Associated Press
Marco Rubio with his friend David Rivera.
Rep. David Rivera (R-Fla.) hasn't had it easy lately. The conservative freshman has been investigated by the FBI, IRS, Miami-Dade Police Department's public corruption unit, the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement over allegations that he abused his former seat in Florida's state House of Representatives for personal financial gain and repeatedly lied on financial disclosure forms.
Not surprisingly, this has left Rivera's future in politics in doubt. But perhaps the more interesting question is what the congressman's scandals will do to his close, personal friend, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), whose career is on a very different trajectory.
Chris Cillizza noted this week, "You can sum up Florida Sen. Marco Rubio's biggest impediment to being chosen vice president in two words: David Rivera."
[Fox News' Bret Baier] pushed Rubio on Rivera, noting that not only is the Florida Senator hosting a D.C. fundraiser for his friend on May 16 but that the two men also co-owned a house together, a house that went into foreclosure.
Rubio sought to cast the foreclosure issue as a simple misunderstanding; "There was a disagreement with the bank about how much the monthly payments were," he told Baier, adding: "And it all got confusing."
Making the story a little more "confusing" is that Rivera has been accused of misusing campaign donations for personal use, and Rubio has largely admitted to having done the same thing.
Indeed, the far-right senator was asked this week about using a Republican Party credit card to purchase personal items. Rubio conceded it "looks bad," and acknowledged, "I shouldn't have done it that way."
It's worth noting that we're not talking about minor purchases -- Rubio billed the state GOP for more than $100,000 during his two-year tenure as Florida's House speaker, including repairs to his family minivan.
What's more, National Journal added that the controversy hasn't been fully resolved, despite the senator's claims to the contrary, and Rubio has not yet released relevant materials documenting the extent of his role in the controversy.
Among Florida politicos, these questions are widely known, and at least among Republicans, generally ignored. But it's worth keeping the stories in mind as scuttlebutt continues about Rubio's possible role on the 2012 ticket. In many circles, the senator's background is not well known, and his personal characteristics -- handsome young Latino from a key swing state -- may obscure issues that a professional vetting team will probably consider important.
If Mitt Romney and his team are hoping for a controversy-free summer, Rubio's baggage may very well prove hard to overlook.
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Maybe Rubio missed the Republican's ethic's seminar. Or perhaps they just don't have an expert on the subject.
If this guy isn't capable of figuring out mortgage payments and getting it straightened out with a bank, why would you want him to even be a senator?
Seriously? Show of hands here, how many of us have ever been in a position to "disagree" with the bank about our mortgage payment? The only possible interpretations are that he got some kind of corrupt special deal, or he just screwed up.
Sounds like Rubio has a Rubio Problem.
Yeah, oops! There goes your spot for Veepy creepy. Maybe a few more years in your current position will improve your skill as a legislator instead of just another bum on the dole!
Like Keating Five War Hero John McCain, none of this will have the slightest negative impact on his chances.
-Why do you Democrats hate America?
(Is this snark? We report, you decide. . .)
There is already a designated "escapegoat" for all that: former Party Chairman Jim Greer.
Democrats love America. The Republicans put party above Country look at your Representatives in Congress - 1/20/09 the night the President was inguarated 13 members of the Republican Party had a dinner meeting at the Caucus Room and hatched the "Just Say No" plan. Did not seem to matter that it hurt America, just as it got them Power. I have e-mailed Eric Cantor to comment on this and he surprisingly has chosen not to respond.
G-R-I-F-T-E-R
In case Mittens has faulty memory, let me remind him about the last time someone didn't get "vetted" - Sarah Palin!
I get it, Mittens is trying to court the Latino vote - however, picking Marco Rubio isn't a shoe-in that Latino's will line up lock-step behind him. Rubio's last name may be Latino, but his policy stances and voting record along with his pseudo Dream legislation is nothing more than smoke and mirrors and every Latino knows it.
While Mittens has alienated women, workers, the poor, the middle class, LGBT, and thinking people's intelligence it's going to take more than a junior Senator from Florida to help "shore up" any demographic.
It seems so far that the only issue that can disqualify you as a member of Mitt's staff is being homosexual openly. I have not heard Marco deny being gay yet.
Nor has he said that he has stopped beating his wife. . .
Why is Rubio pallin' around with a ne'er-do-well?
Rats, shining a light too soon. I was hoping for a Rubio "Checkers" speech. What is with these right wingers anyway? How exactly does one have a "misunderstanding" with a bank over a mortgage that you owe along with your "buddy"? Sheesh.
sort of like how E Warren had a misunderstanding that she was a native american
While I agree with the writer for FLA Politics -- a great state-centered news blog for what may be the 'busiest state' currently going, but which should give ways to link to each story, this was from the April 30 report -- who said:
I think the evidence against Rubio, his problems with money handling, the story about his father's actual immigration problems, the fact that only Republican bigoted blindness fails to notice that 'all Hispanics ain't alike' and that the Cuban experience (and welcome) was not like that of most other groups, his incredible lack of experience, and -- among many other votes -- his vote against VAWA -- all will eventually keep him off the ticket.
Another reason for regretting this is that if the VP were Rubio, it would give us even more of a chance to make Gov. Rick Scott "Mr. Republican" in voters' eyes. There are pleanty of other horrors out there, but Scott so totally combines the worst of Republicanism that any focus on him can only help. (Scott Walker is worse on a few things, and Rick Snyder's Emergency Manager plan is exceptionally awful, but Scott is a 'five-tool player' among Republicans.)
What a surprise. A Republican that would lecture the rest of us on good ol' Republican values is a corrupt Republican with the true Republican values.