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For the second time this month, a sitting or former Republican member of Congress has endorsed his would-be Democratic successor.

Former U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz is endorsing Democratic challenger Mark Schauer in his former south-central Michigan congressional district, even though he's a Republican.

Schwarz told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he decided to endorse Schauer over Republican Rep. Tim Walberg because the anti-tax Club for Growth began running ads critical of Schauer.

The Club for Growth injected more than $1 million into the 2006 primary, helping Walberg defeat Schwarz, then a first-term congressman. The anti-tax group criticized Schwarz's record on taxes and painted him as too moderate for the district.

Schwarz says he couldn't remain neutral in the race once the group got involved. He says it's "the straw that broke the camel's back."

Earlier this month, sitting Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest endorsed Democrat Frank Kratovil over state Sen. Andy Harris, who had defeated him in the Republican primary. But while Maryland's first congressional district, which Gilchrest has represented for 9 terms, tends to lean about 10 points more Republican than the nation as a whole in presidential elections, Michigan's seventh, in which Walberg and Schauer are battling, is significantly closer, leaning only about 2 points towards the Republicans. Suffice it to say, then, that in a tight race, which this has always been destined to be since Schauer jumped in, the Schwartz endorsement could make a real difference in swinging independents and moderate Republicans to the Democratic cause. In other words, this is a big deal.