As I’ve said all along, for Charlie Crist it’s not about what’s best for the country or even his party. In fact, it’s not even about what’s best for Charlie Crist in the short term. It’s about what’s best for Charlie Crist right this very second. And so we have this:

Fox News has learned that Charlie Crist has decided and plans to announce that he is running as an Independent for the U.S. Senate. The official announcement is scheduled at 5pm in St. Petersburg, Florida tomorrow.

Crist has said that under no circumstance would he drop out of the race, saying he will do what is best for the voters of Florida. Crist says Republicans in Washington want him to stay in the Republican party but voters in Florida have told him they want him to run as an Independent.

Actually, Crist has repeatedly stressed that he wouldn’t leave the Republican Party. In fact, his campaign even suggested foul play from opponents when it was reported he was even considering an Independent bid. And now here he is running as an Independent because he couldn’t win his own party’s nomination.

As I write this Allahpundit posts the transcript from a Fox News interview just a month ago:

WALLACE: So are you ruling out that you will file as an independent by the April 30th deadline?

CRIST: That’s right. That’s right. I’m running as a Republican.

WALLACE: You will run not for a governor — you’ll run for Senate, and you will run as a — in the Republican primary.

CRIST: Chris, I’m running for the United States Senate. I know that our country needs help. I’m running as a Republican. This man to my left is a friend but I hope to defeat him on August the 24th, and I would encourage every Florida Republican to get out and vote.

WALLACE: Will you support the winner of the GOP primary, whether it’s you or Marco Rubio?

CRIST: Of course I will. Of course I will. But I think before that decision is made, people–

WALLACE: Well, I’m going to get — I’m going to — I’ll give you an opportunity for a final statement. I just want to say, though, you are saying you are going to run in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. You will not run on the no party affiliation line.

CRIST: That’s right. That’s right. That’s what I’m saying.

He said he would only run as a Republican. He said he would endorse the winner of the GOP primary. He specifically confirmed that he would not, under any circumstance, run on the no party affiliation line. He lied again and again, and that’s just in one interview on one network.

Crist seems himself as a Joe Lieberman of 2010. Bucked by his own party, he’ll run as an Independent and show the world that no one puts Charlie Crist, flip-flopper extraordinaire, in the corner. He’ll win despite his support for Obama’s stimulus and cap-and-trade legislation, just like Lieberman won despite his support for the war in Iraq.

Only one problem: This isn’t Connecticut. It’s Florida. Back in Connecticut there’s no hope for Republicans in most years, much less 2006. So Republican voters flocked to Lieberman to mitigate the damage. In Florida both major parties, Republican and Democrat, have viable candidates. Neither party’s voters are going to flock to Flip-Flop Charlie for damage mitigation.

You can help Marco Rubio here. He’s your conservative alternative, and he’s not abandoning his party or convictions for political expediency.

Bonus: The likely Democratic nominee is Kendrick Meek. Meek is a 44-year-old, black member of Congress. So Crist’s strategy will have to involve convincing Democrats to support the 54-year-old, white former Republican over the reliably-Democratic, young black Congressman. Awesome.