Former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania continues to prepare for another shot at the Republican presidential nomination -- even though the polls show he is being eclipsed by other conservative candidates.

Republicans want to win back the U.S. Senate in 2014 and they can help themselves out by winning two special elections being held for open seats in the Northeast later this year. Polls released Monday show the Republicans are in striking distance of winning a contest in Massachusetts later this month but picking up the seat in New Jersey come October might be tough -- especially if Newark Mayor Cory Booker is the Democratic nominee.

Floridas next crop of Republican leaders could be falling into the same trap that ensnared a prominent Sunshine State politician who pulled defeat out of the jaws of victory.?

On Monday, Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies (Crossroads GPS), a group with ties to Republican super-PAC American Crossroads, unveiled a major advertising campaign to support immigration reform in Congress which features prominent Florida Republicans.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush, who is a possible presidential candidate in 2016, is featured in Crossroads GPS ads. So are three Republicans who have generated buzz as candidates for higher office down the road -- state CFO Jeff Atwater, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, and House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel.

Bill Nelson keeps downplaying talk that he will challenge Gov. Rick Scott in 2014 -- but that hasnt kept Florida's Democratic senior United States senator from exchanging fire with state Republicans.