In what is at least the third sign of a farewell this week for Altamonte Springs Republican Lee Constantine, Senate President Jeff Atwater, R-North Palm Beach, ceded his podium to the long-time lawmaker. Constantine has served in the Legislature for roughly 18 years. He started in the House in 1992 before moving on to the Senate in 2000.

On March 16, at a dinner in Tallahassee, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee expressed his hope that former House Speaker and Senator Daniel Webster would return to politics. It looks like his wish has come true. Webster has sent out an email to his supporters that he will be making a major political announcement tomorrow night. It looks like Webster will be looking to challenge U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson.

When theres a line of hundreds of people waiting for paella outside the Capitol, you know that its Miami-Dade Day. But besides paella, politics was also on the menu.

Armed with research by Dr. David Anderson, an economist at Centre College in Kentucky, representatives from the Midwives Association of Florida were in the Capitol today to highlight their profession and the economic impact more of them could have in the state.

Who among Florida Senate candidates is out there spending up a storm? Does it surprise you to know that they're all Republicans? Or, that the biggest spender of all is an incumbent who stands virtually 0 -- that's zero -- chance of losing even if he were stoney broke and sitting on a street corner rattling a money jar? Why are they spending so much now? Don't worry, we'll be asking. In the meantime, here are the Big 5 spend-it-if-you've-got-it chart-toppers: Mike Haridopolos District 26 Incumbent $ 341,324

Attorney General Bill McCollum is not exactly the most expressive of politicians, but this mornings commemoration of National Crime Victims Rights Week revealed a bit of his emotional side. McCollum was beaming with pride when Lt. Michael Baute of the Attorney Generals Child Predator CyberCrime Unit was honored with a Distinguished Victim Services Award.

This is the week Florida recognizes crime victims' rights. How fitting that Lauren Book-Lim should complete her 500 mile walk to the Capitol this week (See that story here). Also, fitting that the top lawyer in the state should host a ceremony of commemoration for victims. It got under way at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Capitol. Attorney General Bill McCollum will recognize law enforcement officers and victims' advocates for their efforts on behalf of crime victims.

It looks like Gov. Charlie Crist could announce his departure from the GOP to run as an independent any day now. Besides his recent dialogue change, from having "no intention" of running as an independent, to considering it based on "what the people of Florida want," Crist has also removed any reference to the GOP from his site. In an e-mail, long-time friend and supporter Rep. Tom Grady, R-Naples pointed out the observation and resigned from the Crist campaign. Read excerpts from his e-mail below:

Two days, right in a row, mark anniversaries of tragedies. Yesterday, OKC Bombing. Today, Columbine... High school sucked. Period. It sucked for almost everyone. Even the popular crowd, the jocks, the hipsters, the artists, it didn't matter: Everybody battled their own demons in those days, just as they battle them now. Only back then, demons weren't insurance bills or car payments or rent. Demons were other people. But the most powerful ones were our own insecurities, which are far bigger, meaner, and more crippling than any one person can be.

You might want to grab a tissue as you're reading this blog, private insurers. Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, halted his effort to pass this session a bill that could raise residential property insurance rates by as much as 10 percent annually. The Senate Policy and Steering Committee on Ways and Means had scheduled a vote on the bill, but Bennett called for his fellow lawmakers to pass over the bill. The reason?

As the House session starts to wind down with less than two weeks to go, members who are term-limited have been offering farewell addresses. Speaking today was Rep. J.C. Zapata, R-Miami, who offered a bit more than the usual thanks to fellow House members, staffers and family. Zapata offered thanks to disgraced former Speaker Ray Sansom, who is now facing criminal charges. Zapata even said he missed Sansom, who resigned early in 2009 as he faced revolt from Republicans in the House.

While he hasn't generated as much press as U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor, Virginia's Republican rising star, charismatic Marco Rubio has begun to turn heads not only across Florida, but across the nation. And it didn't hurt the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate that House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala endorsed him today. He did so compellingly and with conviction, attacking Rubio's opponent ,Gov. Charlie Crist, for sacrificing principle for ambition.

A new Rasmussen report out today shows Marco Rubio still maintains a strong lead over Gov. Charlie Crist in their bid for the Republican primary nomination. Crist's numbers have been trending downward for a while now, and the governor is considering leaving the Republican party to run as an Independent. The gubernatorial race among Bill McCollum, Alex Sink, and Paula Dockery is tightening a little. McCullom holds his lead over Sink at 45% compared to her 38%. Dockery wasn't mentioned in the poll results.

Floridians support Attorney General Bill McCollum's lawsuit against Washington's health-care program. No, wait, they oppose it. Depending on which poll you read -- Rasmussen says "support" and Quinnipiac says "oppose" -- you get slightly different reads on the impending gubernatorial showdown between Republican McCollum and Democrat Alex Sink.