With Republican Rick Scott winning the gubernatorial election, conservatives are already expecting action -- with advocates of Second Amendment rights expecting Scott and the Republican-controlled Legislature to push for an open carry law.Florida remains one of seven states that do not permit citizens to carry holstered weapons openly, with certain exceptions --namely when hunting, fishing, or at a firing range.

Individuals suing the Florida TEA Party have dropped their federal case. Now they're looking at a counterclaim of $200,000 in damages. The plaintiffs, led by South Florida Tea Party director Everett Wilkinson, sued TEA Party Chairman Fred O'Neal and others, charging that the newly formed political party had illegally appropriated the "tea" name. The case was filed in U.S. District Court in January. Adding to the legal wrangling, Wilkinson went on to register the "Florida Tea Party LLC" and to declare himself chairman.

The National Education Association, which pumped $40 million into political (read: Democratic Party) races this election cycle, is sounding a more conciliatory note about the tea-party movement ... for now, anyway. Kim Anderson, the union's director of government relations, said the "tea party is certainly a new dynamic in Congress," but said it's too early to tell what impact the movement will have on the rest of the Republican members when it comes to education.

U.S. Rep. Connie Mack is looking to move up in the Republican congressional ranks. Mack, who is a possible U.S. Senate candidate in 2012, announced on Thursday that he would run for the House Republican Policy Committee chairmanship.

Fresh from losing to Republican Adam Putnam in the battle to be Floridas next agriculture and consumer services commissioner, former Tallahassee Mayor Scott Maddox said on Thursday the strong national trend for the Republicans was too much for his campaign.

During a press conference this morning where Rick Scott announced his transition team, a reporter asked if he'd been in touch with Charlie Crist. "We've traded phone calls," Scott said. "He called me right after I did my victory speech and then I called him back. But my voicemail's been full." The reporter followed up by asking him what advice he might seek from the lame-duck governor.

Its increasingly obvious that there is no off-season in American politics. With the close of the 2010 election cycle on Tuesday, likely Republican presidential candidates are offering their take on the results and are heading to key states like Iowa and New Hampshire.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a possible presidential candidate in 2012, released a web video praising the Republicans who were elected on Tuesday. A number of Florida Republicans play a prominent role in the ad -- including incoming U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, incoming U.S. Rep. Allen West and Pam Bondi, Floridas next attorney general.

Having lost to Republican Pam Bondi in the attorney generals race, Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach, the Democratic candidate in the contest, does not seem through with politics. Looking back on the last year and a half, I have absolutely no regrets, insisted Gelber on Thursday. But after 17 months, we hit a headwind of national voter discontent that was simply too unforgiving.

Two days after defeating Democratic U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, former House Speaker Dan Webster said he and the new Republican in majority had work to do. We have often stated that America's not broken -- Washington is, and you have proved the statement to be true, Webster wrote to supporters on Thursday. Today, the real work of change begins, continued Webster. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we strive to return Washington to principles over power, revive our economy, and restore the promise for our children and grandchildren.

One day after his victory speech, Rick Scott is adhering to his campaign slogan and getting to work on his transition into office.

The man who was a significant force in state politics for 20 years -- first in the House, then in the Senate -- returned to public office Tuesday when the voters of St. Lucie County elected him their property appraiser. Former Senate President Ken Pruitt won handily.

John Stemberger of the Florida Family Policy Council says it is "unlikely" that the vetoed ultrasound-before-abortion bill will come up for an override vote at the 2011 Legislature "because a couple of the new GOP House member pickups are not pro-life." But Stemberger said the inability to gain a two-thirds majority on the proposal doesn't mean the idea is dead.

TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Chairman Fred O'Neal said the party's 20 candidates received a collective total of more than 300,000 votes in Tuesday's election.

State Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, doesn't think that the loss of Amendment 8 spells the end of the class-size debate. In a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Weatherford said "the results showed Floridians' support for flexibility in keeping class sizes small in Florida by a wider margin than the vote by which the 2002 class-size amendment passed.