Allen West Is Not on a "Marco Rubio Level"; Sorry, Club for Growth

​Republican insiders aren't exactly thrilled with the crop of candidates who have entered the race for the GOP nomination to take on incumbent Sen. Bill Nelson. Chris Chocola, president of the Club for Growth, a powerful and influential fiscally conservative 527 group that endorsed Marco Rubio in 2010, says neither Adam Hasner nor George LeMieux is "at the Rubio level," and as of now says the group will likely stay out of the Florida Senate election. Unless Allen West jumps in. Sorry, Chocola, but Allen West is certainly not on the Rubio level.

Chocola made his remarks in an interview with the National Journal's Hotline on Call:

"There's nobody there right now that we think is at the Rubio level," he said in an interview with Hotline On Call. Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner has tried to highlight his ties to Rubio and has been striving for conservative support. But Chocola may be more interested in Rep. Allen West; he said the Club would talk to the freshman Congressman if West decided to make the race.

But don't count on the Club getting involved if the candidate isn't right. "You have to have a candidate like a Rubio that warrants making that decision. We don't see anyone that's to the Rubio-caliber candidate," Chocola said.

Of course, Club for Growth is the kind of ideologically hellbent organization that would funnel money to a candidate who made all of his campaign stops dressed in clown makeup if they believed he had fiscally conservative credentials.

Riptide may not like much about Rubio's or West's agendas, but let's get something straight: West is not even half the politician Rubio is.

Rubio is known for making eloquent and exciting speeches. West is known for sending letters that include the phrases "NUTS!" and "Shut the heck up."

Rubio at least pretends to shy away from the spotlight to work in Washington on behalf of his constituents. West is a media whore who doesn't even live in his own district.

Rubio had years of experience in politics on the local and state levels before running for Senate. West was forced to retire from the Army for threatening to kill an innocent man.

Let's put it this way: We're not big Rubio fans, but even we are kind of offended when someone says West and Rubio are in any way comparable.

Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.