FLORIDA – COME ON DOWN, MITT – AT 7:25 P.M. ET:  There's more on the hot, and getting hotter, Florida Senate race.  Mitt Romney will apparently endorse Marco Rubio tomorrow:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will endorse Marco Rubio over Gov. Charlie Crist in Florida's Republican Senate primary.

Romney plans to announce the endorsement Saturday, according to a Romney adviser who asked to remain anonymous because the official announcement has not been made.

Romney is the third major 2008 presidential candidate to endorse Rubio. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee have also endorsed the former House speaker.

The adviser said Crist and Rubio both sought the endorsement, but Romney believes Rubio has a stronger conservative record and is an idea-driven leader.

Romney's PAC is contributing $5,000 to Rubio's campaign and the former governor plans to campaign with Rubio on Monday.

Do we yawn now, or do we yawn later?  Rubio is 23 points ahead of Crist.  He needs Romney's endorsement like the proverbial hole in the head.  This again underlines my uneasiness over Romney's political instincts.  Had he endorsed Rubio earlier, it might have been meaningful.  Now it's an afterthought.  No one cares. 

And more on the Florida race:  Republican Governor Charlie Crist, who had been denying any rogue thoughts, is now hinting that he may indeed run as an independent.  This follows a Quinnipiac poll reporting that Crist would win such a race, although only by a few points.

Nothing is certain in Florida just yet.

April 16, 2010