Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio weighed in on Monday on the death of North Korean strongman Kim Jong Il.

"Kim Jong Il was a cruel tyrant who leaves behind unimaginable suffering of the North Korean people, Rubio said in a statement released on Monday. The United States should work with our partners to ensure that this period of transition is seized as an opportunity to persuade North Korea to abandon its hostile nuclear program, open up its society and address the humanitarian crisis that its tyrannical leaders have inflicted."

Former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana, who is running for both the Republican presidential nomination and the Americans Elect nomination, issued a statement as American forces pulled out of Iraq.

In second place behind U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas in Iowa, former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts garnered two major endorsements this weekend. He was endorsed by the Des Moines Register on Saturday night and also won the backing of former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, R-Kan. Dole, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 1996, won Iowa in 1988 and 1996.

With two weeks to go, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas now leads the pack of Republican presidential hopefuls in Iowa while former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich has come crashing down in the Hawkeye State, according to a poll released late on Sunday from Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connection to prominent Democrats on the national level.

Republican presidential hopeful former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah --who handled Pacific affairs as an assistant secretary of commerce for East Asia and ambassador to Singapore under President George H. W. Bush, and as ambassador to China under President Barack Obama --weighed in on the death of North Korean strongman Kim Jong Il on Monday.

On Friday, former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts unveiled a major endorsement of his bid for the Republican presidential nomination -- Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina. South Carolina will be third up in the procession of states that will determine the GOP nominee behind Iowa and New Hampshire.

Republican presidential candidate former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania launched a new commercial running in Iowa -- and bringing up the names of prominent conservatives Mike Huckabee, Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin. None of those three conservative favorites has backed Santorum.

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who scored a straw poll victory in Pasco County earlier in the week, won the Hialeah-Miami Lakes Republicans and the Miami Young Republicans straw poll on Wednesday night. Paul took 67 percent of the votes cast followed by Mitt Romney and Gary Johnson. Sixty Republicans voted in the straw poll. Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux beat out the other GOP hopefuls in the U.S. Senate race in the straw poll.

Associated Industries of Florida, one of the chief representatives for business in Tallahassee, unveiled its new president and CEO on Thursday -- former U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney. Feeney, who takes over from Barney Bishop, will start at AIF on Jan. 1.

Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, now running in the crowded Republican primary to see who will challenge incumbent Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, sent out a message to supporters on Thursday cheering a straw poll victory from the night before.

I have some good news to share with you. Last night, I won the Miami Young Republicans/Hialeah-Miami Lakes Republican Club straw poll with a resounding 52 percent! LeMieux wrote. Supporters like you made last night's straw poll win possible and will carry us to victory in 2012.