A new poll from Gallup compares the political views of residents of all 50 states -- and reinforces how pivotal Florida is in any national political battle. Asking more than 90,000 Americans about their politics over the first half of 2010, Gallup has Florida right in the middle when it comes to ideology and identification with one political party or the other. The poll found 38.5 percent of Sunshine State voters are Republicans while 46.2 percent are Democrats.

Late Friday, House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, ripped into Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott. Cretul backs Attorney General Bill McCollum for the Republican nomination.

The Scott campaign responded on Saturday, focusing more on McCollum than Cretul.

The Florida newspapers owned by the New York Times Media Group and the University of South Florida Polytechnic in Lakeland conducted a new poll that found Gov. Charlie Crist holding a solid lead in the U.S. Senate race come November. The poll had Crist, who is running without party affiliation, leading former House Speaker Marco Rubio, the likely Republican candidate in the race, up by a larger margin than other recent polls.

Earlier this week Jeff Greene took aim at U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, his chief rival in a bitter battle for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate election, noting that the congressman was included as part of a roster of corrupt candidates listed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). CREW looked at Greenes record -- and promptly put him on the list along with Meek.

House Speaker Larry Cretul, R-Ocala, has not been front and center in the bitter Republican gubernatorial primary between Rick Scott and Attorney General Bill McCollum. But Cretul, a backer of McCollum, emerged to take a shot at Scott late Friday.

Big win for health-care executive Rick Scott, the front-runner in the race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, as a federal judge issued an injunction against GOP rival Attorney General Bill McCollum receiving additional dollars courtesy of taxpayers if Scott exceeded the $24.9 million spending cap.

With a little over three weeks to go until the primary, Republican congressional candidate Craig Miller, the former CEO of Ruth's Chris, is sending out a mailer attacking his two main rivals for the nomination. Miller took aim at Rep. Sandy Adams, R-Oviedo, and Karen Diebel, his two main rivals in the Republican battle to take on U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, calling their conservatism into question.

Incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos increased focus on Medicaid and health-care issues is earning the praise of Sen. John Thrasher of Jacksonville, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

"Medicaid reform needs to be a top priority of the Republican-led Legislature, and it is imperative that we listen to all sides of the issue and fully understand how the state can implement a cost-saving, patient-centered reform plan," said Thrasher. Haridopolos is making a tour of medical facilities next week across the state.

Trying to catch health-care executive Rick Scott in a bitter contest for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, Attorney General Bill McCollum released the details of the energy plan he will enact if he is elected governor.

McCollum said his plan would blend together free-market solutions while supporting alternative sources of energy including biomass, wind and solar power. The attorney general said he opposed cap-and-trade policies and hoped to reduce Florida's dependency on foreign oil.

The Florida Home Builders PAC announced on Friday they were backing Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp over two rivals for the Republican nomination for attorney general.

Im honored to receive the support from Floridas home builders, said Kottkamp. They help drive Floridas economy and are a vital factor as the state begins making a full rebound.