MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Fifty Julys ago, up the road near San Francisco, in the unfortunately named Cow Palace, the Republican National Convention gave its presidential nomination to Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, who knew he would lose: Americans were not going to have a third president in 14 months. Besides, his don't-fence-me-in libertarian conservatism was ahead of its time. His agenda, however, was to change his party's national brand.

The campaign for speaker of the Florida House of Representatives for the 1978-'80 term was more closely watched than normal.

This week, a Republican congressman from Florida drew fire from the right over his support of gay marriage.

U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla., told the Washington Post on Monday that he supports same-sex marriage and applauded a Monroe County judge who, last week, struck down the state constitutional amendment passed by voters recognizing only traditional marriage in Florida.