As Marco Rubio embraces national spotlight, he draws tougher scrutiny

[seafan]

Alex Leary at the St. Petersburg Times reports:


September 14, 2011

WASHINGTON — As he thrusts himself into the national spotlight, inviting speculation about vice presidential ambitions, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio is also drawing tougher scrutiny over his words and actions.
He has been assailed on national TV for saying government programs have "weakened us as a people," subjected to negative political ads and labeled a traitor by pro-immigration groups.

.....

But there are also attacks in darker corners of the Internet, questioning whether he is a natural-born citizen (his parents were Cuban exiles) as well as the type of dirt-digging a presidential candidate might expect. A Miami TV station recently carried a report about a major drug bust that netted his brother-in-law — in 1987.

Rubio, 40, has pursued an elaborately scripted path since taking office in January. He eschewed national media just long enough to gain the label that he was focused on Florida and learning the ways of the Senate. Glowing national TV profiles followed as did a series of speeches his office aggressively promoted as "major" addresses, much in the way presidential candidates do, or the president himself.

.....

"I guess he's trying to keep himself viable for the veepstakes," said Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, an advocacy group that has hammered Rubio's positions.
"He's gone from struggling to find a tea party friendly position that wouldn't seem so anti-Hispanic to coming down on a full-throated position that makes him subject to easy attacks. ... We're going to stay on him."

.....

Like Rick Scott, Rubio garnered less than 50% of the vote. But that won't stop the frenetic hype., January 1, 2011


Public Policy Polling: Marco Rubio's a little overrated., January 1, 2011


Ex-CNN/ABC News journalist busily singing the new Rubio narrative., January 2, 2011


Marco Rubio plans to fight EPA water regulations for Florida, March 4, 2011


Federal government to allow Florida less stringent water standards, September 14, 2011


Marco Rubio the No. 1 recipient of Koch money in 2010 Senate races, March 23, 2011


Add Marco Rubio (R-FL) to the list of those who voted to end Medicare as we know it., May 25, 2011


Mr. Rubio, clawing wildly to defend his vote to steal Medicare from the elderly., May 26, 2011


Marco Rubio seen by some Tea Party members as ducking on immigration, May 29, 2011


Mr. Rubio, who is Amber Stoner?, May 29, 2011


Marco Rubio takes another teaching job at FIU; questionable ties to 2008 unadvertised job linger, June 2, 2011


FBI/Federal Grand Jury investigating former budget chief of Marco Rubio (Ray Sansom), June 11, 2011


Marco Rubio's first Senate speech invokes 'New American Century', June 14, 2011



Finally. David Rivera has some visitors from the FBI and IRS. Will his pal Marco Rubio empathize?, July 21, 2011


Link



Mitt Romney dangles his short list for VP: Bob McDonnell, Chris Christie and Marco Rubio., July 27, 2011


St. Pete Times: Jim Greer trial may expose Florida Republican party's inner workings, September 5, 2011


Greer: Lavish party spending on FL GOP credit cards was status quo. (Incoming, Mr. Rubio.), September 7, 2011







July 14, 2011 3:55 AM:

Of three of the biggest political names in Florida, only one -- former Gov. Charlie Crist -- has a favorable rating topping 40 percent, according to a new Sunshine State News poll.

The former governor, who bolted the Republican Party and ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate as an independent in 2010, enjoys a 42 percent favorable rating -- besting both U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson.

Just eight months after losing to Rubio, Crist now holds a 42-33 favorable/unfavorable rating compared with Rubio's tighter 38-34 ranking.

..... Link

And that is from a conservative polling source. Apparently, unleashing the GOP attack machine on Governor Crist has made him even more appreciated by Floridians, who are now cursed with an extremist conservative Legislature and the Tea Party's Governor and freshman US Senator.




We've been watching Marco Rubio since he was merely a toddler at Jeb Bush's knee; now he is being groomed as the new golden boy of vicious right wing conservatism, neatly packaged in a preening, duplicitous face.




Link
September 18, 2005





The scrutiny will only get tougher for Mr. Rubio.


And for Jeb Bush.

[lunasun]

1. I think the spotlight will get bigger not the scutiny tougher. MarcoRubio;it is the name that counts