Crist Jumps Into Senate Race

By Thomas Francis Tue., May 12 2009 at 9:26 AM

Categories: Florida, Politics

Flickr User: CABridges

The would-be future senator with the soon-to-be past Sen. Martinez.

Now we got ourselves a bona fide political jamboree. Charlie Crist will seek Florida's U.S. Senate seat on behalf of the ~~Dixiecrat~~, I mean the ~~Whig~~, I mean the (could this be right?) Republican Party, even though other Republicans say they've already picked a guy named Marco Rubio.

The boyish former Florida House speaker welcomed Crist to the race with a blistering attack.

In an interview with POLITICO, (Rubio) singled out Crist for abandoning conservative principles and compared the governor to moderate Republican Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine and Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.

"If we're offering the same thing as the Democrats but with different packaging, what's the point in having a Republican Party?" Rubio said. "I'm going to offer Floridians a clear, consistent, authentic small-government choice in the primary."

So pop your popcorn and get comfortable. You'll be reading about 2,000 variations of that quote between now and August 2010, when Florida's registered Republicans finally settle this here duel. In the meantime, don't be surprised to see Crist veer right the way he did the last time political opportunity clashed with his moderate ways -- roughly one year ago, as the John McCain veepstakes loomed.