In a Tuesday editorial under the headline "Killing high-speed rail shows fiscal restraint," the Green Bay Press-Gazette praised Wisconsin Gov.-elect Scott Walker for keeping his campaign promise to hold the line on spending, even though it means losing $810 million in federal funds to build a new rail line from Madison to Milwaukee.

While Florida agriculture was under siege from a killer cold front, Gov. Charlie Crist was in his element in New York City on Monday. The ever-sunny Crist attended the launch of a national "No Labels" movement, which seeks to become the tea party of moderation. Headed by centrist Republicans and Democrats, including New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the No Labels gathering was receptive to Crist, a Republican-turned-independent.

On Monday, House Democratic Leader Ron Saunders of Key West and Democratic Whip Evan Jenne of Fort Lauderdale named four deputy whips to oversee their caucus. The Democratic leadership named Rep. Janet Cruz of Tampa, Rep. Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach, Rep. Hazelle Rogers of Lauderhill and Rep. Alan Williams of Tallahassee as deputy whips.

Attorney General Bill McCollum lauded Judge Henry Hudson's ruling Monday striking down a portion of the federal health-care overhaul. McCollum and 19 other attorneys general have a pending lawsuit against the law. Oral arguments are expected in that case on Thursday.

With a federal judge in Virginia upholding a constitutional challenge on Monday against new federal health-care measures backed by President Barack Obama, potential Republican candidates looking to run for the U.S. Senate in 2012 praised the decision.

There are about 30,000 licensed mortgage brokers in the state of Florida who haven't renewed their license applications, and time is running out. If mortgage professionals don't apply by Dec. 31 they cannot process loans or do business after that date until their license is approved by the state Office of Financial Regulation, a process that could take three months or more.

A U.S. judge today ruled that the federal health-care law was unconstitutional, handing a preliminary victory to Virginia and bolstering the case of Florida and 19 other states that have filed similar challenges. U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson, in Richmond, Va., sided with Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who argued that the state's residents could not legally be forced to buy health insurance.

Joe Scarborough, a former Florida Republican congressman and MSNBC host, went after Congress today for saying all the right things about fiscal responsibility but then supporting a tax cut compromise that adds "a trillion" dollars to the deficit. Scarborough, reports state Sen. Dave Aronberg, was among the early speakers at today's "No Labels" political conference in New York City. Newly elected Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who previously had slammed the feds for their free-spending ways, wouldn't say how he would vote on the tax deal.

Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, has named the following senators to the Republican Executive Committee: Sen. J.D. Alexander, Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, Sen. Anitere Flores, Sen. Don Gaetz, Sen. Andy Gardiner, Sen. Alan Hays, Sen. Joe Negron, Sen. Garrett Richter, Sen. David Simmons and Sen. John Thrasher.

With an eye on running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota took aim at public employee unions in an opinion piece that ran in Mondays Wall Street Journal.

J.J. Helland of AOL News has created a list of the top 10 quotes of 2010-- and two of them are relevant to the Sunshine State. Tied with Republican U.S. Senate candidate Christine ODonnells denial of being a witch is BP executive Tony Haywards I want my life back complaint about dealing with the oil spill in the Gulf.

ABC News reports that a federal judge in Virginia could issue a ruling Monday in a lawsuit opposing the Affordable Care Act, the federal overhaul of health care. The ruling could affect a similar case being led in Florida but joined by several other states.

How bad a candidate was state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee? According to MSNBCs political guru Chuck Todd and Samantha Guthrie, Sink was the worst candidate of the year. Handing out awards on MSNBC on Monday, the duo of pundits slammed Sink for not taking advantage of Rick Scotts history in the private sector with Medicaid. The duo also targetedGov. Charlie Crist, naming his bid for the U.S. Senate with no party affiliation as one of the worst of the year.

The "No Labels" crusade kicked off this morning in New York City with a speech by columnist David Brooks echoing the refrain: "We have good people stuck in a bad system." Former Florida state Sen. Dave Aronberg, reporting from the meeting, said, "The No. 1 enemy here is partisanship. The leaders of this movement emphasize that this is not about a third party, but an end to the hyperpartisanship that divides America."

Turning up the heat on the Florida Legislature to expand their scope of care, Florida nurse practitioners are citing more reports calling on the state to do just that. Arguing that they can help drive down soaring Medicaid costs, NPs point to an October 2008 study by none other than the Florida Senate, which stated: