If Republican George LeMieux is a lame duck in the U.S. Senate, he didn't get the message. Or, he got the message and decided, hey, what do I have to lose? I'm going to do the right thing. LeMieux was one of two Republicans who broke with the party and cleared the way for Thursday's passage of a plan that's probably the best news small businesses have had in two years. The plan, if it clears the House, will make more tax breaks available and loosen up more credit for them. Here's what the Orlando Sentinel said Friday morning:

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott named chairmen in all 67 counties across the state on Thursday -- and had some interesting choices. Stafford Jones, a sold backer of Attorney General Bill McCollum, will head up efforts for Scott in Alachua County; RPOF vice-chairwoman Debbie Cox-Roush will lead Scotts team in Hillsborough County.

Floridians joined a coalition of religious and political leaders on Thursday in calling on Americans to pray for the nation and back the Manhattan Declaration, a statement calling for the rejection of abortion, support of traditional marriage and greater defense of religious liberty.

With four polls, including one from Sunshine State News, showing Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running for the U.S. Senate without party affiliation, trailing front-runner Marco Rubio, the Republican candidate, by double digits, the governor said at a Thursday meeting with staff from the Miami Herald that his campaign may go on the attack -- but vowed it would only be accurate ones. This promptly led to a sharp reply from the Rubio camp who reminded voters that Crist vowed not to go on the attack in spring.

Florida Republican U.S. Sen. George LeMieux is crowing over the Senate passing the Small-Business Lending Act, which he helped write, by a vote of 61-38 on Thursday afternoon.

The Club for Growth, a conservative PAC which is backing former House Speaker Marco Rubio in the U.S. Senate election, launched a series of new ads on Thursday -- including one directed at Gov. Charlie Crist who is running without party affiliation in the Senate contest.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, joined U.S. Rep. Robert Andrews, D-N.J., to introduce legislation that will speed short sales and spur growth in the housing market by requiring lenders to decide whether to accept an offer within 45 days. Due to the economic crisis, the number of short sales in Florida is rising, but lenders havent always been able to keep pace, Rooney said.

U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd is in for a fight in November from Republican challenger Steve Southerland, but unlike many Democrats --including Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson of Tallahassee who gave Boyd a scare in the primary --the congressman is not backing Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running without party affiliation, for the U.S. Senate. On Thursday, Boyd endorsed Democratic nominee U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, who is running behind Crist and Republican candidate Marco Rubio in the polls.

While the oil spill in the Gulf severely hurt Floridas fishing industry, there is some good news -- with so much rain, this is shaping up to be a good year for blue crab.

The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) unveiled a website on Thursday seeking to define former Rep. Loranne Ausley, the Democratic candidate for state CFO, for her long and disturbing liberal tax-and-spend record, well out of Floridas mainstream and so named her "Costly Ausley." Ausley faces the Republican candidate, Senate President Jeff Atwater of North Palm Beach, and two candidates who are running without party affiliation in November.

Charlie Crist apologist Joy Reid is spinning herself silly trying to downsize Marco Rubio's lead in the U.S. Senate race. After criticizing last week's Sunshine State News Poll that showed Rubio holding a 43-29 margin over Crist, one would think the Reid Report might detect a pattern with the release of this week's Reuters/Ipsos poll, which has Rubio with a 40-26 advantage, and a new Rasmussen survey pegging Rubio's lead at 41-30.

Yahoo! News calls Florida's gubernatorial race the costliest of all time in the Sunshine State. And why not, with millionaire Rick Scott, the Republican, in the contest. Have a look at the story.

Roly Arrojo's TEA Party candidacy in the 25th Congressional District is Tea in Name Only (TINO). Though registered with the Florida TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party, the Miami Beach man never contacted the party, and party officials know nothing about him. Such a scenario would have been impossible prior to 2008. That's when the Legislature revoked the law that required candidates of so-called minor parties to get party approval before their names could be placed on the ballot.

Incoming House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, announced his first two committee chairs on Wednesday: Rep. Denise Grimsely, R-Lake Placid, will take over appropriations and Rep. Gary Aubuchon, R-Cape Coral, will take over rules. Appropriations and rules are two areas that require an early start, said Cannon. We must develop strategies and options now to prepare for the fiscal year 2011-12 state budget.Similarly, we must identify updates and improvements to the House rules now to prepare for their adoption during the November organization session.

On Wednesday, the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund and the United Sportsmen of Florida (USF) endorsed Rick Scott, the Republican candidate, in the gubernatorial race, citing his support of the Second Amendment. We sincerely appreciate your support of Second Amendment, self-defense, and anti-crime issues, wrote Marion Hammer, past president of the NRA and executive director of the USF, to Scott. Your position on pro-sportsmen, pro-Second Amendment, and pro-freedom issues has earned you our endorsement and our gratitude.