WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney's recent losses to Rick Santorum in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota revealed a truism that Romney might want to study -- but not too much!

All of a sudden Denise Grimsley finds herself smack in the middle of a tug-of-war between House and Senate -- maneuvering the budget -- the thing that morphs into the annual showdown to decide which is the stronger chamber.

The head of the House budget talks is walking a tightrope. She has a job to do now, but she wants to be accepted as one of the gang and by her potential boss in the Senate next year.

Is she worried? Not in the slightest, says the Sebring Republican.

The 7th Congressional District primary battle pitting Republican Reps. Sandy Adams and John Mica is starting out as a contest of fire and ice.

The freshman Adams turned a flamethrower on Mica Thursday, saying, "I don't believe in backing down because someone tries to bully me out of a race."

Mica, a 10-term congressman, coolly deflected the broadside before formally announcing his campaign for CD 7, centered mainly in Seminole, Orange and southern Volusia counties.

Following his sweep of contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri on Tuesday, Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum has rocketed in the race for the GOP nomination -- and drawn increased fire from his rivals.

The Santorum campaign has accelerated its fundraising pace. Starting on Wednesday, the team behind the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania brought in more than $2.4 million in funds by Friday afternoon.

Santorum is also making a move in the polls.

With Sunday marking the 203rd anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, the time seems ripe to re-examine how Barack Obama tried to copy that presidents playbook in staffing his administration.

The war over the state's political boundaries entered its next stage Thursday, as final passage of the Legislature's redistricting plan for the state's congressional delegation was met with a lawsuit backed by the Florida Democratic Party and the threat of more to come.

Within moments of the Senate approving the plan on a bipartisan, 32-5 margin, the Democratic Party announced that several voters working with the party had filed a lawsuit challenging the maps on the grounds that they violate the anti-gerrymandering Fair Districts amendments approved by voters last fall.

Yes, Virginia, there is a religious war going on. It is for the soul of America. And traditional Christianity is besieged.

Port officials and backers are hailing Gov. Rick Scotts decision to float $22.5 million in transportation funding to pump up the petroleum capacity at the Port of Tampa.

The Florida Ports Council says the money will help Florida in its fight against other coastal states for growing international trade.

The Florida Petroleum Marketing and Convenience Store Association looks at the expansion of the ports ability to handle more petroleum as an opportunity to bulk up on supplies in a state that annually faces threats of hurricanes from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.

Two more Republicans jumped into the 6th Congressional District contest Thursday, ensuring at least a three-way GOP primary there.

Freshman state Rep. Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, announced his intentions a day after Rep. John Mica, R-Orlando, declared he would run for re-election in theneighboring 7th Congressional District. Mica's move sets up a primary showdown with freshman Rep. Sandy Adams there.

Hours later, former federal prosecutor Ron DeSantis joined the CD 6 race.

Businessman Craig Miller was the first to file for that contest last week.

With a month left in the regular session, the Florida House approved a $69.2 billion budget Thursday that increases Pre-K-12 education by 9.5 percent while bumping up college tuition and reducing hospital payments.

Expect there to be serious conference negotiations ahead as the Senate continues to hammer out its financial plan for the 2012-2013 fiscal year.

House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, called the fiscal plan a prudent approach to funding essential government functions, including education, transportation infrastructure, public safety and economic development.