Incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, offered his take on the Florida Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday that three proposed amendments forwarded by the Legislature to the November ballot would be removed. I am both disappointed and stunned by the decision of the Florida Supreme Court regarding Amendments 3, 7 and 9, said Haridopolos. It is a sad day when more than 60 percent of the elected representatives of the people of the state of Florida cant get ballot measures approved by the court, but special interest groups can.

The Florida Supreme Court ruled against a proposed amendment on redistricting that passed the Legislature earlier in the year to counter a measure backed by Fair Districts Florida -- leading to two different reactions from leaders of both parties in the House.

Numerous sources are reporting that independent gubernatorial candidate Bud Chiles is planning to pull the plug on his campaign with an announcement expected on Thursday. Chiles, the son of Florida political legend Lawton Chiles, lagged in the polls behind Democratic nominee and state CFO Alex Sink and Republican candidate Rick Scott. However, he was pulling inteenpercentages in most polls.

Republicans are dreaming of picking up more U.S. House seats -- and Florida is in the front lines of their effort to take the gavel from U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. On Tuesday, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) named sixRepublican candidates across the nation, with three of those hailing from the Sunshine State, as part of their Young Guns program of outsiders looking to pick up congressional seats. The Young Guns are the candidates considered most likely to win in November.

Lawsuits seeking to boot two Florida TEA Party candidates off the Nov. 2 ballot will be heard in circuit court in Tallahassee Wednesday. Rulings are expected from the bench. John DeVries is alleged to have improperly paid his filing fee in state House District 34, while HD 91 candidate John Perez is alleged to have accepted a campaign contribution over the limit. TEA officials dispute the charges and have filed motions to dismiss the cases.

Here comes Glen Beck -- fresh back from his controversial but wildly successful "Restoring Honor" rally -- diving straight into the world of new media. His theblaze.com. was up and running and pulling in Beckies by the thousands Tuesday. "Too many important stories are overlooked," Beck said in a column in his inaugural edition. "And too many times we see mainstream media outlets distorting facts to fit rigid agendas. ..."

With President Barack Obama addressing the nation at 8 p.m. about the end of combat operations in Iraq, Sunshine State News will be live-blogging the speech. Former President George W. Bush announced the start of combat operations on March 19, 2003, and declared major combat operations over on May 1 of that year. Having lasted more than seven years, the Iraqi operations rank as one of the longest military activities in American history -- not quite as long as Vietnam or the Revolutionary War, but longer than the Second Seminole War and both of the World Wars put together.

The Florida Times Union is reporting that Adam Hollingsworth has taken a leave of absence from serving as Jacksonville Mayor John Peytons chief of staff to work with the Republican Party of Florida. It looks like he has the blessing of both the Republican establishment, including RPOF Chairman Sen. John Thrasher of Jacksonville, and the Rick Scott team. Hollingsworth worked in Jacksonville with Susie Wiles, who now is with the Scott team.

Quite a few Republicans have taken their names out of contention for being considered Rick Scotts running mate. Recent media reports have indicated that Rep. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, and former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney said they were not interested.And who can blame them? As Jeff Kottkamps bid for the Republican attorney general nomination shows, the position is not exactly a launching pad for future political ambitions. Nor is it that well-established in Florida politics.

Democratic insider Steve Schale posted a blog this morning: Sorry, Charlie. In it he outlines why the math just isn't adding up for Charlie Crist since Kendrick Meek's solid victory in the Democratic Primary.

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings is being questioned by congressional ethics investigators over his handling of travel stipends. Hastings, D-Miramar, reportedly paid for drinks and gifts for people who traveled with him, according to the Wall Street Journal. A half-dozen congressmen are under scrutiny for their use of travel stipends, which range from $50 to $250 a day. Lawmakers usually request and receive an additional $50 per day, the Journal reported.

If the feeling coming out of Tuesday morning's work group -- one of six on the Deepwater Horizon response -- is any indication, chances of a special session may be fading. The six work groups organized by House Speaker Larry Cretul are submitting their final reports today. They were tasked with studying different aspects of the oil issue, everything from disaster response and preparation to determining if current laws are strong enough -- then letting the speaker know if they think anything should be addressed immediately in a special session.

Though still two months away, midterm elections are shaping up quite favorably for Republicans nationally. A Gallup poll of registered voters out this week marks the fifth week in a row where Republicans have held an advantage over Democrats on a generic ballot. But this week, the GOP took a 10 point lead, the highest since Gallup started tracking the generic ballot in 1942. From Gallup:

Those wise heads at the Miami Herald editorial board don't appear so smart after all. The Ivory Tower on Biscayne Boulevard issued a "challenge" to U.S. Senate candidate Charlie Crist "to explain to voters what's at his core." The editors might as well have asked a chameleon to divulge its true color.

Are any Republicans planning to vote for Charlie Crist this November? If so, they're keeping a low profile. Not so for Democrats, however. State Sen.-elect Maria Sachs of Delray Beach and state Rep. Darryl Rouson of St. Petersburg -- both Democrats -- endorsed Crist's U.S. Senate bid this week. And little wonder. Crist has tacked leftward on virtually every issue since bolting the Republican Party in April (though he still seems confused about his position on Obamacare).