Crist tested on taxes

Charlie Crist's closest link to the conservative cause has always been his opposition to new and higher taxes.

But now Florida's Republican state senate is hard at work on sending Crist a bill that would include a hefty hike in the cigarette tax.

Desperate times -- Dan Brown didn't once write -- call for desperate measures.

But that's not likely to sway Crist.

Lobbyist Brian Ballard:

"I think it's [opposing taxes] in his DNA. He is a fiscal conservative who is a libertarian on many social issues. He's never going to win over the far-right-wing social activists, but he's with 95 percent of the Republican Party, and being against tax increases is the most fundamental thing."

A Palm Beach County GOP activist says Crist's aversion to raising taxes is the only thing keeping open revolt from turning into defiant revolution.

"I think the Republican base is already in open revolt — that's obvious to anyone. It has stopped short of where it could've gone, or could go, because the governor has held the line on taxes. To abandon that position, the gloves would come off."

That's a little disingenuous. If the base is in open revolt, haven't the gloves already come off?

There's a faction of Florida conservatives that has never gotten over Crist's role in Terry Schiavo (or it would be better characterized as a "non-role" since he supposedly didn't intervene strongly enough).

The gloves have been off for this faction ever since Crist's breezy win over social conservative favorite, Tom Gallagher, in the 2006 primary, and they'll be more than happy to pick up a heavier bat if Crist should give them opportunity.