Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee blasted the conservative Club for Growth on his radio program Tuesday amid talk it might back Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's challenger Matt Bevin in the Kentucky Senate primary next year.

Huckabee and the Club have been at odds since the 2008 presidential campaign, when the group put a lot of money behind attacks of his small-government credentials, Politico reports.

Huckabee has opposed candidates backed by the Club in many campaigns since then, including last year's Texas and Wisconsin Senate primaries.

"I kind of have a standing philosophy: if the Club for Growth hates you, I like you," Huckabee said, addressing possible Club opposition to McConnell.

"When they’re against a candidate, I’ve got to figure out — there must be a reason I will like that candidate, and most likely will go help them, because I’m just so disgusted and frustrated and tired of the mind-set of the Club for Growth," he said.

Huckabee openly admits that his beef with the Club is "personal." That's because it "utterly misrepresented, distorted and outright lied about my record as governor," he said.

As for the McConnell-Bevin race, the Club took a neutral position in a statement Wednesday.

"The Club for Growth PAC met with Matt Bevin many months ago, and we’d like to hear more about his candidacy and the differences between him and Sen. McConnell on the issues," Club for Growth president Chris Chocola said.

"The Club’s PAC will watch Kentucky’s Senate race – as it would with any race – over the coming months to determine if our involvement is warranted," he added.

The Senate Conservatives Fund and the Madison Project also are expressing interest in Bevin. And a group of 15 Kentucky tea party organizations endorsed him Wednesday.