NEW YORK -- Despite its considerable gains in the midterm elections, the GOP has a problem looming in the margins named Sarah Palin.

Hard-luck farmers, ranchers and citrus growers stand to benefit from the Legislature's impending override of Gov. Charlie Crist's veto of House Bill 981.

A day after naming Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, as president pro tempore and Sen. Andy Gardner, R-Orlando, as majority leader, incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, named three more members of his leadership team.

Outgoing House Democratic Leader Franklin Sands will seek to replace Florida Democratic Party Chairwoman Karen Thurman if she resigns, as some have encouraged her to do in the wake of brutal losses last week.

Gov. Charlie Crist, flanked by Attorney General Bill McCollum, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink and Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles Bronson, presided over one of the last meetings of the Florida Cabinet Tuesday, tackling a jump in sinkhole claims and a proposed development in Polk County that led to a small flap with the Department of Community Affairs.

By appointing Mike Bennett his president pro tempore a mostly ceremonial jester of a job with a puffed-up title our incoming Senate president showed me hes one smart dude.

Though U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, was elected commissioner of agriculture and consumer services last week, he isnt new to Tallahassee.

When incoming Gov. Rick Scott was putting his transition team together, he tapped two out-of-state attorneys and a cadre of Jeb Bush advisers.

Incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, named his leadership team Tuesday -- tapping Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, as president pro tempore, while Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, was selected to serve as Republican leader.