After 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the Baton

A poll unveiled on Tuesday from Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to prominent Democrats, found Gov. Rick Perry of Texas leading the Republican pack in Iowa, home of the first caucus. Perry topped the poll with 22 percent followed by former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts with 19 percent. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, who won the Iowa straw poll in Ames earlier in the month, placed third with 18 percent followed by U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who placed second in Ames, with 16 percent.

Six of Floridas Catholic bishops -- Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, Bishop Gerald Barbarito of Palm Beach, Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice, Bishop John Noonan of Orlando and Bishop Felipe Estez of St. Augustine -- wrote Gov. Rick Scott appealing to him to stay the execution of Manuel Valle, a convicted cop killer who has been on death row for more than 30 years. The Florida Supreme Court issued a stay in July due to concerns about the drugs that were going to be used to execute Valle.

While there had been speculation that former Florida House Speaker Allan Bense would seek the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, the former state legislative leader endorsed a candidate already in the field -- former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner. Hasner announced on Tuesday that Bense would serve as chairman of his campaign. In his statement backing Hasner, Bense took a shot at former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux who is also seeking the Republican nomination.