Cutting government waste and improving efficiency will be the chief topics of a forum hosted by incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, and Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, on Friday afternoon at the State College of Floridas Lakewood Ranch campus in Sarasota.

Former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate, took aim at Gov. Charlie Crist, who is in the race with no party affiliation, in a new web video. The video portrays Crist as having flipped in his take on President Barack Obama, showing clips from when the governor was a Republican attacking the White House as well as recent moments when Crist praised Obama.

With the U.S. Department of Labor releasing a report on Thursday showing 12,000 more Americans applying for unemployment benefits, Jeff Greene, who is running in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate election, took aim at two of his rivals in the race -- U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, who he is facing in the Democratic primary, and Gov. Charlie Crist who is running without party affiliation.

Rick Scott launched a new commercial against Republican gubernatorial primary rival Attorney General Bill McCollum on Thursday. This commercial tries to indict McCollum on his own words that he voted for congressional pay raises.

In an event today officially announcing her running mate, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Alex Sink suggested both of her possible Republican opponents haven't released any information on their plans to help Florida's economy or public education system. But anyone following the race, including Sink herself, should know that's not true.

Score one for Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp by default. Kottkamp was the lone Republican attorney general candidate to earn a perfect score from Tea Party in Action for signing a pledge to oppose an Everglades land purchase that the group dubs a "Big Sugar bailout." Kottkamp's rivals in a closely fought attorney general primary -- Pam Bondi and Holly Benson -- declined to sign on.

Florida Right-to-Life announced the formation of Florida Teens to Life on Thursday to help mobilize young people in the battle against abortion. "Florida Right-to-Life is excited about the formation of Florida Teens for Life and looks forward to partnering with them to ensure their success, said Carrie Eisnaugle, the president of Florida Right-to-Life. The more teens know about abortion and euthanasia, the better equipped they will be to save lives in the future."

Earlier in the month, Rep. Leonard Bembry, D-Greenville, marked his HB 1145 taking effect at the Stephen Foster Culture Center State Park. Under the legislation, veterans, active-duty military personnel and reservists will have a 25 percent discount on annual passes to the parks in the state system. Disabled veterans and surviving spouses of soldiers and sailors who made the ultimate sacrifice for this nation receive an annual pass at no expense.

Facing a surprisingly strong challenge from Dr. Charles Perniciaro, Republican Party of Florida chairman Sen. John Thrasher of Jacksonville announced on Thursday that he had won the backing of the Florida Chamber of Commerce for his Senate seat representing the First Coast.

In the closing days of a bitter Republican gubernatorial primary, Attorney General Bill McCollum received one more endorsement from law enforcement on Thursday when the Chiefs for Quality Law Enforcement's Committee of Continuous Existence announced its backing on Thursday.

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a possible Republican presidential candidate in 2012, endorsed former Agency for Health Care Adminstration Secretary Holly Benson for attorney general. The next attorney general of Florida will have to take the lead on the lawsuit challenging Obamacare, said Gingrich. In my opinion, there is no one more qualified to do this than Holly Benson.So today, I am proud to endorse Holly's candidacy for Florida attorney general.

On Wednesday, the 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals found the setting up of large crosses along roads in memory of Utah state troopers killed in the line of duty to be unconstitutional, maintaining that it violated the Establishment Clause.

A new poll from Quinnipiac University released Thursday had state CFO Alex Sink, the likely Democratic nominee, ahead of both of the Republicans in the gubernatorial race and had Gov. Charlie Crist, running without party affiliation, ahead of Republican Marco Rubio and both of the leading Democrats in the U.S. Senate contest.

At an event in Jacksonville on Wednesday, former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican nomination in the U.S. Senate election, addressed veterans' issues. In his Second Inaugural Address, Abraham Lincoln called upon our nation: to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan. This is the essence of what all Americans owe our veterans and their families, said Rubio.

The campaign team of Rick Scott, currently in a bitter battle with Attorney General Bill McCollum for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, used the opportunity of President Barack Obama visiting Miami Beach on Wednesday night to fire away at state CFO Alex Sink, the likely Democratic nominee in the race.