With the U.S. revoking the visa of the Venezuelan envoy, Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack offered stinging words for Hugo Chavez, that nations leader, and called once again for the South American country to be included as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Gov. Charlie Crist announced Thursday four new members and eight reappointed members of the Workforce Florida board of directors. They are the latest in a spate of last-minute appointments from Crist, who has four days left in office.

The new appointees are William Law, president of St. Petersburg College, Violet Nikolici-Lowrey, owner of A Plus Professional Resumes, and Linda Reite, teacher in Miami-Dade County public schools. Their terms end in 2013. Stanley Sikes Jr., CEO of US Imaging Solutions, is also a new appointee whose term ends in 2012.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack is getting national attention as he continues to ponder whether to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012.

Macks possible senatorial ambitions received the notice of Politicos David Catanese on Thursday.

Gov. Charlie Crist sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday, arguing that the cold weather has hurt Floridas agriculture and asking for a USDAdisaster declaration for more than half of the states 67 counties.

The consecutive days of sustained hours of below-freezing temperatures resulted in a tremendous amount of damage to agriculture production throughout the state, wrote Crist, before listing 35 counties impacted by the weather.

Those who purchased tickets for inauguration events after Dec. 22 can pick them up at the Leon County Civic Center starting on Saturday. Will Call will be open from noon-5 p.m Saturday through Monday, and on Tuesday from 8-11 a.m. and from 12:30-6 p.m.

The Leon County Civic Center is located at 505 W. Pensacola St. For ticket information call (850) 241-1837.

Tom Jensen of Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with ties to national Democrats, posted a blog piece on a recent poll -- and what it shows for incoming U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio.

CNN listed their top five political gaffes of 2010 -- and state CFO Alex Sink made the list.

Sink, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, placed third on the list for checking a text message during a debate with Republican rival Rick Scott which was a violation of the rules. Commenting on the list, Republican political strategist Ed Rollins called it a defining moment, leading voters to doubt Sinks integrity.

Incoming Gov. Rick Scotts team announced on Thursday that Greta Van Susteren of Fox News will be the keynote speaker of a breakfast event on Monday that will kick off the inaugural festivities.

Van Susteren, the host of "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren who worked for CNN before joining Fox News in 2002, will speak at the Salute to Women in Leadership breakfast. The event will honor the contributions of women from the Sunshine State -- including incoming Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll and incoming Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The Florida Public Service Commission released an annual report Thursday showing that enrollment in the state's Lifeline Assistance and Link-Up Florida programs stood at 642,129 participants as of June 2010, an increase of 3.8 percent from the previous 12 months.

The programs provide discounts to lower income families that qualify for some public assistance programs. Lifeline Assistance gives members a discount of $162 per year on basic telephone service. Link-Up Florida offers 50 percent off installation charges for maximum savings of $30.

Dominic Calabro, president and CEO of Florida TaxWatch, announced on Thursday that his organization has a number of new board members.

It is my distinct pleasure to announce the new chair and board of trustees' members of Florida TaxWatch, said Calabro. These distinguished Floridians, through their commitment and contribution to the future of Florida, will be a driving force in creating a more effective and efficient government for all taxpayers.