The Club for Growth, which has made a name for itself for backing conservative challengers to moderate Republican incumbents, clearly doesn't like Gov. Charlie Crist for U.S. Senate, but says he can redeem himself by rejecting tax and rate hikes included in the state budget.

The club, which issued a glowing statement when former House Speaker Marco Rubio announced he'd seek the GOP nomination for Senate, stewed for a day when Crist announced he was in Tuesday, then sent this out just now:

"It’s no wonder the St. Petersburg Times reported, 'Charlie Crist may turn out to be the closest thing to a Democratic governor Florida will see for some time,' the release said.

The full statement follows.

Here's the full release:

Washington – Yesterday, Florida’s one-term governor, Charlie Crist, announced his bid for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Mel Martinez.
 
Crist has come under fire recently for supporting President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package, which passed Congress with near unanimous Republican opposition, including Senator Martinez. The stimulus package expanded the size of government, saddled taxpayers with more debt, and committed states to unaffordable future spending.
 
Now, Crist has signaled his willingness to support a state budget plan that includes about $2 billion in tax increases and other fees.
 
It’s no wonder the St. Petersburg Times reported, “Charlie Crist may turn out to be the closest thing to a Democratic governor Florida will see for some time.”  (7/15/07)
 
But hope is not lost. “Governor Crist still has an opportunity to reject the proposed tax hikes,” said the club’s executive director, David Keating. “In the weeks ahead, he can send a strong message to voters that as Americans live on a budget reflecting hard times, so should the government."

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