Republicans are looking to make political hay out of the comment on Tuesday night by U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), that Democratic candidates will be defending President Barack Obamas federal health-care law in 2014. On Wednesday, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) hit former state CFO Alex Sink, who is the Democratic candidate in a special election for the congressional seat left open by the death of U.S. Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla.

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., said she was backing two transportation bills. Ros-Lehtinen said she would back the TSA Loose Change Act which leaves unclaimed monies gathered from airports to charities backing military families. The congresswoman also came out in support of the Transportation Acquisition Security Reform Act which adds more transparency in how airports puchase new technologies.

Judy Gross, the wife of American relief worker Alan Gross who was accused of espionage by the Castro regime and has been imprisoned for four years by that Communist government, appeared on Wolf Blitzers show on CNN on Tuesday. Gross pressed President Barack Obama to ramp up his efforts to free her husband and said he could do much more than what he has done so far.

Lenny Curry, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF), continued to pound away on former Gov. Charlie Crist on Wednesday morning. While he spent most of his political career as a Republican, Crist left the GOP in 2010 and joined the Democrats in 2012. Crist is now the favorite for the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Rick Scott next year.

As he has in recent days, Curry slammed Crist for backing President Barack Obamas federal health-care law.

Gov. Rick Scott praised school districts on Tuesday which have raised teacher pay. Curently 34 of Floridas 67 counties have enacted teacher pay raises while 14 more have finalized negotiations to raise teacher pay. Increasing teacher pay was one of Scotts chief legislative priorities this year. Scott singled out eight counties -- Bay, Broward, Collier, Gilchrist, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lafayette and Suwannee -- which have recently enacted teacher pay raises.

On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., demanded the Obama administration ramp up its efforts to help Alan Gross, an American relief worker accused of espionage by the Castro regime and who has been imprisoned for four years.

State Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, is widely seen as a rising star for Florida Republicans. She was a prominent supporter of Mitt Romneys presidential campaign and she is now taking aim at former Gov. Charlie Crist, the Democratic front-runner to challenge Gov. Rick Scott in 2014.

President Barack Obamas signature health-care law is drawing fire from an old foe on the left in consumer advocate Ralph Nader. While Nader stayed out of the 2012 presidential contest, he ran against Obama in 2008 as an independent. Nader compared Obamas rollout to the launch of Medicare back in the 1960s -- and found Obamacare lacking.

The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) ripped into former Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday, insisting he was following advice offered by U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, of defending President Barack Obamas federal health-care law. After spending most of his political career as a Republican, Crist left the GOP to run for the U.S. Senate with no party affiliation in 2010 and joined the Democrats in 2012. Crist is now running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

Looks like there will be changes over the skies of the First Coast as P-3 Orions are being phased out by the Navy for the P-8A Poseidon planes. Both planes specialize in finding submarines.

On Friday, two P-8As were deployed to Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jax). U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., a member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, offered his thoughts on the new planes on Monday.