Club for Growth meets with Rubio

Wednesday’s new Quinnipiac poll showed what we continue to know – Marco Rubio has an uphill battle for the Republican Senate nomination in Florida. He trails Gov. Charlie Crist, 54-23.

Fact is, Rubio needs some big help. Enter: the Club for Growth.

The Club interviewed Rubio on Monday, and Executive Director David Keating said it was “impressed.”

Donors have to be skeptical of Rubio’s chances, and a Club endorsement would provide him both money and legitimacy.

“We are very concerned about the two major tax increases Charlie Crist recently signed and believe there’s no excuse for his active support of the Obama big-government ‘stimulus’ spending bill,” Keating said. “We are actively considering the race, but have made no decision yet.”

The organization, which makes a habit of challenge the GOP establishment in primaries, is dancing around the issue for now. While it keeps railing against Crist’s policies as governor – including nominating him for its “Comrade of the Month” earlier this week – it hasn’t taken the plunge and officially got behind Rubio just yet.

Part of the reason might be in the large Senate map, especially Pennsylvania, where former Club President Pat Toomey (R) could face a difficult primary for Sen. Arlen Specter’s (D-Pa.) seat. Nobody is running against Toomey yet, but the establishment has been reticent to embrace him, and he might need the Club’s full backing when all is said and done.

With Toomey running in Pennsylvania and the possibility of former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman (R) running against Rep. Roy Blunt (R) in Missouri, a long shot race like Rubio’s might not be the Club’s priority.

The Club has been relatively stingy with its primary endorsements the last two cycles, backing only former Rep. Steve Pearce (R) in New Mexico in 2008 and Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey (R) in Rhode Island in 2006. The Florida, Missouri and Pennsylvania races could all be going against the grain, making it a big cycle for the Club under new President Chris Chocola.