The video that turned the Florida Senate into a laughingstock around the world is now a week and a half old.

Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, has apologized to his family, his constituents and the Florida Legislature for looking at the personal e-mail showing four g-strung, nipple-exposed young women, while a debate on abortion was proceeding on the Senate floor.

It was an accident, he said. The e-mail came from an old and trusted friend. He said as soon as he saw the contents, he stored it.

Though 31 RepublicanParty of Floridacredit card holders -- staff members, legislative leaders and political aides-- racked up$7.3 million in American Express charges between 2007 and 2010, those fat AmEx expenditures actuallyrepresented less than 15 percent of party expenses during that period.

It's a fact, said RPOF spokeswoman Katie Gordon Betta. The RPOF raised more than $50.9 million during the sameperiod --and spent more than it took in: $51.6 million.

Despite what current polls say, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson insists that the battle for the opening Senate seat will be a two-man race in Florida. Nelson is predicting that Republican Marco Rubio will fade down the stretch, leaving Gov.

The story of Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, opening up a pornographic image on his state-issued laptop has made waves across the nation and abroad.

Besides being picked up by countless local news shops and online blogs, Bennett's story has drawn interest from England, Germany, Columbia, Australia, and several other countries.

By Friday of this week, the Senate Majority leader hopes to conclude debate on the financial reform bill. This bill has been pending for more than 3 weeks and major legislation is getting backed-up due to the valuable floor time it is consuming. Passing financial reform out of the Senate this week will be a tough feat for the Senate Democrats, because more than 100 amendments remain to be considered.

Jeb Bush and Republican U.S. Senate contender Marco Rubio campaigned together for the first time Friday night, with the former governor urging supporters at a crowded GOP fund-raiser in Wesley Chapel to return to their foundational beliefs.

Bush drew standing ovations at the Pasco County Ronald Reagan dinner and lavished praise on Rubio, who he formally endorsed earlier this week in a move given added loft by rival Charlie Crists earlier decision to break with the Republican Party and continue his Senate campaign as an independent.

Some might have thought the slick talk in Florida would have ended when lawmakers wrapped up the 2010 session, but official Tallahassee could not talk enough about oil this week.

The Senate spent the week debating the financial reform bill and overwhelmingly passed the Boxer amendment by a vote of 96 to 1.