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.
