The Majority Leader did not signal support for either Florida Gov. Crist or state House Speaker Marco Rubio by name.

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The senator said he passed the "litmus test" of being a true conservative over J.D. Hayworth on opposition to earmarks, pork.

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Recent polls have shown key parts of the Democratic base are less motivated than their Republican counterparts to vote this cycle but that doesn't worry California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton.

Burton said young people will go to the polls in November with a specific issue in mind -- pot.

Young supporters of President Obama will turnout in order to support the ballot initiative to tax and regulate pot in California, Burton told the San Francisco Chronicle Friday before the state party’s convention kicked off in Los Angeles. 

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) continues to boost his national profile as he denies any plans to run for president.

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Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) warned that Democrats must match the Tea Party's energy and enthusiasm or face the consequences.

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Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond (D) will jump into the race against Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

He'lll announce next Tuesday, the paper said. Washington Democrats encouraged Thurmond to run after Isakson's recent back-to-back hospitalizations for a blood clot and "toxic shock."

Sources tell the Ballot Box Thurmond is a good stump speaker who could energize the party faithful.

If Thurmond does get in he'll join activist R.J. Hadley who is currently the only Democrat officially running.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R) is not ruling out a run for Senate as an independent.

Trailing in the polls by wide margins to former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R), Crist said Friday that he is not considering an independent bid right now, but added that it could be something he could consider in the future.

"I'm not thinking about that today,'' Crist told reporters according to the Miami Herald. "We'll look at that later on." 

Asked if he was considering a independent campaign, he said "No, not really."

His comments came after he vetoed an education bill that is popular among Republicans in the state, further stoking speculation that he will continue his campaign without the support of the GOP.

Crist denied that his veto was a signal of an independent campaign.

"My veto is a signal that I thought the bill was bad,'' he said.

The governor's campaign chairman and former close ally, former Sen. Connie Mack (R), resigned this week in the aftermath of the veto, but Crist seemed unfazed.

"There's always a price to pay for making decisions in life,'' Crist said. "In my business, in the political world, you take hits sometimes.''

A major college football bowl game's donation to a political candidate is an improper use of its money, a group said Friday.

The Fiesta Bowl, one of four major Bowl Championship Series (BCS) games, gave former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) $2,000 to help retire his legal debt in advance of his primary challenge of Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)

PlayoffPAC, a political group that wants a playoff system to replace the BCS, said Friday that the contribution should spark an investigation into the bowl's political activity.

"This news is just the latest in a line of questionable activities by the BCS's Fiesta Bowl," PlayoffPAC spokesman Matt Martinez said in an e-mail. " In the past few months, it's been reported that the Fiesta Bowl has spent $4 million on boondoggles and may also be illegally reimbursing employees’ political contributions.  It's time for public officials to examine this taxpayer-subsidized entity's books and scrutinize them for other potential tax and campaign finance violations."

The group is highlighting the contribution, which was made under the name "Arizona Sports Foundation," in an effort to revive a probe into the bowl game. 

College football's bowl system came between the cross hairs of some members of Congress last year who want it replaced with a playoff system. The BCS has pushed back against government efforts to change the system saying it is outside their purview.

PlayoffPAC filed a complaint with the Arizona Secretary of State on the eve of the Fiesta Bowl in December, saying that some of their political activities violate Arizona and federal campaign finance law that bans the funneling of corporate campaign contributions through individuals.

The group said it is going to follow up on the complaint Monday.

A report in the Arizona Republic said that bowl officials encouraged several Fiesta Bowl employees to write checks to politicians friendly to the bowl and that the bowl reimbursed them.

The Republic also reported that McCain received funds from the bowl in the past. 

The group says there is no indication that Hayworth or McCain did anything wrong by accepting the money.

An investigator hired by the bowl cleared it of any wrongdoing in December but Playoff PAC has said that their inquiry is insufficient. 

"I don't know of any time in my employment that I have gone to someone and asked them to make a contribution and said, 'We will reimburse you,'" Fiesta Bowl President and CEO John Junker said.

The Republican candidate running to replace the late Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) has a website called votemurthaout.com, even though Murtha died more than two months ago.

The only content on the site is GOP nominee Tim Burns's statement on Murtha's death. Some of the links don’t work, but the button for campaign contributions does.

It also links directly to Burns’s Twitter account, which updates regularly on the site. Ballot Box asked Burns's campaign why they didn't remove the site or have the link redirect people to his main campaign site: timburnsforcongress.com.

"The site has not been updated recently and has only remained live with Tim Burns’ statement about the unfortunate passing of Congressman Murtha and highlighting Mr. Murtha’s dedication to public service," Burns campaign spokesman Kent Gates said. "Therefore, there is no need for it to be re-directed to the main site which is focused on the current Special Election for the remainder of the term.”

Burns was running against Murtha before the longtime lawmaker died on Feb. 8. Now Burns is running against a former aide to the congressman in the May 18 special election.