Pro-Ron Paul super PAC spending $1.4 million in Florida

A Ron Paul super PAC is getting into the Florida fight and so is one for Newt Gingrich, Romney has hired Bachmann’s debate coach, Brown and Warren actually agree on something.

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WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:

* Endorse Liberty, a PAC supporting Texas Rep. Ron Paul, says it will spend $1.4 million in radio and TV ad time in Florida, even though the candidate himself is basically skipping the winner-take-all state as part of his delegate-focused strategy.

* Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has hired a new debate coach. Brett O’Donnell was the chief debate coach for Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) during her presidential bid; he was also one of her speechwriters. O’Donnell was spotted at a Romney event Monday and is helping the candidate with debate prep.

* A super PAC backing former House speaker Newt Gingrich has bought $354,522 of air time in Florida for the next four days. Winning Our Future spokesman Rick Tyler called it an “initial buy. We will run something new, something old, something big and something bold.” The pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future has already spent $5 million in the Sunshine State.

* Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) has suffered a stroke and is recovering from surgery at a Chicago hospital. The 52-year-old senator will likely face permanent physical damage. “I think his prospects for a full mental recovery are pretty good,” neurosurgeon Richard Fessler told reporters. “I think the prospects for his full physical recovery, particularly on the left side of his body, are not great.”

WHAT YOU SHOULDN’T MISS:

* After some partisan squabbling, both candidates in the Massachusetts Senate race have signed a pledge barring super PACs and other third-party groups from getting involved. Even without outside spending, the fight between Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) and Harvard Law Professor Elizabeth Warren (D) could be the most expensive in history.

* An aide to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has been put on leave . Michael J. Brennan, the senator’s Southwest Florida regional director, was arrested for domestic violence battery Saturday night after his wife told police he rolled her up in a carpet and beat her.

* Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) raised $1.75 million in the fourth quarter of 2011; he has $2.7 million on hand for what will be a tough reelection fight. Democrats Lois Frankel and Patrick Murphy have both raised about $1.4 million for their bids against West so far.

* While Rep. Jeff Landry (R-La.) has yet to announce whether he’s running for reelection, the freshman lawmaker is touting his support in the tea party movement with a press release. Thanks ro redistricting, Landry has been thrown into the same district as fellow GOP Rep. Charles Boustany.

* There’s a debate tonight! As always, we’ll be liveblogging, starting at 8:30 p.m. eastern time. The debate itself starts at 9 and will livestream here.

THE FIX MIX:

Bon Joviver.

With Rachel Weiner and Aaron Blake