Partisan politics are roiling Congress' response to the Gulf oil spill.

A Leon County Circuit judge struck from the November ballot on Thursday a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at exempting Florida from the federal health care overhaul, calling the measure placed by the Republican-ruled Legislature manifestly misleading to voters.

His name is a brief synopsis of the American dream, his life story an aspiration toward it, and he may be one of the chief arbiters of who gets to attempt it in Florida.

With immigration emerging as one of the chief issues in the race for the Republican gubernatorial nomination -- and trying to catch up with front-runner Rick Scott -- Attorney General Bill McCollum sponsored a motion at Thursdays Cabinet meeting for state offices to use E-Verify to ensure that no illegal aliens are hired.

Rick Scott holds a 43 to 32 percent lead over Bill McCollum for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, according to a Quinnipiac University poll of likely primary voters.

The fate of the only scheduled statewide television debate between Bill McCollum and Rick Scott remained in doubt Wednesday, despite McCollums bowing to his rivals demand that the contest be held in Jacksonville, not Orlando.

The U.S. House passed a measure Tuesday by a 308-114 vote, continuing the funding of American military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Democratic spin doctors have set out how their side is going to hold onto a majority in the House. They'll capture four at-risk Republican seats, hold half of the next 30 or so Democratic at-risk seats, and avoid significant losses on target seats lower on the list.

Having written a letter on national issues to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson earlier in the month, incoming Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, announced Wednesday that he will conduct a tour of hospitals and health-care facilities across the state, addressing health-related issues, including Medicaid.