Days after U.S. Rep. Ron Klein issued a poll showing him up 48-40 against Republican challenger Allen West, West has come back with a poll giving him a 48-42 lead over the Democrat. The survey in the 22nd Congressional District was conducted by Wilson Research Strategies Sept. 20-22, just was political controversy was swirling over a Democratic Party campaign mailer that listed West's Social Security number.

U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, a Republican who represents the First Coast and parts of North Florida in Congress, was recognized on Thursday by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). The NFIB awarded Crenshaw --who served as Senate president before his stint in Congress --the name of Guardian of Small Business.

While Sen. George LeMieux may be leaving Washington later this year, the Florida Republican, who was appointed to the Senate last year, scored a major victory on Thursday. LeMieux helped draft the Small-Business Lending Act, which passed the Senate last week and made it through the House on Thursday. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the measure into law.

In a weeklong sweep of telemarketers who sell timeshare units, Florida officials arrested four individuals, issued 137 cease-and-desist orders and imposed $125,000 in fines. The Sept. 13-17 crackdown targeted 67 telemarketing operations from Miami to Orlando. State agents found numerous instances of unlicensed sales people, unregistered businesses and two employees who had arrest warrants.

The Republican Party of Florida is trumpeting an op-ed written by three former secretaries of the Agency for Health Care Administration taking aim at Democratic attorney general candidate Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach. Ruben King-Shaw, Alan Levin and Holly Benson, who lost to Pam Bondi in the Republican attorney general primary, argued that Gelbers plan, if elected, will dismiss the legal challenge launched by Attorney General Bill McCollum against new health-care laws backed by President Barack Obama.

On Thursday afternoon, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw praised the Pledge to America being backed by his fellow congressional Republicans -- no surprise since the congressman from the First Coast is a deputy minority leader in the House. Crenshaw said the Republican agenda is needed to revive the economy and roll back massive spending backed by President Barack Obama and Democrats in Washington.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack praised the Pledge to America being pushed by his fellow Republicans in the U.S. House. Mack offered his take on the Republican agenda on Thursday afternoon, cheering the plan for its commitment to conservative ideals.

Republican U.S. Sen. George LeMieux marked the six-month anniversary of the passage of new federal health-care laws backed by President Barack Obama by attacking the new measures.

FreedomWorks, a Washington, D.C.-based tea party organizer, applauded the House Republicans' "Pledge to America," saying it closely resembles the group's previous "Contract from America."

Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, hailed the Republican Party's "Pledge to America" today, saying: For the last two years, the American people have been speaking out against the Washington agenda of more spending, more borrowing and more taxes. They have clamored for new ideas and better solutions, but the majority party has ignored their voices.

While some social conservatives argue that the Pledge to America backed by congressional Republicans does not do enough on family values issues, Ralph Reed praised the measure.

Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty will meet with health insurers Friday in what could be a first step toward pursuing a waiver of a controversial provision of the federal health-care legislation. McCarty and more than 30 other insurance commissioners from other states met with White House officials Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. McCarty expressed his concern about the medial-loss ratio, or MLR provision of the law, which states that insurers must spend 80 percent of their expenses on actual medical care.

Seeking to capture the spirit of the Contract With America that propelled their party to control the U.S. House in 1994 for the first time in 40 years, Republicans unveiled the Pledge to America Thursday. Their hope -- the goal behind the strategy -- is to pick up control of Congress in Novembers elections. Just like 1994, in the aftermath of Bill Clintons attempt to pass national health-care legislation, Republicans are taking aim at the size and scope of government and health-care laws.

Anyone whos returned a movie late to Blockbuster can enjoy a little schadenfreude now that the worlds largest movie-rental company has filed for bankruptcy. Blockbuster Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Thursday after incurring an excess of its own late fees -- the company has listed assets of $1.02 billion vs. a debt of $1.46 billion, according to Bloomberg News.

Normally three Democratic House members backing their partys nominee in the U.S. Senate race is not particularly newsworthy. But a number of Democrats have backed Gov. Charlie Crist who is running in the race without party affiliation, including members of the House such as Reps. Luis Garcia of Miami, Yolly Roberson of North Miami Beach andMaria Sachs of Delray Beach. The fact that Reps. Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach, Scott Randolph of Orlando and Darren Soto of Orlando endorsed Democratic Senate nominee U.S. Rep.