Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R) on Thursday became the second member of the Florida delegation to break from the national party and endorse former state Speaker Marco Rubio in the Sunshine State’s high-profile Senate GOP primary.

“Originally, I had not planned to endorse in this race, but as the challenges facing our nation and Florida grow more severe, times demand someone willing to make hard choices,— Brown-Waite said in a release from the Rubio campaign today. “Marco Rubio is the consistent, principled conservative we need to provide a check and balance on the Obama-Reid agenda.—

Rubio is a social and fiscal conservative who is running to the right of Gov. Charlie Crist (R), the frontrunner in the Senate race. Crist is backed by the National Republican Senatorial Committee and most national party leaders.

But Rubio has the endorsement of Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), several state House officials and a growing stable of conservatives backing his feisty primary bid.

That list includes Sen. Jim DeMint, (R-S.C.) and former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

In her endorsement Thursday, Brown-Waite took an indirect shot at the more moderate Crist for backing President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan earlier this year.

“In the Senate, Marco will stand up for Florida’s taxpayers, not with President Obama and dangerous big government spending,— the Congresswoman said. “Washington needs leaders with solid conservative beliefs and the courage to do the right thing. Marco Rubio does not try to be all things to all people.—