In his first formal press conference in months, Barack Obama showed that getting re-elected can increase a president's confidence and combativeness. He staked out tough stands on several issues, especially on the looming budget negotiations.

You have to hand it to the Democrats and their pals in the mainstream media. Nobody touches these guys for sheer hypocrisy.

Last week the U.S. Census Bureau released a follow-up report to its most recent study on poverty rates in the United States. The proposed Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM)claims it measures poverty more accurately than the official statistics the federal government currently relies on.

And the picture it paints of Florida is less than flattering.

In what many see as the first steps toward the 2016 presidential contest, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Miami, outlined a road map for his party while attending a birthday party in Iowa for Gov. Terry Branstad (view a video of the speech below):

-- Lower taxes to spur economic growth rather than raise taxes on the wealthiest individuals.

-- Reduce regulation on small business.

-- Revamp immigration to help those who want to become Americans.