…and slams Crist in a statement that the Rubio campaign just released:
“Our country is at a crossroads facing threats from abroad and attempts from within to restructure the very foundation of our freedoms. America requires leaders to face down these challenges who are confident in who they are and what they stand for. Leaders who know that public service is about something bigger than climbing the political ladder and amassing greater political power.
“Washington is broken and Congress is already overflowing with politicians who need pollsters to tell them what to think. It certainly doesn’t need another one. Now more than ever America needs leaders with the strength of conviction. That is why I am proud to endorse Marco Rubio.
“Marco is exactly the kind of a strong conservative leader we need in Washington right now. We can trust Marco to stand up to the Obama agenda that threatens our freedom, and promote clear conservative alternatives. Marco has proven we can trust him to stand strong in his principles regardless of poll numbers and protests.
“Charlie Crist has shown time and again that he cannot be trusted in Washington to take on the Obama agenda because on issue after issue he actually supports that agenda. Lately it seems Charlie Crist cannot be trusted even to remain a Republican. I strongly urge him to either stay in the Republican Primary or drop out of the race. The only winners from an independent bid by Crist would be Barack Obama and Harry Reid.
“I am proud to stand with Marco Rubio and I urge all Florida Republicans, regardless of who you have been supporting, to unite behind him.”
Two points, OK. 1.) Re: “threats from abroad”: there’s no reason to think that Crist–who did what every single Republican governor did when he accepted stimulus dollars–would be an unreliable voice in the debate over terrorism (or, for that matter, that Rubio would be exceptionally reliable); and, 2.) There’s a good chance that this endorsement could hurt Rubio, in much the same way it hurt Trey Grayson.