TALLAHASSEE -- The Republican Party of Florida is using the possibility of former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist running for his old job as a Democrat to motivate donors.

In a fundraising letter signed by state GOP Chairman Lenny Curry, the party says President Barack Obama's Florida campaign team is poised to help Crist run for office and the GOP needs help to "fight the Obama/Crist machine with everything we've got."

The letter says Crist proudly proclaimed he was a Ronald Reagan conservative and a Jeb Bush Republican and endorsed John McCain for president back in 2008. However, Crist endorsed Obama in 2012 and spoke at the Democratic National Convention.

Crist on Thursday brushed off the attack from his former party.