Associated Press
Rubio gets ready for his closeup.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has been a senator for about a year now, and as Rachel explained in a recent segment, he's "done essentially nothing in federal politics at all." The sum total of his legislative accomplishments? A resolution designating September 2011 as National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month.
Rachel added that the Florida Republican "is not a particularly serious guy in terms of what he has done in his Senate life or even as a Senate candidate." That's clearly true. But given his right-wing worldview, his ethnicity, and the electoral significance of his home state, Rubio is widely seen as a strong contender for the Republican presidential ticket in 2012.
Though the senator downplays such talk publicly, Politico reports today that Rubio and his team are "spending an extraordinary amount of time, money and effort" to take control over his "personal narrative."
Rubio has even hired investigators to look into his own background, since he knows Democrats are doing the same. His political action committee paid a firm more than $40,000 to conduct opposition research on Rubio, and it's preparing to spend thousands more to dig into family stories, financial documents and real estate records -- anything that could pop up in a political "oppo" file.
The effort to hard wire Rubio's version of his life story into the public psyche is remarkable for a freshman senator, more on the scale of a presidential candidate. Some in his operation say the staffing and money spent are comparable to Barack Obama's and Hillary Clinton's efforts when they arrived in the Senate with big names and even bigger ambition.
Rubio is also, incidentally, "racing to publish his memoirs," which will be out next year.
His denials about the 2012 race notwithstanding, Rubio's p.r. efforts are clearly the kind of steps one takes in advance of a national campaign. A senator doesn't usually write an autobiography after 13 uneventful months in office, and a candidate doesn't invest $40,000 to conduct opposition research on himself in 2012 when he's not up for re-election until 2016.
For the record, there are plenty of reasons to think Rubio won't get the V.P. nod, regardless of his former attendance at a Mormon church. The Floridian has no accomplishments to speak of; his far-right vision won't help much with Latino voters (Rubio even opposes the DREAM Act); he's already been caught making bogus claims about his family history; and he's argued publicly that bedrock American programs like Social Security and Medicare have weakened the fabric of our society.
You don't need to be a professional opposition researcher to know Rubio, who's never demonstrated a working understanding of any area of public policy, is likely to struggle when confronted with national scrutiny.
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Mr Rubio is being groomed to be the next poster-child for the 'save the panderer' campaign.
Yes, exactly.....The problem with him is he has already "scratched and dented" himself with his policy positions. But this will not stop the koch bros. from throwing millions at him to design a campaign to "flashie thingie" the American People. (men in black reference)
Come to think of it, That has been the GOP's policy since Reagan left office. (the last real republican)........But I say, line em up for the new season of "The Next Top GOP Idiot"
Rubio, the 2012 version of Sarah Palin.
Instead of Caribou Barbie, we have Burrito Marco.
L'empereur lol.. funny but burrito's are Mexican dude. Marco is Cuban... Mohitos, cigars, sugar cane references please lol
Hi, sorry, not familar with Cuban foods. I like 'sugar cane Marco'. Thanx
But that does bring up an interesting point....GOP loves to float Rubio as a Latino...but they got no love for Mexicans. Rubio does not appear to consider Mexicans as a necessary target group either as he's against the dream act. (so what is the point)
I'm a double minority...my nickname is "MonteNegro"....hey GOP, give me a call, bien bien primo......
None of them have done a damn thing and that includes Palin a big 0!!! They have done absolutely nothing to help the American People. On the other hand they are still helping themselves to our money. There must be alot of Presidents rolling around in their graves. Who would have thought that Washington would have become the next new Reality show. Thank you, Rush, Palin etc. etc. you given hypocrisy a new name. Washington is not your stage.
Well, it all can be filed under Capitalism. How be it shameful, it's not illegal to scam the American People of hard earned cash to pad your pockets. Consider the character of those that have "Faked" a run for POTUS. Let's just call them opportunists. looks like the government can create jobs after-all. Now hiring: Fake Candidates...no experience required. Job Alerts: Panderers please apply 1600 Penn Ave......
With all the buzz around GAME CHANGE, one would think the lesson would have been learned that Steve Schmidt said last night - both parties will vett candidates for VP more carefully and choose only those that are qualified to become the POTUS. Guess this is more like the conclusion we drew from the 08 election that "dems wouldn't be challenged by repubs for a decade." Both seem to have been proven untrue by the buzz around Rubio, Santorum, et al and the havoc played out in Congress since 2008. We need to fight back harder, stronger, and smarter!
@2.2 DNC should warn that a trip to the "Woodshed" will be in order for anymore "Weiner-like" activity. Libs and Progressive are working hard DNC, police your own. We don't need no drama or distractions!!!
There has got to be something said about people who act like they are so pious all the time, when in reality they are not. These people want to dictate what another person should be doing and than do the very opposite. People like Santorum, Gingrich, Romney, Norris, Limbaugh, Beck, Paul, Rubio etc like to project that they have seen the light and they know what is better for people. And in reality are rather insecure people and want to push nonsense ideas onto others, because they cannot even control their own world let a lone someone else’s. No one is perfect and we all have weaknesses or failures and all we can do is try to be better. And we see how these Republican Presidential candidates are in the south now, trying to be everybody’s best buddy saying we know the way and all they can talk about is grits and no answers.
Let's look at the ease of which your life will be like when you take a job as Senator.....for 13 months, Rubio has received a paycheck. His job performance is subject to a varying degree of questions. When as a Senator, do you worry about not getting a paycheck...which is inline with your concern about performance. You go to work every day, suit and tie, you listen...maybe talk a little, have some lunch...listen some more...talk some more...you get the gist. Why are we paying Men and Women 185k a year for doing nothing. Essentially, we pay to create these idealogs. They sit around on the Government dime making conections and meeting with Corporate Lobbyist instead of talking with the people they represent. Designing their next more to ensure a long and happy life of holding their hand out. Panhandles working out of 1600 Penn Ave....disgusting.....(this has to change)
The smartest guys in the Republican War Room thought Obama's greatest asset was not having a history. The poser parade masquerading as a Republican primary season only confirms that conviction. They didn't learn from Palin, but then it wasn't her past that hurt McCain, it was her actual inexperience. OK, plus a few personality flaws.
hahahaha...a few indeed. We drug test and administer mental evaluations to many government employees. Why not Presidential Candidates?
Just another wingnut with an Hispanic name . The rich old white guys party just wants to hold him up just like they did with Michael Steele (see we gots negros) Palin (see we gots wimmen) See we got us a HIS-Panic . Al them thar latinios will vote for us now.
Rachel needs to hire you....Liberals are so afraid to offend...we sit back and let the GOP mouth pieces beat the crap out of us....Tired of tip-toeing around the truth. Thank you for speaking the truth....all be it a sad reallity.
Great arguments against a Rubio VP selection until one remembers that this is the party that was content with Sarah Palin on the ticket. Does anyone seriously believe that republicans care one iota about Rubio's thin background?
It's not a bug, it's a feature.
Rubio is a joke. but, let him play.
Seeing as Obama CAN'T be POTUS because his father was not a citizen of the US, how can the republicans support Rubio when BOTH PARENTS WERE NOT citizens at the time he was born?
Or is this just another case of double standard because Rubio is not a ******?
If you agree to be a Puppet.....you have a place in the GOP; no matter your ethnic background. If Obama would have come out of college a republican, He would be carried thru the streets on Tea Party Shoulders. But you don't get to high up....Ask Michael Steele. Used and abused, then discarded like an old sneaker......
Rubio is Scott Walker with an Hispanic name.
I'm surprised no-one's mentioned the disastrous Blunt-Rubio amendment to, of all things, the Highway Bill that would have allowed employers to decide what could and couldn't be covered by the insurance they offered based solely upon their religious or 'moral' objections, e.g. it is immoral not to save money by denying those health concerns that add to the premium being subsidized.
If there were no such things as PACs and Super PACs a guy like this would be a total non-entity. Thank you Supreme Court.
Rubio is Cuban and being of Hispanic descent means nothing in the Hispanic community from Mexico. I would not overrate his ability to draw the Hispanic vote if he were nominated for VP. Romney is going to select a southern white conservative for VP and it will be someone who is not well known or has taken controversial stands, particularly in this contraception issue.
you're right Mike.....They are depending on voter supression, high gas prices (which I think is obserd...no-one chooses a candidate soley on gas prices. GOP subliminal message)
That's their only reason to vote Republican....wow...weak. This will go down in history as the most disgusting election of all times.....it's about to get really ugly!!!!
Curious the republicans have such a hard time coming up with candidates that are not nuts, or don't have a criminal record, or who are not thieves in a suit.
In other words he's burying records he doesn't want made public?
Exactly!
Why do these people insist on writing memoirs BEFORE they do anything worth remembering? What will he write...."I lied about my background? I sponsored a bill to take away womens' access to healthcare?"
Oh, there will surely be some other juicy tidbits in there, he's not leaving office till 2016... :-)
Marco Rubio is a right wing Tea Party Extremist! He is dangerous! He is responsible for the Blunt-Rubio Ammendment! Watch him closely!
I am sorry to say he is my Senator from the Great State of Florida! I call him all the time to let him know how I would like him to vote and of course he never votes that way! He never votes with the President, he is an obstructionist and always wants to block President Obama and the Democrats in EVERY WAY possible. Even Rebublicans in his own party who are willing to work accross the isle and work with Democrats, he obsturcts! Marco Rubio is a Tea Party Extremist and FAR to the RIGHT of the Republican Party. Republicans like him are what forced out moderates like Olympia Snow that used to be able to compromise and find common ground. There is NO COMPROMISING with Marco Rubio. Even worse, he is a LIER! He misled the American people about his background and life story to get elected in Floirda to the Senate! Now his mouth is watering at the thought of the Vice Presidential ticket! He better keep dreaming, the people of Florida know better already and we will scream very loud so the rest of America knows who they are dealing with, he could have saved the 40K.
I am sure if you live in Florida like I do Marco Rubio would love to hear from you on issues to know your opinion on how he is doing and what you think of him...
Marco Rubio's Office Number's (he has four...)
1-866-630-7106
1-813-977-6450
1-305-418-8553
1-904-398-8586