Both of the major candidates for governor threw jabs at each other on Friday. Responding to a statement from Republican candidate Rick Scott blaming the Obama administration for rising unemployment across the nation, state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic nominee in the race, said that if Scott is so concerned with national issues, he should run for federal office. This prompted a sharp response from Scotts team.

The campaign team of former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the Republican candidate in the U.S. Senate race, announced that its candidate will not be attending a debate scheduled for Sunday on Meet the Press with U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democratic nominee in the race, due to his fathers poor health. Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running without party affiliation, chose to skip the event.

Rick Scott is not the only Florida Republican taking aim at the White House for the nations continuing unemployment problems. U.S. Rep. Connie Mack blasted the policies of the Obama administration on Friday morning, not long after new reports indicated that unemployment continued to grow across the nation, rising to 9.6 percent in August, the highest it has been since May.

Even as the nation's unemployment rate rose to 9.6 percent, the Obama administration said today the situation was "better than expected." Oh my. Citing a 67,000 increase in private-sector payrolls in August, Christina Romer, chair of the presidents Council of Economic Advisers, touted eight straight months of private-sector job growth. But that modest growth is lower than was reported in early spring, and Romeracknowledged that the rate of job growth is not enough to bring the unemployment rate down.

As Florida's unemployment rate remains stuck in double digits, attention is turning toward the hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants in the work force. The latest Census data show 525,000 undocumented workers in Florida last year -- or 5.8 percent of the working labor pool. The national average is 5.1 percent.

High unemployment, stagnant financial markets, and general economic insecurity are taking their toll on Democratic loyalty, particularly among the nation's youth. A New York Times article Thursday says Democrats are losing ground where they once claimed a strong foothold -- with young adults. From the Times:

Unemployment rose to 9.6 percent in August -- the highest it has been since May. Rick Scott, the Republican candidate for governor, weighed in on these numbers on Friday morning, taking aim at President Barack Obama and Democrats who have supported his economic policies, including state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic nominee for governor.

For the second time in two days, Republicans were defeated in their attempt to remove a TEA Party candidate from a state House race. Leon County Circuit Judge Jackie Fulford denied a motion Thursday that would have disqualified TEA Party hopeful John DeVries from the House District 34 contest. DeVries is running against incumbent Rep. Chris Dorworth, R-Lake Mary, and Democrat Steve Barnes.

In a letter to The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, Attorney General Bill McCollum explained his position and his concerns relating to claims procedures for the Deepwater Horizon blowout in the Gulf. McCollum's missive preceded a letter from Senate President Jeff Atwater, who assailed federal administrator Kenneth Feinberg on many of the same grounds. Atwater also took issue with Feinberg's characterization that things look 'fabulous' in Florida.

Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running for the U.S. Senate without party affiliation, announced on Thursday that the state may be getting more funds for Florida schools through the U.S. Department of Education. In speaking to Education Secretary Arne Duncan today, Florida is once again being recognized for continued leadership in education reform, said Crist. Along with 24 other states and the District of Columbia, Florida will receive up to $170 million in additional Race to the Top funds.

With Gov. Charlie Crist, who is running for the U.S. Senate without party affiliation, having kind words for Rep. Jennifer Carroll, R-Jacksonville, who Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott selected as his running mate, the team of U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, the Democratic candidate in the Senate race, is firing away at the governor.

Sen. John Thrasher of Jacksonville, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, chimed in on GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott selecting Rep. Jennifer Carroll, R-Jacksonville, for his running mate. Jennifer Carroll will make a tremendous lieutenant governor, said Thrasher. From her decorated service in the United States Navy, to her service in the Florida Legislature, to owning and operating a small business, Jennifer Carroll has truly lived the American Dream.

Incoming Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, praised Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott for selecting a member of his caucus, Rep. Jennifer Carroll of Jacksonville, as his running mate for lieutenant governor.

With U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd's squeaker of a primary win, the Cook Political Report has moved his 2nd Congressional District from "Leaning Democratic" to the "Tossup" column. The Tallahassee Democrat now joins U.S. Reps. Alan Grayson, D-Orlando, and Suzanne Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, in races that Cook says are too close to call. If all three of these incumbents were to lose in November, and Republicans hold serve in their districts, there will only be one Democratic member of Congress north of Orlando: Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville.

Florida Libertarian Party gubernatorial candidate John Wayne Smith has named J.J. McCurry as his choice for lieutenant governor. McCurry, of Winter Park, is chairman of the state party, the third largest political party in Florida, with a reported 18,000 members. McCurry, a 31-year-old native Floridian, received a BS/BA in business administration from Webber College in Lake Wales. He works as a bread delivery man.