A last-minute debt and deficit package easily passed the House of Representatives Monday night, but was roundly thrashed by the right and left.

The measure, which is expected to clear the Senate on Tuesday, includes $3 trillion in budget cuts and a two-step, $2.4 trillion increase in the national debt ceiling.

The deal was demanded by administration officials and business groups that said upping the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling was essential to averting a government default by midnight Tuesday.

Its funny there is a sense of urgency this time around on Americas debt, not only in Washington with our political leaders, but also with us back home on Main Street and from sea to shining sea in our country.

When lawmakers begin preparing for next year's legislative session in September, one of their priorities should be taking another look at laws dealing with immigrants, Gov. Rick Scott said Monday.

Scott said the Legislature missed its best opportunity to do something about illegal immigration last session, because it's a debate that's "better to have in a non-election year than an election year" because things can get "blown out of proportion" during election years.

"We should have gotten something done on immigration," Scott said.

Mocked by The Wall Street Journal and Sen. John McCain as the little people of the "Lord of the Rings" books, the Tea Party "Hobbits" are indeed returning to Middle Earth -- to nail the coonskin to the wall.

While the Republican primary to take on Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012 is more than a year away, on Monday the camps of the two leading GOP hopefuls -- former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux and former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner -- came out swinging at each other.

On Monday, the team behind former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, now running in the Republican primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, came out firing at former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, their chief GOP rival. The LeMieux team took exception to Hasners claims that he is a conservative.

Opening up his office to the general press corps for the first time, Gov. Rick Scott took questions on several issues Monday, ranging from immigration to Florida's primary date to his take on the forthcoming debt ceiling deal on Capitol Hill.

Former Ruth's Chris CEO Craig Miller might have entered the Republican primary field to take on Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson a bit late, but he has shown in recent days that he's trying to make up for it.

Miller has had a busy few days as he tries to catch up with his chief Republican rivals -- former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner and businessman and retired Army officer Mike McCalister.

Worried about the future of a program that funnels money to hospitals, Florida has received another two weeks to reach agreement with federal officials on continuing the states Medicaid managed-care pilot.

The controversial pilot, which requires most Medicaid beneficiaries in five counties to enroll in managed-care plans, was scheduled to expire Sunday. But the state Agency for Health Care Administration sent a letter to federal Medicaid officials on Friday, seeking a 14-day temporary extension.