Governor Crist announces senate bid

It’s now official. Florida's Republican Governor Charlie Crist is running for the Senate:

Crist's announcement sets up a primary challenge with former state House Speaker Marco Rubio in Republican primary for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Senator Mel Martinez. The primary will be important in the debate over the future of the Republican Party.

Crist angered many Republicans by supporting President Obama's stimulus boondoggle. A position which caused Tony Fabrizio, the Republican pollster who tabulates CPAC's annual straw poll results, to call Crist "Barack Obama's favorite Republican."

The latest Quinnipiac University polling found Crist leading Rubio 54 percent to 8 percent.

I am shocked that Senator John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, endorsed Governor Crist shortly after the announcement.

Rubio welcomed Crist to the primary battle with the following video:

Let the debate begin. As Rubio told Politico, "if we’re offering the same thing as the Democrats, but with different packaging, what’s the point in having a Republican Party?