Robert Giroux / Getty Images
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has endorsed Marco Rubio in the Republican primary race to capture Florida’s open Senate seat. The endorsement comes as Rubio is involved in a federal investigation of the state Republican Party’s use of credit cards. Rubio has zipped past the former favorite, Governor Charlie Crist, as the GOP base has deemed Crist too moderate, something Cheney cited as a factor in his decision. "We can trust Marco to stand up to the Obama agenda that threatens our freedom, and promote clear conservative alternatives,” Cheney said. “Charlie Crist has shown time and again that he cannot be trusted in Washington to take on the Obama agenda.... Lately it seems Charlie Crist cannot be trusted even to remain a Republican." (The governor is considering running as an independent.) Crist said Cheney’s statements were just meddling from a Washington politician, but his state party has taken a similar stance: a party lawyer has said that any Republican supporting an independent Crist bid would be stricken from state and county GOP committees.