Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Connie Mack praised the Pledge to America being pushed by his fellow Republicans in the U.S. House. Mack offered his take on the Republican agenda on Thursday afternoon, cheering the plan for its commitment to conservative ideals.

Republican U.S. Sen. George LeMieux marked the six-month anniversary of the passage of new federal health-care laws backed by President Barack Obama by attacking the new measures.

While some social conservatives argue that the Pledge to America backed by congressional Republicans does not do enough on family values issues, Ralph Reed praised the measure.

Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty will meet with health insurers Friday in what could be a first step toward pursuing a waiver of a controversial provision of the federal health-care legislation.

McCarty and more than 30 other insurance commissioners from other states met with White House officials Wednesday to discuss the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. McCarty expressed his concern about the medial-loss ratio, or MLR provision of the law, which states that insurers must spend 80 percent of their expenses on actual medical care.

Seeking to capture the spirit of the Contract With America that propelled their party to control the U.S. House in 1994 for the first time in 40 years, Republicans unveiled the Pledge to America Thursday. Their hope -- the goal behind the strategy -- is to pick up control of Congress in Novembers elections. Just like 1994, in the aftermath of Bill Clintons attempt to pass national health-care legislation, Republicans are taking aim at the size and scope of government and health-care laws.

Anyone whos returned a movie late to Blockbuster can enjoy a little schadenfreude now that the worlds largest movie-rental company has filed for bankruptcy.

Blockbuster Inc. filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Thursday after incurring an excess of its own late fees -- the company has listed assets of $1.02 billion vs. a debt of $1.46 billion, according to Bloomberg News.

Normally three Democratic House members backing their partys nominee in the U.S. Senate race is not particularly newsworthy. But a number of Democrats have backed Gov. Charlie Crist who is running in the race without party affiliation, including members of the House such as Reps. Luis Garcia of Miami, Yolly Roberson of North Miami Beach andMaria Sachs of Delray Beach. The fact that Reps. Mark Pafford of West Palm Beach, Scott Randolph of Orlando and Darren Soto of Orlando endorsed Democratic Senate nominee U.S. Rep.

On Wednesday it was announced thatDemocratic gubernatorial candidate state CFO Alex Sink and her Republican opponent Rick Scott will participate in a third debate moderated by John King of CNN on Oct. 25.

The Sink camp claimed that Scott was trying to refrain from debates.

Gov. Charlie Crist, running without party affiliation in the U.S. Senate election, spoke in South Florida on Wednesday on Social Security -- and was pounded from the left and right.

Conservatives argued that Crist offered a path for illegal aliens to obtain Social Security benefits.

Barney Bishop, president and CEO of the Associated Industries of Florida, came out swinging on Wednesday against Sen. Dan Gelber, the Democratic candidate for attorney general.

Florida doesnt need Dan Gelber as attorney general, insisted Bishop. If elected, he will follow in the footsteps of New Yorks Eliot Spitzer and Connecticuts Dick Blumenthal -- harassing Floridians and businesses with costly and unnecessary investigations that lead to no prosecution, no convictions and no recovery to the state -- all to inflate their own political ambitions.