While Texas Gov. Rick Perry announcing that he was seeking the Republican presidential nomination dominated the headlines that emerged from the RedState event in Charleston, S.C., over the weekend, former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, now running in the Republican primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, spoke to the meeting as well. In the speech, Hasner took aim at one one of his rivals for the GOP nod -- former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux.

Hasner issued a call to arms, calling for conservatives to get mobilized and active in 2012.

Numerous reports are out on Sunday morning that former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota is ending his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Pawlenty focused heavily on winning the Iowa straw poll held in Ames on Saturday night, but he placed a distant third -- far behind U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas.

While U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas came in second in the Iowa Republican straw poll held in Ames on Saturday, his campaign is celebrating the results, noting that their candidate came less than 1 percent behind winner U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota celebrated her victory in the Iowa straw poll on Saturday.

Businessman Herman Cain came in fifth place in the Iowa straw poll behind fellow Republican presidential candidates U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.

Cain said at the end of last week that he needed to place in the top three in the straw poll or he would reassess his campaign. He walked back that statement earlier this week and, after the results came in, Cain sounded like he would stay in the race.

After spending $1 million in Iowa so far, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota took a distant third place in the Iowa straw poll. His support was less than half of the two candidates who beat him on Saturday -- U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, also of Minnesota, who won the straw poll, and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas.

Despite continued buzz about his campaign faltering, Pawlenty insisted on Saturday that he would be in the race for a while longer.

On Saturday, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota won the Iowa Republican straw poll in Ames.

The straw poll is traditionally seen as a test for how the candidates will do in the Iowa caucus, the traditional first stop toward the presidential nomination. This year the caucus will be held on Feb. 6.

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta declared Friday that part of the federal overhaul of health care is unconstitutional.

Rep. Dorothy Hukill, R-Port Orange, announced on Friday that she would continue to serve as the chairwoman of the House Economic Affairs Committee and will stay on the Appropriations Committee and as co-chairwoman of the subcommittee handling redistricting of the state Senate -- which she is running for in 2012.