Welcome to

Once again Florida is at the center of presidential politics. There’s a GOP primary debate in Tampa tonight, one in Jacksonville Thursday, and still no clear frontrunner. Florida’s cabinet members are lining up behind Mitt Romney. Governor Rick Scott isn’t endorsing, but as Whitney Ray tells us, his image is being used in an attack ad.

This attack ad running in Florida all week features Mitt Romney.

“While Romney was a director of the Damon Corporation, the company was defrauding Medicare of millions,” says a narrator.

Toward the end of the 30 second TV spot, Romney turns into Governor Rick Scott.

“Corporate Greed. Medicare Fraud. Sound Familiar?”

The ad is sponsored by AFSME. The union is trying to draw a line from Romney to Governor Rick Scott. Scott isn’t endorsing. He offered this advice to all the candidates on Fox News Monday.

“Get around the state. Talk to people and tell them, why are you going to change the direction of this economy,” said Scott.

Florida’s three cabinet members endorsed Romney weeks ago.

“I firmly believe he is the candidate who can beat Barack Obama,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“Romney has an extraordinary business background that I think best positions him to lead us out of this economic crisis,” said Adam Putnam, Commissioner of Agriculture.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam isn’t worried about Romney’s defeat in South Carolina or a new poll that shows him down nine points to Newt Gingrich.

“I worked with Speaker Gingrich when I was in Washington and I feel his troubled past, his record, his erratic temperament is ill-suited for the presidency,” said Putnam.

Putnam says having no clear frontrunner is proof moving the state’s primary forward was the right decision.
Early voting is underway. 250-thousand people have voted either early or absentee. Their voters are expected to favor Romney since Gingrich only began to surge during the past few days.