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Rush Limbaugh: 'I Like Rubio'

Eric Kleefeld | November 25, 2009, 11:38AM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

The Marco Rubio campaign has now posted a very interesting YouTube video, in which the conservative insurgent candidate for Senate wins the praise of a notable right-wing activist and Florida resident: Rush Limbaugh.

"I like Rubio," said Limbaugh, in a guest appearance on a local Florida radio show. "I've never met him, nor have I met Crist, but I know that there's a sea change brewing and effervescing in this country."

And Limbaugh took aim at Charlie Crist's provocative insistence that he's a conservative, and Crist's ridicule of his detractors: "I noticed that Crist is out there now, 'Hey what do you mean, who says I'm not conservative? I'm pro-life, I'm pro-gun, well I don't know what more I have to be, except angry.' That's not gonna sit well."

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Crist's Plan For FL-Sen: Throw A Little Gas On The Fire

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 24, 2009, 5:50PM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

Gov. Charlie Crist asked for a fight. And now he's getting one. Yesterday, Crist asked Marco Rubio's Republican supporters to explain why they're so "angry."

Today, came the predictable response:

"Charlie Crist is demonstrating an alarming contempt for the very Republican voters whose support he seeks," Rubio spokesperson Alex Burgos said. "Crist is clearly frustrated about his self-made credibility crisis and his endorsement of a stimulus policy that has failed to create the jobs he promised, but these are not acceptable excuses for him to lash out at Republicans."

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Charlie Crist

Crist: 'It's Hard To Be More Conservative Than I Am'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 23, 2009, 3:03PM

Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R)

Gov. Charlie Crist is attacking Marco Rubio's supporters as too extreme to win the Florida Senate race, pointing to their support of the birther movement as evidence that Rubio isn't a real Florida Republican.

Crist sat down with the St. Petersburg Times for what the paper calls a "wide-ranging interview" today on the heated primary fight. Crist, on the difference between his base and Rubio's:

"There are a lot of Republicans that don't have the inclination to go to executive committee meetings,'' he said. "There is wide swath of republican voters out there that don't necessarily listen to cable tv all the time."

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Rubio Has No Plans To Meet With Palin Next Week, Camp Says

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 20, 2009, 5:17PM

Fmr. St. Rep. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Fmr. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist

Though he had nothing but praise for Sarah Palin, a spokesperson for Marco Rubio told TPMDC this afternoon that Rubio has no plans to to meet up with Palin when she's in Florida hawking her bestselling book next week.

"It's unlikely," Rubio spokesperson Alex Burgos said when asked about a Rubio-Palin joint appearance during the three days Palin will spend crisscrossing Florida starting Monday. "The plan is for Marco to be in Miami with his family for Thanksgiving next week."

Burgos said that Rubio and Palin haven't spoken so far during Senate primary, but hastened to add that Rubio has nothing but good things to say about the former Alaska governor. "Marco has a positive opinion of her and what she's done in Alaska," Burgos said of Palin. "She is definitely someone who's support he'd very much appreciate."

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Sarah Palin

Who's Palin Backing In FL-Sen? Dems Want To Know

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 20, 2009, 1:41PM

Fmr. St. Rep. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Fmr. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist

The Sarah Palin roadshow rolls into Florida next week, and Democrats want to know if Palin will take any time off from Going Rogue to wade into the state's contentious GOP senate primary.

The DSCC sent Palin and open letter this afternoon calling on the former Alaska governor to take a stand in the race between Gov. Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio. The primary is swiftly becoming the next NY-23, with Rubio taking the role of insurgent Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman and Crist increasingly worried he'll be Scozzafavaed. In the New York race, Palin endorsed Hoffman, helping to lead what eventually became a sprint away from the GOP nominee by most national Republicans.

Now the DSCC wants to know -- will Palin do it again?

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Poll: Rubio Trails Crist In Primary By Only 10 Points, Keeps Crist Under 50

Eric Kleefeld | November 19, 2009, 1:55PM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

The new Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll of the Florida Republican Senate primary finds conservative former state House Speaker Marco Rubio catching up on moderate Gov. Charlie Crist.

The numbers: Crist 47%, Rubio 37%. Way back in January, Crist was ahead by 57%-11%.

Crist became vulnerable to a conservative primary challenge when he endorsed the stimulus package, and even hugged President Obama. He has since denied that he endorsed it, despite all evidence to the contrary.

Kos thinks Rubio will easily win the race: "Crist's only chance for political survival is a party switch, to either (I) or (D)." The poll also finds that the likely Democratic nominee, Rep. Kendrick Meek, is currently a non-player against either Crist and Rubio, and only becomes relevant in a three-way race with an independent Crist, which is roughly tied (full numbers not yet released).

(Via Dave Weigel)

Charlie Crist

Flashback: Crist 'Absolutely' Would Have Voted For Stimulus

Eric Kleefeld | November 17, 2009, 10:52AM

Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R)

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) has been trying to downplay or even deny his past support for the stimulus package, which has been used as a major wedge issue in his Senate primary by the more conservative Marco Rubio. Now Rolling Stone's Tim Dickinson digs up some further evidence against Crist:

"Most revealing, he told CNN on November 4th: "I didn't endorse it, I didn't even have a vote on the darn thing."

But when I interviewed Crist this spring for my piece The GOP Jihad, here's what he told me he'd have done had he had a darn vote:

Rolling Stone: Just a final question: Had you been in the Senate, would you have voted with the other Republicans for the stimulus package?

Crist: Absolutely.

Marco Rubio

A Star Is Born: Marco Rubio To Headline CPAC 2010

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 12, 2009, 3:25PM

Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R-FL)

It's official: Marco Rubio is The Next Big Thing for conservatives. Earlier today, Lisa De Pasquale, the director of the Conservative Political Action Conference, announced that Rubio will be the keynote speaker for next year's CPAC conference.

It's hard to overstate the importance of a CPAC appearance for a conservative politician. The annual conference of young conservatives draws thousands of right-wing activists and media outlets, offering the keynote speaker a national platform to address the future of the Republican party's conservative base. The conference will kick off early next year.

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Charlie Crist's Congressman Refuses To Endorse Him

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 10, 2009, 10:47AM

Rep. C.W. "Bill" Young (R-FL), Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R)

Gov. Charlie Crist may have the backing of the national GOP establishment in the Florida Republican senate primary, but the man who personally represents Crist in Washington isn't ready to add his name to the list of Republicans who say he'd make a better candidate than Marco Rubio.

Rep. C.W. "Bill" Young represents Crist's home district in Pinellas County, near Tampa Bay. When the St. Petersburg Times caught up with him at a Rubio speech yesterday, he stayed mum on the GOP civil war that's grabbing headlines across the country.

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Club For Growth Backs Rubio

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 9, 2009, 9:50AM

Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R-FL)

This morning's lesson: In politics, money can buy you love.

The Club For Growth, a key player in the GOP conservative-vs.-moderate drama unfolding across the country, endorsed Marco Rubio in the Florida senate race. Rubio has long espoused the values of the Club, but it had declined to publicly back him against Gov. Charlie Crist in the GOP primary after early fundraising numbers showed Rubio sputtering out against Crist's legendary money machine. But that was before declining poll numbers and the conservative anger at Crist's support of President Obama's stimulus package pushed Rubio into the national spotlight. Crist's fundraising has declined, while Rubio's has grown at an exponential pace. That, it seems, has pushed the Club For Growth off the fence in Florida and squarely into the Rubio camp.

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Club For Growth's New Involvement In Florida Race Spurred By Rubio's Fundraising Success

Eric Kleefeld | November 6, 2009, 5:17PM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

Yesterday, the Club For Growth launched a new attack ad against Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL), a moderate who is facing a challenge in the GOP primary for Senate from the more conservative former state House Speaker Marco Rubio -- which was, in fact, a change from the Club's previous skepticism about getting involved in this race.

Back in July, when Crist was much further ahead in both polls and fundraising, the Club's executive director David Keating had said the Club was still looking at where it could best spend its money: "We have to look at his race versus all the others we're interested in, and there are going to be a lot of competitive races."

Today, Keating told TPM that Rubio's recent pick-up in fundraising, taking in about $1 million for the previous quarter, was an encouraging sign.

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Club For Growth Targets Crist With Florida TV Ad

Rachel Slajda | November 5, 2009, 12:38PM

Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R)

Club for Growth, the conservative group that bankrolled Doug Hoffman's failed candidacy in NY-23, has, not surprisingly, set its sights on Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) today with an ad that will air on Florida television.

The ad attacks Crist for supporting the stimulus and speaking in favor of it at rallies with President Obama. It claims "200,000 Floridians have lost their jobs" since the stimulus passed.

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NRSC

NRSC Won't Spend Money In Contested Primaries

Eric Kleefeld | November 4, 2009, 2:05PM

State Rep. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), Florida Gov. Charlie Crist (R)

On the heels of the NY-23 special House election, in which Conservative Party insurgent Doug Hoffman overtook moderate GOP nominee Dede Scozzafava, only to lose to Democrat Bill Owens, NRSC chairman John Cornyn (R-TX) has announced that the GOP's national Senate committee will not be spending money in contested primaries.

"There's no incentive for us to weigh in," Cornyn told ABC News. "We have to look at our resources."

This could have huge ramifications in the Florida Senate race, where moderate Gov. Charlie Crist has been endorsed by the NRSC, and faces the more conservative former state House Speaker Marco Rubio. Crist has already emerged as a new top target for the same right-wing activists who went after Scozzafava.

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Is Charlie Crist The Next Moderate GOPer On Right-Wing Hit List?

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 3, 2009, 3:21PM

Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R)

No matter what the final outcome, the NY-23 race has changed the game for Republican primaries. Conservatives across the country are now in a search for the next Dede Scozzafava, the establishment GOP nominee Conservative party candidate Doug Hoffman was able to defeat by convincing rank-and-file Republicans to leave the candidate their party's leaders had chosen.

In Florida, Marco Rubio's campaign says conservatives have found their new Dede in Gov. Charlie Crist.

Read more »

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Rubio: GOP Needs To Stand Up To Obama, Not Cooperate

Eric Kleefeld | October 22, 2009, 6:35PM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

Former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio, the conservative insurgent candidate in the Republican primary for Senate, appeared on the Fox Business Channel to draw contrast between himself and the moderate Gov. Charlie Crist -- and gave a very broad, telling statement about the direction of the Republican Party.

Rubio attacked Crist for supporting President Obama's stimulus bill, supporting cap-and-trade, and for raising taxes and fees in Florida. "I don't believe that's the direction our party should head, and more importantly, I think now more than ever we need to send people to Washington, D.C., that will stand up to the agenda of Barack Obama and of the leaders of the Congress, not cooperate with them on these things -- and more importantly, that will offer a clear alternative."

In the current battles between the party establishment and the grassroots right -- such as Rubio vs. Crist in Florida, and Scozzafava vs. Hoffman in NY-23 -- this has become the big issue, of the GOP base wanting to see Republicans who will fight Obama at all fronts, and not cooperate.

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Crist Supporter's Private Poll: Crist Lead Over Rubio Back To 20

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 22, 2009, 5:46PM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

Gov. Charlie Crist's senate campaign alerted reporters this afternoon to the results of a new private poll fielded by Crist supporters early last week. The poll, fielded by the Florida police union that endorsed Crist in the GOP primary on Monday, shows Crist with more than 20 point lead over former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.

The poll, first reported by the St. Petersburg Times, shows Crist leading the race 53-29. That flies in the face of recent public polling showing Rubio gaining on Crist.

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Another Poll Shows Rubio Gaining On Crist

Eric Kleefeld | October 21, 2009, 12:41PM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

The new Rasmussen poll of the Florida Republican Senate primary confirms that the race is getting closer between the frontrunner, the moderate Gov. Charlie Crist, and the more conservative former state House Speaker Marco Rubio.

The numbers: Crist 49%, Rubio 35%, with a ±4.5% margin of error. Back in August, Crist had been ahead by 53%-31%.

This is nearly identical to this morning's Quinnipiac poll, which has Crist ahead by 50%-35%.

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Q Poll: Rubio Gaining On Crist, Meek Beats Rubio

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 21, 2009, 6:51AM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

A new poll shows the drama is increasing in the Florida senate race. Former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, the conservative Republican who's been gaining traction among the state's GOP base, has moved within 15 points of Gov. Charlie Crist in the Republican primary. Crist leads the race 50-35 in the latest Quinnipiac University poll, half of his margin over Rubio from the last Q poll.

But though Rubio may be connecting with Republicans, the poll shows independents and moderate Democrats are not sold. In a potential matchup against the likely Democratic nominee, Rep. Kendrick Meek, Rubio trails 36-33. Crist continues to dominate against Meek, leading that potential race 51-31.

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Crist Rewrites History On Stimulus Support

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 19, 2009, 6:49PM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL)

Facing a primary challenge from the right, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is suddenly attacking President Obama for stimulus spending just six months after backing the stimulus package.

Crist defended his new radio ads slamming President Obama over his economic policy this afternoon, claiming that he joined the president at a pro-stimulus rally in February because, "I think it's the right thing to do to honor the office of President of the United States."

But video from the event tells a very different story.

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Inhofe Breaks With NRSC, Backs Rubio Over Crist

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 19, 2009, 5:48PM

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK)

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) endorsed Marco Rubio in the Florida GOP senate primary this afternoon. Inhofe is the second conservative senator to buck his party's national senate committee, which has already announced its public endorsement of Rubio's primary opponent, Gov. Charlie Crist.

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Crist Unfriends Obama

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 19, 2009, 2:31PM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL)

There was a time not so long ago when Gov. Charlie Crist (R) and President Obama saw eye-to-eye on economic policy. But that was before Crist announced his bid for Senate.

Crist's first radio ads slam Obama over his plan to, as Crist says in the script, "spend our way into prosperity." The popular Florida governor once (literally) embraced the stimulus package and the Obama plan to, well, spend America back into prosperity. But a summer of attacks from the right, led by former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, appear to have brought that bipartisan spirit to an end.

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Crist Tacks Right: They Called Me 'Chain Gang Charlie'

Eric Kleefeld | October 14, 2009, 1:09PM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL), who is fending off a challenge from the right by former state House Speaker Marco Rubio in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, is busy burnishing his conservative credentials, the Lakeland Ledger reports.

"When I was in the state Senate I was nicknamed 'Chain Gang Charlie,'" said Crist. "It's hard to get right of that."

Crist also boasted that he has been "about as conservative as you can get": "No governor has cut taxes more, no governor has vetoed more pork bills and no governor has spent more time reducing spending."

The single biggest issue that Rubio can use against Crist is the governor's endorsement of President Obama's stimulus bill. Let's see if "Chain Gang Charlie" can fight his way out of it.

Marco Rubio

NRSC Responds To Rubio: We're Rubber And You're Glue

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 8, 2009, 6:23PM

Frmr. House Speaker Marco Rubio (R-FL)

Late this afternoon, NRSC communications director Brian Walsh responded to Marco Rubio's claim today that national Republicans are shrill and lazy. The NRSC has publicly endorsed Rubio's opponent in the Florida senate race, Gov. Charlie Crist (R), and it's fair to say Rubio's take on the tone in D.C. was aimed squarely at many of the group's senior leadership.

Walsh writes,

"I'm going to decline to comment. If Marco think[s] it's useful to spend time attacking fellow Republicans that's his decision. We're focused on building on the momentum Republicans have been seeing in the polls the last few months as more Americans make clear they do not support the big spending, big government policies that are being pushed by President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi."

NRSC officials pointed to Crist's continuing lead in polls and money to show that Rubio's message was falling on deaf ears.

Marco Rubio

Rubio: Republicans in Washington Are Shrill and Lazy

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 8, 2009, 1:01PM

Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio (R-FL)

Marco Rubio, the man who hopes to deny Gov. Charlie Crist the Republican Senate nomination in Florida next year, is blasting his party's leadership in Washington for "shrill" rhetoric that he blames on "laziness."

In an interview with TPMDC this morning, Rubio said he's gaining traction against Crist because he's taking a different tack from national Republicans.

"In essence, that shrillness is a product of laziness," he said. "It's a lot harder to defeat people intellectually than it is to smear them. That's true on both sides, by the way."

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Crist Raises $2.4 Million In Third Quarter For Florida Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | October 8, 2009, 11:41AM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL), the frontrunner for the 2010 Senate race in his state, raised $2.4 million in the third quarter, and has $6.2 million on hand.

It is not immediately known how much of the money can be used in the Republican primary, where Crist faces a challenge from the more conservative former state House Speaker Marco Rubio. Rubio has raised much less money, taking in only about $1 million in this past quarter and $350,00 in the quarter before that. His campaign has said that nearly all the money is for the primary, but it's probably still much lower than Crist's primary funds.

Rubio campaign spokesman Alex Burgos responded to the numbers in a statement to TPM: "Money can't wipe away Charlie Crist's record of support for wasteful stimulus spending, historic tax increases and cap-and-trade. We're going to make sure he spends every last cent trying."

(Additional reporting by Evan McMorris-Santoro.)

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Ex-Miami Mayor Enters Senate Race, Targets Hispanics

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 7, 2009, 10:51AM

Sen. Candidate Maurice Ferre (D-FL)

Former Mayor of Miami Maurice Ferre announced his bid for the Democratic nomination in Florida's open U.S. Senate race this morning. Ferre, a native of Puerto Rico, is expected to make Florida's sizable Hispanic community a centerpiece of his campaign.

The 74 year-old was first elected to run Florida's largest city in 1973, becoming the first Puerto Rican to get the job. He served six terms before being defeated in 1985. He's been out of public office since 1996, and the last time he won a race of 1993. Since that time, Ferre lost three successive bids for Miami-Dade county mayor, the last coming in 2004.

When he first started talking about running for the Senate back in early Sept., Ferre said he was troubled that the retirement of Sen. Mel Martinez (R) meant a loss of political power for Hispanics in the Florida, and state activists hoped a Ferre bid could keep their population in the spotlight.

Of course, the race -- which also includes Gov. Charlie Crist (R) and Rep. Kendrick Meek (D) -- already has a Hispanic candidate in former state House Speaker Marco Rubio, who is of Cuban descent. But Hispanics in the state were disappointed with Rubio when he came out against the nomination of Justice Sonia Sotomayor over the summer.

Ferre has a uphill climb if he wants to be competitive in the Dem nomination fight. Meek has been a successful fundraiser and has locked up the endorsements of unions and key national Democrats, including Bill Clinton.

In past conversations, Meek officials have suggested Ferre's candidacy doesn't indicate that Hispanics could be trouble for the Rep., claiming that Meek's relationship with the important Florida demographic group is 'excellent.' They suggest that though Ferre is well-regarded, his candidacy for the nomination is less-than-serious and they don't anticipating it putting a dent in Meek's march toward the nomination next year.

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Rubio Raises Nearly $1 Million In Third Quarter

Eric Kleefeld | October 6, 2009, 10:04AM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

Former Florida state House Speaker Marco Rubio, the insurgent conservative candidate in the Republican primary for Senate, has had a decent third fundraising quarter -- though he is still decidedly an underdog.

Rubio's campaign has announced raising nearly $1 million, a marked improvement from their mere $340,000 last quarter.

The frontrunner in the race, moderate Gov. Charlie Crist, has not yet announced his haul. The Tampa Bay Tribune says that his supporters are speculating about a figure of $2 million -- but also notes that the Crist camp seriously lowballed their estimates last quarter, when he raised over $4 million.

Charlie Crist

Karl Rove Supports Marco Rubio In Florida Senate Race

Eric Kleefeld | October 5, 2009, 2:06PM

Karl Rove, former Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush

Marco Rubio, the former Florida state House Speaker and current insurgent conservative candidate in the 2010 Republican primary for Senate, has just picked up a big-name supporter: Karl Rove, who has donated $1,000 to the campaign.

Rubio is facing an uphill battle against the big favorite in the race, moderate Republican Gov. Charlie Crist. Rubio has hoped to mobilize conservative resentments against Crist, especially over Crist's backing of President Obama's stimulus bill. And as of right now, it appears he has a big ally in his battle against the national GOP establishment.

(Via Political Wire)

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Rubio: "Let's Get A New Establishment"

Eric Kleefeld | September 28, 2009, 11:14AM

Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio (R)

Former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio, the insurgent conservative candidate in the Republican primary for Senate in 2010, is finding his voice as an anti-establishment candidate.

Rubio spoke to a local Republican audience in Panama City, and talked about his uphill fight against moderate Gov. Charlie Crist, who has the support of the GOP establishment. "If you are unhappy with the Republican establishment, then let's get a new establishment," he said.

Rubio also discussed why he's running, saying that the only good reason to run for office is "something wrong in the world that you want to fix or something right in the world that you want to protect."

Of course, Rubio's chance to "get a new establishment" is still pretty low -- a Quinnipiac poll from last month gave Crist a lead of 55%-26%. But for now, Rubio's language reflects an awareness of the situation -- and the sort of things that die-hard party activists like to hear.