Despite being born in the Hawkeye State and winning the Republican straw poll in Ames back in August, Republican presidential hopeful U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota is sinking in Iowa, home of the first caucus. Bachmann unveiled an experienced political team on Thursday as she looks to turn things around in the Hawkeye State to revive her faltering presidential campaign.

Reports are coming in at the state and national level that Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack will enter the race for his fathers old seat in the U.S. Senate. Back in March, Mack had passed on entering the Republican primary field of candidates seeking to knock off Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012 and backed state Senate President Mike Haridopolos of Merritt Island for the GOP nomination. Haridopolos withdrew earlier in the year, leaving a field of former U.S. Sen.

A national Fox News poll released late Wednesday found that businessman Herman Cain has surged to the front of the pack of Republican presidential candidates.

Cain leads the field of Republican hopefuls with 24 percent followed by former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts in second with 20 percent. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich takes third with 12 percent followed by two Texans--Gov. Rick Perry with 10 percent and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul with 9 percent.

A CNN/Time poll released on Wednesday found former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts leading the pack of Republican presidential candidates in the crucial battleground of Florida -- the fourth state in line to determine who the GOP will nominate to take on President Barack Obama in 2012.

Sunshine State News is hitting the radio airwaves on Wednesday at 3 p.m. I will be on the Ed Dean radio show, which is hosted by one of the most feisty, informative and entertaining conservatives in Florida. It can be heard online here and on two stations in South Florida -- 89.3 on the west coast and 90.3 on the Atlantic coast.

Controversial community group ACORN is not going away -- and a new story from Fox News notes that ACORN is playing a large role in the Occupy Wall Street movement in New York. While ACORN dissolved in 2010, the New York chapter remains active, under a new name: New York Communities for Change. Fox News has the details here.

Having lost every statewide race in 2010 and seeing the Republicans control veto-proof majorities of both chambers of the Florida Legislature, the Florida Democratic Party is on the attack, trying to link every Republican in the state to Gov. Rick Scott. On Tuesday, the Democrats launched a new website, attacking Scotts record -- and a host of other issues.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, the Sunshine States only member of the Ways and Means Committee, urged the Obama administration Tuesday to stand up to China and defend intellectual property.

China has ignored U.S. intellectual property rights for too long, Buchanan said at a Ways and Means meeting. This blatant infringement of copyrights and patents has cost our country millions of jobs and billions of dollars. This is simply not acceptable.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry launched a new ad on Tuesday night for his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. In the ad, Perry promises to create 2.5 million new jobs and points to his record in the Lone Star State. He also takes aim at regulations backed by President Barack Obama and promises to fight for more energy exploration.

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released on Wednesday morning had bad news for Herman Cain and his tax plan.

The poll found only 36 percent of the total populationsurveyed favoring Cains 9-9-9 plan. The plan, which has become one of the cornerstones of Cains campaign, would establish the federal income tax and the corporate tax rate at 9 percent while adding a national sales tax also set at 9 percent.A majority of those surveyed -- 56 percent -- have an unfavorable view of Cains plan.