Ben Smith over at Politico has the video of the day -- former Gov. Charlie Crist running a commercial for Morgan & Morgan, the legal firm he is now working for.

Democrats in the Senate voted unanimously on Wednesday to name Sen. Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale to serve as their next leader. Smith will take the reins from current Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich of Sunrise after the 2012 elections.

I am proud of the confidence my caucus has shown in me said Smith. Florida faces many problems over the next few years and I look forward to leading the Democratic Caucus as we craft solutions.

The House leadership is confident in the budget agreement and look to adjourn on schedule come Friday.

House Speaker Dean Cannon spoke to the House on Tuesday afternoon, calling it the most challenging budget year in modern Florida history and praising House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Rep. Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring.

She did it with integrity, the strength and the quiet confidence of someone with nothing to prove and she is tough as nails, said Cannon. She never backed down in her fight

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick will be the keynote speaker at the Florida Democratic Partys Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Hollywood on June 11.

I look forward to joining Chairman Rod Smith and the Florida Democratic Party for their annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, as Florida Democrats fight back against the Republicans extreme agenda and prepare for the 2012 elections, said Patrick on Tuesday.

A budget deal has been agreed upon by the House and Senate after early morning negotiations Tuesday.

"We worked, (Senate President Mike Haridopolos) and I until 4-ish a.m. trying to bring about a resolution," said Sen. J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales, the Senate's chief negotiator. He added that the budget, which cuts $3.8 billion and makes up the current shortfall, was one of the hardest to accomplish.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan released a video statement in which he talked about American forces killing terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.

Democratic activist Michael Hussey over at Pushing Rope has created his own Facebook group looking to stop former state CFO Alex Sink from running for statewide office in the future.

Former state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate who lost to Gov. Rick Scott, released an e-mail to supporters on Monday about American forces killing Osama bin Laden.

House Appropriations Chairwoman Denise Grimsley, R-Sebring, released a statement on the budget negotiations on Monday -- and swiped the Senates proposed funding of health and human services (HHS) projects.

Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, criticized Democrat U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, whom he is trying to unseat in 2012, for politicizing the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Nelson told reporters in Tallahassee Monday that a GOP-backed elections bill that prevents voters from changing their address on Election Day would disenfranchise the soldiers who conducted the raid on bin Laden's hideout in Pakistan. The bill was recently amended in the Senate to provide an exception for military members and their families to change their address on Election Day.