A new national poll from the Washington Post and ABC News found that businessman Herman Cain is surging in the Republican presidential race after his win at the Presidency 5 straw poll in Orlando last month.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney topped the poll with 25 percent while Cain tied Texas Gov. Rick Perry for second with 16 percent -- a reversal of fortune for both men from a Washington Post/ABC News poll taken at the end of August and start of September. In that poll, Perry led with 29 percent and Cain lagged well behind the front-runners with 4 percent.

A fourth member of the Florida House of Representatives is behind businessman Herman Cains bid for the Republican presidential nomination. State Rep. Elizabeth Porter, R-Lake City, joins three of her fellow Republicans in the House -- Larry Ahern of St. Petersburg, Scott Plakon of Longwood and Carlos Trujillo of Miami -- in backing Cain who won the Presidency 5 straw poll in Orlando last month.

Porter, a freshman who beat a Democratic incumbent in 2010, represents all of Gilchrist, Lafayette and Suwanee counties, and parts of Alachua, Columbia and Dixie counties.

The Obama administration announced on Monday that they would be sending stalled free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to Congress later this week.

Longtime Florida Republican activist Paul Senft endorsed Gov. Rick Perry of Texas for the GOP presidential nomination on Monday. Senft has been active with the Republican National (RNC) Executive Committee, serving as a national committeeman for Florida since 2004. Senft has also been active in his home base of Haines City, having led the Polk County Republican Executive Committee.

On Friday, Florida moved its presidential primary up to Jan. 31. On Monday, the South Carolina Republican Party moved its presidential primary up to Jan. 21 -- leapfrogging the Sunshine State.

Chad Connelly, the chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, had harsh words for the committee that moved up the Florida primary.

Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux is taking aim at former House Majority Leader Adam Hasner as the Republican primary battle to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012 heats up.

Hasner has gathered the support of some prominent conservatives at the state and national levels -- including, on Friday, the backing of the Family Research Council Action PAC. In a new Web video, the LeMieux team is trying to argue that Hasner is a phony conservative" -- an argument they have made at a campaign website.

Less than two weeks after Lenny Curry took the reins as chairman of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF), Executive Director Andy Palmer announced in a statement released on Monday that he would be stepping down on Oct. 14. Palmer -- who had held the same post in 2005-2006 -- had been serving in that position since January. He will be joining the law firm of Metz, Husband and Daugthon, PA, as a senior policy adviser.

Republican leaders from across the state praised Palmer on Monday.

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota released a Web video on Monday as she continues her bid for the Republican presidential nomination. In the video, Bachmann argued that conservatives should stick to their principles and not back a moderate for the GOP nomination.

I wont settle, said Bachmann, who pledged to fight for greater support of Israel, and against abortion and illegal immigration.

Two of the Republican presidential candidates launched Web videos on Friday taking aim at one of their rivals -- Gov. Rick Perry of Texas -- on immigration.

Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts unveiled a video that blasted Perrys record and featured a clip of former Mexican President Vincente Fox praising the governor of the Lone Star State.

A Florida poll released late on Thursday by SurveyUSA for WFLA-TV in Tampa found that former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts led the Republican presidential candidates in the Sunshine State with businessman Herman Cain, who won the Presidency 5 straw poll in Orlando last week, right on his heels.