As we have reported, Republican senatorial candidate Carlos Beruff is the last man standing in the way of Senator Marco Rubio’s clean, uncontested Senate challenge against the Democratic senatorial nominee.

Beruff is out to prove that he is no slouch in this game of politics, pouncing on Rubio at every turn, and calling him out on all of his missteps and missed votes while in the U.S. Senate.

Beruff has even compared Rubio to Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat, congressional candidate Charlie Crist.

But just as Beruff is trying to paint Rubio as another opportunistic Crist, Republicans have set their targets on Beruff, calling him the real Charlie Crist Republican.

Back in 2009, Beruff, who is trying to portray himself as the Donald Trump alternative in the race, endorsed and donated to Charlie Crist in the GOP primary race against Marco Rubio.

This is a known fact.

The plot thickens as Rubio supporters, namely Florida’s Lt. Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera, have accused Beruff of supporting Crist when he became an Independent.

“Carlos Beruff supported Charlie Crist after he left the Republican party. Does that sound like someone who is a conservative Republican…This man is no conservative, this man is no Republican. He is man driven by ego and self ambition and not by the principles we work hard for.”-Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera (Orlando Observer)

Beruff later pushed back at the claim, stating that “when Charlie Crist turned, I said ‘I’m outta here.”

This maybe true, but according to the Tampa Bay Times, Beruff did support Crist’s Independent run for the U.S. Senate in 2010.

“…Beruff was one of dozens of prominent donors who attended a fundraising event with Crist (when he was an independent) at the home of Siesta Key resident Gary Kompothecras. Beruff said while he was there, he never financially supported Crist after he turned.”

Yeah, but he was there and lent his name to promote the event.

Team Beruff shot back at Rubio and question his conservative bona fides.

“Just more lies from Marco Rubio and his team of political hacks…“It’s what career politicians do. Carlos is the most conservative candidate in this race. And if you want to talk about someone driven by ego and self ambition, look no further than Marco Rubio, who wants the people of Florida to pay him for his next run for President.”-Chris Hartline, Communication director for Carlos Beruff

Rubio may have missed more than his share of votes during his run for president, but even still, the Heritage Foundation’s “Scorecard” has Rubio scoring an 81% conservative voting record.

The table is set for Rubio vs. Crist, Part Deux.

Rubio and his surrogates will undoubtedly look to stop any momentum Beruff may have by tying him to Crist, which won’t be hard to do. It will be interesting to see how Team Beruff counters any Crist-laden attacks against them, or how else he pokes at Rubio in the coming weeks.