For a fleeting moment it looked as if Pennsylvania would be Ground Zero for the high profile proxy fight between the moderate and conservative factions of the Republican Party.

But just like that the focus has has shifted a thousand miles to the south, where Charlie Crist's entry into the Senate race has ignited the same debate as he squares off against a far more conservative opponent in Marco Rubio.

Members of GOP establishment were quick to publicly back Crist, who they rightly believe has the best chance of keeping the seat in Republican hands. But the speed with which the NRSC and the Minority Leader stepped in on behalf of the big-footing current Governor left a bad taste in some folks' mouths and helped solidify the story line of a David vs. Goliath ideological struggle.

Myriam Marquez captures the sentiment in this morning's Miami Herald:

But wait. The fix is already in, and Rubio's worst enemy is his own party.

There's no debate apparently within the National Republican Senatorial Committee. On Tuesday, the committee endorsed the popular Crist just minutes after he announced he'd take a leap toward Washington.

Why the rush to endorse in a primary? Doesn't that break Ronald Reagan's golden rule?

Marquez laments the speed of the "Crist coronation" and wonders why it was necessary for Crist to come off as "a bully with the senatorial dudes ganging up on the little guy who walks the conservative talk?" (The obvious answer, of course, is that the last thing the withered GOP minority wants is a blood-letting primary that might help give away a seat they have solid chance of holding.)

Other highlights from the fireworks accompanying yesterday's announcement:

- Rubio released an ad attacking Crist by linking him to Obama, saying "let the debate begin."

- Crist strategist George LeMieux immediately shot back, knocking Rubio for breaking his pledge not to go negative, saying, "It appears that the first debate Marco Rubio needs to have is between Marco Rubio and himself."

- Republicans in North Central Florida offered a "muted" reaction to yesterday's announcement, according to this report.

-Rubio made his case on Fox News, saying that Florida GOP voters must have an opportunity to "choose what we want 'Republican' to mean."

- On said Fox News, Glenn Beck had this to say about Crist's annoucement, "Just what we need, a 'soft, friendly' moderate GOP member. . . BARF."