On Saturday, his 76th birthday, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas won the New Hampshire Young Republicans presidential straw poll.

Paul took 45 percent of the 302 votes cast while former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, who is leading in the Granite State, took second place with 10 percent.

Way behind in the polls, former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah took off the gloves Sunday morning in an interview on ABCs This Week and ripped into some of his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination. Huntsman hammered Gov. Rick Perry of Texas for taking exception with global warming and called him unelectable. Huntsman also slammed U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota for pandering with her claim that she wouldl lower gas prices to below $2 a gallon if she were in the White House.

Gov. Rick Scott was in Miami Friday to kick off the 500-day countdown to the 500th anniversary of the European discovery of modern-day Florida. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon first reached the peninsula in 1513.

He was joined by Ambassador Cristina Barrios, consul general to Spain and Secretary of State Kurt Browning to mark the beginning of "Viva Florida 500," the state's quincentennial celebration.

After five straight months of declining unemployment, Florida's job growth appears to have stagnated, if not reversed.

With Texas Gov. Rick Perry catching him in polls at the state and national level, former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts looked to secure Florida behind his bid for the Republican presidential nomination by unveiling the endorsements of several state legislators.

I am honored to receive the endorsements of so many great legislators in the Sunshine State, said Romney on Thursday. I look forward to working with these leaders to put Floridians and all Americans back to work, turn around the economy and make Barack Obama a one-term president.

The Florida Realtors offered some good news for the Sunshine States economy on Thursday when they announced that home and condo sales jumped 12 percent in July when compared to July 2010. More than 15,500 homes sold in Florida in July as opposed to less than 13,900 in July 2010.

Realtors in markets across the state are reporting increased activity from potential homebuyers who are ready to [take] advantage of historically low mortgage rates and current availability of affordable housing options, said Patricia Fitzgerald, president of the Florida Realtors.

Politico has a rundown of the "veepstakes" -- potential vice presidential nominees that could bolster the eventual GOP presidential nominee's ticket. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is "in everyone's top five" because of the assets he could bring to the ticket.

The story notes he's from Florida, a large swing state; Hispanic; and appeals to both the tea party movement and Republican establishment alike.

The Republican National Committee wants to turn President Barack Obama's Midwest bus tour and following nine-day vacation in Martha's Vineyard into a fundraising opportunity.

Businesswoman Karen Harrington, who was the Republican nominee who ran against Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz in 2010, is looking for a rematch in 2012. Harrington launched a new web video on Wednesday, attacking the incumbent -- who is now chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) -- and President Barack Obama on the economy.

On Thursday, after former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner launched an ad connecting him with former Gov. Charlie Crist, former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux fired back at his rival in the Republican primary to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson on social issues.