Rasmussen's latest poll shows President Obama leading Mitt Romney in Florida, 48 percent to 46 percent, well within the statistical margin of error.

At approximately 1:32 p.m., a majority of members of theFlorida Joint Legislative Budget Commission voted to approve privatization of health services in three-fourths of the state's prisons. The vote fell along party lines, with Democratic Sens. Nan Rich and Gary Siplin and Democratic Reps. Charles Chestnut and Darryl Rouson voting against it. The six Republican participants at the meeting voted for it.

Spokeswoman Ann Howard of the Department of Corrections immediately issued a statement praising the decision:

At approximately 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, attorney Tom Brooks, who is representing theAmerican Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), said in a press conference that Florida's privatization of its prison health services "will be challenged" in court should the state's Joint Legislative Budget Commission (JLBC) approve the proposal by the Department of Corrections later this week. He said their challenge would be filed "promptly."

The conference call also featured state Sen. Nan Rich, D-Weston, andDoug Martin, legislative director of AFSCME Florida

The justices of the Supreme Court of Florida heard oral arguments Friday morning regarding an appeal by the state of a March ruling by a circuit judge overturning key elements of the Legislature's 2011 reform of the state employee retirement system.

Gov. Rick Scott issued a statement on what he expects the outcome of the case to be:

As two Florida Democratic state representatives contest their recent primary election defeats through the courts, a political consultant from one of the states major bipartisan consulting firms suggests the Haitian legislators might be the victims of a political ethnic cleansing by their own party officials.

Stay tuned tomorrow morning for an exclusive interview that former Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner gave to Sunshine State News earlier today, for the Republican congressional candidate's take on the new Democratic Party platform as it relates to Israel.

Several Republicans are criticizing the Democrats' new platform foromittingany mention of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, or any mention of Hamas and the need to isolate the Islamist organization for as long as it endorses and commits terrorism against the Jewish state.

Boca Raton Republican Adam Hasner's congressional campaign has released the following press statement:

Hasner Calls On Lois Frankel To Support Jerusalem As the Capital of Israel

Hollywood actor and director Clint Eastwood may not have meant to, but in his surprise speech at the RNC this evening, he effectively said the GOP nominee should not be elected president.

"I never thought it was a good idea for attorneys to be president." {Source}

TheUnited States District Court for the District of Columbia has struck down a new Texas law requiring voters to show a government-issued photo ID before casting their ballots. The New York Times reports:

The Hill reports that presidential candidate Mitt Romney's public image has received a 5-point bump after just one full day of the Republican National Convention. It is speculated the boost might be due to some combination of a) conservative enthusiasm at his selection of Paul Ryan as his vice-presidential pick, and b) attempts by the campaign and his supporters to "humanize" his public persona, e.g., his wife Ann's address to the convention Tuesday.