
(CNN) - Florida Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio has posted his best fundraising quarter to date, announcing on Monday a stunning $4.5 million haul over the last three months.
The cash boost puts Rubio in prime position to blanket the expensive Florida airwaves in what's expected to be a tight three-way battle come November.
Rubio's campaign said it has raised $11 million since the beginning of the tumultuous Senate race, which once pitted Rubio against Gov. Charlie Crist in the GOP primary.
Crist fell out of favor with Republican activists and is now seeking the Senate seat as an independent, non-party affiliated candidate. He has not yet released his second quarter fundraising totals.
Two Democrats are squaring off for their party's nomination: Rep. Kendrick Meek, the establishment-backed candidate, and billionaire real estate investor Jeff Greene, who is funding his bid largely out of his own pocket. An aide to Meek said the Democrat raised slightly over $1 million in the second quarter, while Greene has yet to file his financial report.
Contributions to Rubio have ticked up steadily in each successive quarter since he entered the race. In 2009, he collected roughly $3 million. So far this year, the conservative darling has raked in more than $8 million.


I don't mind Rubio or Crist. Hopefully, Crist doesn't split the R votes. We don't need another D dragging the economy down (The Ds have been owned the house for 4 years–and it is killing us).
Go ahead..spend your money on this fool,,My money is on Crist all the way..
Crist is such a opportunist. He changes his policies as the way the wind blows. I will be so happy when Rubio gets a chance to debate Crist. Crist will be exposed for who he really is. Rubio is going to be a great US Senator.
Fools and their money.....
The End
From the looks of it, I think Gov. Crist is going to win this race. He is handling the Gulf crisis with all hands on deck while Marco Rubio is campaigning. I think Floridians will remember that when their shores got attacked by this oil spill, who was on the side of the people and who was on the side of Big Oil.
A Republican rolling in money? This is not news. It will be news when, as i hope, he does his Perp Walk. He can pay for his next "back wax" with his own money. It can be done by his bunk mate in prison – Bubba.
Of course he has big money, the Supreme court gave it to him – he has been brought lot, stock and barrel by corporations. So corporations (foreign and local) will own Florida soon.
Pass the Unemployment Extension !!!!
Unfortunately, this news doen't bode well for the good folks in Florida looking to avoid another environmental catastrophe...
He will need every penny of it. People do not trust Rubio.
He has to defeat Christ........which may take some doing.
When the Supreme Court gave carte blance to corporations, US and foreign, to put unlimited cash into campaign coffers, this is what you get. What we need to do is counter it by finding out information on each candidate through actual interviews, web information, etc. and not pay attention to the commercials. Truth isn't usually one of the stand outs in them, anyway.
And something to keep in mind. With the Democrats at least trying to reign in corporate America just a little, with watered down legislation, like health care and financial, these guys aren't happy. They're not giving to the Democrats this year. Big surprise, huh?
Lets focus in on Rubio's source of funds.
Oil companies? Huge businesses? Right-Wing Extremists?
Ha! Floridians deserve what they get. They'll see. : )
Who cares? Go Charlie Crist!
Losing big money for his campaign isn't important.
What is important to this child is that he has 100,000 Facebook followers.
Oh no, this Tea Bagger supported candidate also supports Amnesty. Whatever is a racist tea bagger voter to do?
OK, who gave this guy 4. something mil. now let make everthing tranparent. I think it should be known what big companys are looking for his political votes. It's got to be some one with money because the middle class people have none.
Just another Repub trying to buy the election.........Let's hope we the people are too smart to support this clown...........
Well in that case this republican will be donating to Charlie, Rubio is extreme in his views and not what florida needs. To bad, I supported Crist as a republican and will support him as an independant. In fact I would vote for the dem candidate before Rubio.
I live here, I have seen what he is about!
Rubio is another empty suit that will vote with his corporate donors. Are the old folks in Florida really that senile???
Rubio is a rising star in the Republican party and guess what libtards he is hispanic to boot.
Dozens upon dozens of minorities are running as Republicans in this election cycle so you would think the media would at least highlight that aspect of the party..........
Nope, can't do it, that would hammer the myth of the party of only white men........
But then the elections last month or so where MANY Republican WOMEN hammered the "sex" part of the myth.
I want a diverse party with diverse ideas and diverse backrounds and it would ne nice if the media actually reported these FACTS.
this man has no new message its people like him and palin, if they had their way . they would dig up ronald reagan the so-called honest conserv. or aka the "reagan doctrine" which only the well off right and the rich benefitted back in the 80's. rubino and their tired call for tax cuts. you got 2 tax cuts in the bush era. isn't that failure enough? get a message.
he being bought by Big Oil they are mad at Christ's support of a Florida Amendment to ban near-shore drilling...... Rubio the best friend the massive polluters can have!
hey Rubio save your money you are wasting your time