Posted on 07/04/2009 11:37:24 AM PDT by rabscuttle385
TALLAHASSEE - It is hardly the path to the top of the ticket many envisioned for Marco Rubio just a few years ago.
The West Miami lawyer, now 38, had a national profile even before he took the gavel as Florida House speaker in 2006. He held "100 Ideas" forums with the likes of the late Jack Kemp and Newt Gingrich. A Senate president predicted his charisma would ultimately lead him to the Governor's Mansion and White House. Outgoing Gov. Jeb Bush even christened him his ideological heir by presenting him with a sword on the House floor.
But today, Rubio is running what amounts to a right-wing insurgent campaign for the U.S. Senate — shut out by the state and national GOP apparatus and snubbed by most of the party's biggest givers.
His crime: challenging Gov. Charlie Crist, the anointed heir apparent to the seat being vacated by Mel Martinez, R-Fla.
So Rubio has taken his campaign underground.
Hoping to capitalize on a wave of anti-Washington animus over Crist's support of Democratic President Barack Obama's economic bailout and cap-and-trade proposals, Rubio has courted conservative bloggers and advocacy groups battling for the discombobulated core of the party.
"The scourge of national politics is people that will be, and say, and do anything to be elected. They will be for whatever the pollster says is popular at the moment," says Rubio, who'll bring his anti-tax, pro-growth message to a taxpayer "tea party" on the steps of Amway Arena at 11 a.m. today, and to a 2 p.m. rally at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Eustis.
(Excerpt) Read more at orlandosentinel.com ...
I’ll be voting for Rubio!!!
BTTT
Exactly. This guy is a buffoon. FL would be wise to dump him.
fyi
Wow 38!!! I am glad he has a long “political” life ahead of him. He may even be our President someday. This is great that he is getting an early start of how politics work. It will do him wonders in the future.
And this isn't just "Anybody but Crist" sentiment speaking, either.
Too bad I live in North Carolina....
Well, now that Sarah is free, she should head down to sunny Florida and help Rubio out. Start pissing the establishment out.
Florida was already in the process of dumping him. He’s running for Senate rather than a second term as governor because he can’t win a second term.
Crist, have no fear, ACORN is here. Ask Franken how ACORN helped him.
I hope so.
Charlie Crist is the RINO candidate. Florida conservatives must get behind Rubio and support him with contributions and votes to save their state and nation from creeping socialism and big government. The “moderate” Republicans have lost too many elections and tried to cozy up the the leftist Democrats too often.
No hoping necessary, it’s true. No one has anything good to say about Crist except for the core of RINOs in the FL GOP.
Well now if Sarah shows up and supports Rubio then Crist will have to go running to Obambi for help! This is going to be fun!
Ditto that!
Yes, one of the first targets for Sarah should be Crist. Make him a crisp!
I hope he goes along with the rest of the RINOS.
You can still contribute $20 to his primary campaign.
We have a long march ahead of us to get rid of the accumulated RINOs and Country Club Republicans, and take back the party. A big part of that is identifying good conservative candidates across the nation and getting behind them in the primaries. Send THEM any money you would otherwise send to the RNC, who should not get a penny while they back RINOs.
I fully agree. I am a minor GOP functionary here in NC, but I routinely tell people not to give a cent to the RNC, NRCC, NRSC, etc. because they support RINOs.
The GOP is the single biggest obstacle to freedom and liberty in the US today,with the exception of Carter/Clinton judges. The GOP (and the elitist judges) must be destroyed and replaced with a conservative party the represents the interests of all Americans, not just the political elites.
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