Marco Rubio, insurgent candidate facing off against popular and establishment backed Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, just got a solid dose of credibility with Sen. Jim Demint's full-throated endorsement today.
[Marco Rubio is] the 38-year old former speaker of the Florida House of Representatives running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez next year. Rubio is the most impressive conservative leader I have met in a long time, a natural leader with an inspiring personal story and an even more inspiring vision for Florida and America.
He is at once a principled conservative and an accomplished legislator with a proven record of building broad coalitions to champion fiscal discipline, economic growth, and the American values of family, faith, and freedom.
For months now, Republicans have been looking around, asking everyone they meet who our next leaders will be. And somehow, inexplicably, many of us have grown blind to the diamonds all around us. There are already many young, conservative leaders ready to fight for freedom in Washington and in state capitals all around the country. But we’ll never find them if we only look for well-known politicians or choose our party’s direction based on the latest polls instead of timeless principles.
To be clear, no one in Florida gives a damn about what DeMint thinks. This endorsement is valuable because it legitimizes Rubio in the eyes of national conservative leaders and donors. Wingnut radio is already decimating Crist for his support of Obama's stimulus package, and the Club for Growth looks set to enter the fray on Rubio's behalf. But with DeMint, Rubio has a prominent elected conservative to further bolster his credibility, and further ammunition for insurgents looking to buck the national GOP.
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) isn't just backing Florida Republican Marco Rubio to rally the conservative base. He's convinced the upstart can actually win.
"He can win, should win, and will help lead our party out of the void into the waiting arms of America," DeMint said at an outdoor Tuesday afternoon news conference near the Senate.
But DeMint's support of Rubio over establishment pick Charlie Crist, the governor of Florida, was a direct jab at the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which has chosen to back a moderate — yet potentially more electable — Republican in Crist [...]
"I wanted to get the ball rolling today," DeMint said. "I think you’ll see some Senate and I know some House members jumping behind Marco." [...]
DeMint, who heads up the Senate Conservatives Fund, pledged to fundraise and campaign on Rubio’s behalf.
If DeMint's promise pans out -- each one of those new Senate and House members endorsing Rubio will provide added momentum and fundraising heft. This is a good day for Rubio's campaign.