Citing the Florida Constitution, a statewide tea party group is calling on Gov. Rick Scott to bow out of the "Race to the Top" competition for federal education funding.

This grant not only costs Florida taxpayers more in the long-term, it will remove quality control from the legislative process, and it goes against the Florida state Constitution, Tea Party Network Chairwoman Patricia Sullivan stated in a letter to Scott.

Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich, D-Weston, and Rep. Lori Berman, D-Delray Beach, announcedTuesday that theyhave once again filed legislation -- SCR 180 and HCR 8003 -- asking Florida's Republican-dominated Legislature to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Calling for cuts in foreign aid across the globe, Ron Paul said such programs "take money from poor people in this country and give to rich people in other countries."

The Texas congressman extended his criticism to the weapons deal engineered with Iran by the Reagan administration. That drew a stiff rebuke from Rick Santorum, but a defense from Newt Gingrich, who noted that Reagan later concluded that the Iran deal was "a mistake."

Ron Paul won rousing applause Tuesday night for a call to get government out of health care.

"If you want better health care, allow people to opt out of government programs," the Texas congressman said.

"As soon as you give control to the government, the corporations line up. Already insurance rates are going up," Paul said at the CNN Debate in Las Vegas.

Paul garnered more cheers when he waded into the immigration debate and urged that U.S. troops be "brought home" to patrol the border.