Florida communities are eyeing a "competitive" grant program that could keep $2.4 billion in high-speed rail funds coming to Florida.

Prodded by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., the U.S. Department of Transportation is leaving the door open to local entities that want to bid for the stimulus money rejected by Gov. Rick Scott.

Eligible applicants are states, groups of states, Amtrak or other government agencies that are authorized to "provide intercity or high-speed rail service on behalf of states or a group of states," according to DOT documents.

Karl Rove says he's "furious."

He's furious at the president's "lies" about Obamacare.

He's still furious about Barack Obama's State of the Union address.

And the agitated Republican mastermind is banking on Florida to help turn things around in 2012.

In an exclusive interview with Sunshine State News, Rove said Floridians, along with the rest of the country, have finally awakened to a grim political and economic reality.

"Florida thought [Obama] was a centrist in 2008; 2012 will be much more competitive," he predicted.

A second wave of tea party activists gets back to work in Tallahassee Thursday, meeting with top state officials on budget and policy issues.

In the wake of Tuesday's tea rally outside the old Capitol, 138 tea party leaders will set up shop in the Knott Building, where they will hear from Senate President Mike Haridopolos, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and others.

An estimated 10,000 to 15,000 "Awake the State" demonstrators turned out in 30 cities across Florida on Tuesday to protest Gov. Rick Scott's budget plans.

In Fort Lauderdale, more than 1,000 protesters virtually encircled the federal courthouse downtown -- swamping a smaller gathering of tea party activists who were rallying in support of Scott.

"We were inundated," said Danita Kilcullen, a leader of Tea Party Fort Lauderdale. Kilcullen said some of her group's signs were "snatched" when the "Awake the State" crowd spilled over.

Announcing that "bold reforms are under way," Gov. Rick Scott delivered his inaugural State of the State address Tuesday night with the declaration: "Our success will be the model for the nation."

Acknowledging boisterous rallies outside the Capitol earlier in the day, the Republican governor said, "Thousands of our fellow Floridians have assembled here in our capital -- some to criticize our budget priorities, and far more to thank us for our willingness to make hard choices."

Rumors of a growing rift between the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott are wildly exaggerated, says Senate President Mike Haridopolos.

The Merritt Island Republican dismissed as "pure hogwash" press speculation that leading GOP lawmakers are distancing themselves from Scott.

"On all the issues that matter, we're all together," Haridopolos said of Scott, House Speaker Dean Cannon and himself. "Leadership without equivocation supports [Scott]. We see eye to eye on every major policy front."