port Orange next Monday before hitting Titusville that Wednesday and Apopka on Saturday, Feb. 26. Adams also took aim at President Barack Obamas proposed budget in a statement released on Tuesday.

Republicans in the Florida House continued to assail their Democratic colleagues on Tuesday after Democrats on the Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee refused to take part in budgeting exercises.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee offered an update on Tuesday on his efforts to help Republicans defeat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012. Huckabee, who moved to Florida last year, has vowed to help Republicans through HuckPAC, his personal leadership PAC.

A poll from Rasmussen Reports found that likely voters are not buying President Barack Obamas plan to dramatically increase high-speed rail in the United States. The poll found 41 percent of those surveyed backed the plan with 46 percent against it. There is a partisan divide on the issue with 59 percent of Democrats behind it, 62 percent of Republicans against it and 55 percent of independents opposing it.

Politico is reporting that Will McBride is looking at jumping into what could be shaping up to be a crowded Republican field looking to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012. McBride (who should not be confused with 2002 Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride) is an attorney who ran for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in 2006, taking 30 percent of the vote but losing to Katherine Harris.

A poll released on Tuesday showed that Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is vulnerable in 2012 when he plans to seek a third term. The poll, backed by Ron Sachs Communications and conducted by Mason-Dixon, found former Gov. Jeb Bush took 49 percent, beating Nelson who garnered 41 percent. While Bush is unlikely to run, Nelson led the rest of the possible Republican candidates but failed to muster 50 percent against any of the potential GOP hopefuls.

Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, says Barack Obama's budget ignores the NASA Authorization bill the president signed into law last year by decreasing funding for the next human space flight launch system from $2.6 billion to $1.8 billion and decreased funding for a new crew vehicle from $1.4 billion to $1 billion. NASA officials have complained that the legislation passed by Congress and signed by the president asked NASA to do too much with too little for advancing human space flight and the next generation launch vehicle.

Marco Rubio reacts to Obama budget, high-speed rail, Miami port dredging and more ...

House Majority Leader Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami, responded to a memo released earlier on Monday from Democratic House Leader Ron Saunders of Key West on budgetary exercises being held in House subcommittees this week.

Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio reached out across the aisle to file an amendment with Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey to prevent the expansion of direct flights to the four nations that are listed as state sponsors of terrorism -- Iran, Sudan, Syria and Cuba.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. David Rivera said on Monday that he was opposed to President Barack Obamas proposed $3.7 trillion budget set for FY 2012.

Rush Limbaugh may have the most plausible explanation for Jeb Bush's dismal showing in a hypothetical race against President Barack Obama. A new poll from Fox News shows Obama routing the former Florida governor 54-34 in a 2012 matchup. The results puzzled those who assume Bush the Younger could be a strong GOP contender ... if he would only run. But conservative radio talk-show host Limbaugh dissed Bush on Monday, saying the former governor's squishiness on immigration and social issues doesn't inspire the Republican base.

House Democratic Leader Ron Saunders of Key West sent a memo to his caucus on Monday, arguing that budgetary exercises being launched this week in subcommittees by the Republican majority were premature. This week, Republican House appropriation subcommittees will call on individual members to identify 15 percent across-the-board spending cuts throughout state agencies. While I urge you to remain active in committee debate, I am skeptical of the exercises and I do not encourage your participation, wrote Saunders.