The Sins of Marco Rubio

[LDAHL]

I see the New York Times has broken the news that Marco Rubio has gotten four traffic tickets over the last eighteen years. He also ran up a lot of student debt and paid it off. And when he got a book deal, he bought a speed boat.

[iris lilies]

I see the New York Times has broken the news that Marco Rubio has gotten four traffic tickets over the last eighteen years. He also ran up a lot of student debt and paid it off. And when he got a book deal, he bought a speed boat.

This reminds me of the battle between John Ashcroft (a long ago U.S. Attorney General) and my neighbor, Ronnie White. Ashcroft is a Missouri politician who had veto power on appointment of judges. My neighbor was up for a judge's appointment (I think Missouri Supreme Court?) but I can't remember which level of court.

Ashcroft's machine did a smear campaign about him which revealed that when he was 17 years old he got a girl pregnant, and she had the baby out of wedlock and kept it. Throughout his young adulthood and through the life of the child he paid child support and was personally involved in the child's life, acting as a father. His family was also heavily involved in the child's life. The smear campaign turned to positive publicity because it demonstrated that he made a mistake and took action to thoroughly rectify it.

Digging deep sometimes backfires.

[LDAHL]

The Times' view is that with a net worth of only $444,000, "persistent doubts about his financial management" exist.

[Alan]

The manner in which they're going after Rubio is interesting. The initial story about the traffic citations appears to have originated with a pro Clinton SuperPAC, American Bridge, and was fed to the NY Times, who now says they had two reporters and a researcher working on the subject, although the only names on the county's information request logs are from American Bridge.

After being called out on this point, the Times doubled down and started reporting on his "excessive" student loans, an $80K speedboat and a $400K family residence, seemingly suggesting that Rubio lacked financial wherewithal. It takes a little digging to find out that his employment with a law firm prior to his election provided him with a $300K annual salary when he purchased the house and the boat was purchased with one tenth of the proceeds from his first book.

I think the whole storyline is fishy.

[Gregg]

I think the whole storyline is fishy.

I'm thinking American Bridge came up with a whole new strategy: the reverse smear campaign. Its obvious that anyone as clean as Rubio could never be effective in Washington politics. Without mentioning any names they're inferring that we should stick with a... 'well seasoned' candidate who's had her hand in all the dastardly dealings for decades. Brilliant.

[LDAHL]

The manner in which they're going after Rubio is interesting. The initial story about the traffic citations appears to have originated with a pro Clinton SuperPAC, American Bridge, and was fed to the NY Times, who now says they had two reporters and a researcher working on the subject, although the only names on the county's information request logs are from American Bridge.

After being called out on this point, the Times doubled down and started reporting on his "excessive" student loans, an $80K speedboat and a $400K family residence, seemingly suggesting that Rubio lacked financial wherewithal. It takes a little digging to find out that his employment with a law firm prior to his election provided him with a $300K annual salary when he purchased the house and the boat was purchased with one tenth of the proceeds from his first book.

I think the whole storyline is fishy.

Perhaps he should take it as a good sign that the usual suspects are trying to smear him. Although the Clinton people raising the issue of personal financial probity would strike me as a dangerous strategy.

[LDAHL]

I'm thinking American Bridge came up with a whole new strategy: the reverse smear campaign. Its obvious that anyone as clean as Rubio could never be effective in Washington politics. Without mentioning any names they're inferring that we should stick with a... 'well seasoned' candidate who's had her hand in all the dastardly dealings for decades. Brilliant.

Such as how competent could the guy be if he couldn't parlay his offices into a fortune? Maybe. But it's such a weird line of inquiry, it put me in mind of this:

My fellow citizens, it is an honor and a pleasure to be here today. Now, when I embarked on this political campaign I hoped it could be conducted on a high level, and that my opponent would be willing to stick to the issues. Instead . . . unfortunately, he has decided to be tractable, and to indulge in unequivocal language, to eschew the use of outright lies in his speeches and even to make repeated veracious statements about me.


Now, at first, I tried to ignore these scrupulous, unvarnished fidelities, but I will do so no longer. If my opponent wants a fight, he's gonna get a fight!


Now, it might be instructive to start with his background. My friends, have you ever accidentally dislodged a rock on the ground and seen what is underneath? As for my opponent, his background is dissimilar. All the slime and filth and corruption you could imagine, even in your wildest dreams, are glaringly nonexistent in this man's life. Even during his childhood.


And since the subject came up, let us take a quick look at his childhood! It is a known fact that on a number of occasions, he emulated older boys on a certain playground. It is also known that his parents not only permitted him to masticate excessively, but even urged him to do so.


This man, who poses as a paragon of virtue, exacerbated his own sister when they were teenagers. I ask you my fellow Americans, is this the kind of person we want in public office? To set an example for our youth?
Let us consider some of the other members of his family. My opponent's second cousin is a practicing monogamist! His Uncle was a flagrant heterosexual. His sister, who has always been obsessed with sex, once worked as a proselyte outside a church. And, his younger brother wrote an essay extolling the virtues of being a Homo sapien. And his great Aunt? Well, his great Aunt expired of a degenerative disease. His nephew subscribes to several phono graphic magazines! His wife was a thespian before they were married, and had even performed that act in front of paying customers. His own mother had to resign from a women's organization in her later years because she was an admitted sexagenarian.


Now, what shall I say about this man himself? I can tell you in the solemn truth, that he has perambulated his infant on the street, he has practiced nepotism with his Uncle and first cousin. And, he has attempted to interest a thirteen year old girl in philately.


This man participated in a seance in a private residence where among other odd goings on, there was incense. An, he has openly advocated social intercourse in mixed company, and has taken part in such gatherings himself.


He had been deliberately averse to crime in our streets! He has urged our Protestant and Jewish citizens to develop more catholic tastes, and last summer he committed a piscatorial act while aboard a boat flying the American Flag.


Now, I beg you my friends . . . oppose this man whose life, work and ideas are so openly and avowably compatible with our American way of life. A vote for him would be a vote for the perpetuation of everything we hold dear. The facts are clear! the record speaks for itself.

[TVRodriguez]

Some of the parts of the article I definitely find unfair. I live not too far from his Miami home. I'm about his age. I have a similar size family (3 kids, not 4). Slightly smaller house, but his house is far from ostentatious. In 2005, $550,000 didn't buy you much in Miami (although we found a 2 bedroom fixer upper at $335,000). And an in-ground pool is not uncommon at all around here. We have one that came with the house. And it makes more sense to share a house with another legislator in Tallahasse than to rent if rent is going to be more expensive.

But then again, defaulting on that mortgage is not cool. DH and I have dug ourselves out of debt over the last 11 years. There were several years where we were underwater on our mortgage. Friends down the block defaulted because they said, "it's a business decision." We dug deeper and made more principal payments and are at the cusp of paying off the whole thing. Granted, neither of us was running for office. But we decided to forgo the private schools once we could no longer afford them. There are some great public schools in Miami (although it takes work to find and get into them). There are a couple of great elementary schools right in West Miami, where he lives, in fact. My kids go to one of them.

The Audi (or was it a Lexus?) is par for the course in Miami. We stick out like sore thumbs for our "regular" cars. In Miami, even 16 year olds lease BMWs. It's stupid. Surgical techs drive more expensive cars than my husband (a surgeon who drives a 1999 Jeep). I would consider the boat excessive, but then again, once he paid off his debts first, why couldn't he get a splurge? I imagine he figures his retirement plan is another book or speakers' fees now that he's a national figure.

I've spoken with people who knew him as a professor, and they say that the impression he gave was one of someone who is seeking the next thing, the next step up the ladder of politics. Which is neither here nor there.

I get more upset with him pretending to understand immigration simply because his parents are Cuban. Cubans do not have the same immigration struggle as any other immigrants, especially other hispanic immigrants. Yes, it's a harrowing 90 mile boat ride and you have to leave your life behind. But all immigrants have to leave their lives behind and may never return. Cubans arrive here, get a job within 30 days, don't have to worry about being "found" and sent back (as long as they touch dry land, that is), don't have to learn a new language, and have an entire support network; then a year and a day later they can qualify as residents, apply for citizenship, and even go back and vist Cuba. Until "ajuste cubano" (the Cuban Adjustment Act) is what gets left behind, I won't consider a Cuban as speaking on behalf of my family members and their immigrant struggles. And I have plenty of Cuban friends here who agree with me. They went to high school with kids who couldn't get a driver's license because their parents brought them here from Ecuador or El Salvador and they have no papers. They know that they had a different life here as Cubans. For anyone interested, the Daily Show's Al Madrigal did a bit about how Jeb Bush is the only real hispanic candidate out there, and I for one, totally see his point. Google The Legend of El Jebe if you're interested in seeing it.

[iris lily]

...

But then again, defaulting on that mortgage is not cool. DH and I have dug ourselves out of debt over the last 11 years...



Did he actually walk away? The articles I skimmed from the year 2010 represented the default as a temporary non-payment that was later rectified.

But you are closer to that detail than I am with your local news.

As for the immigration candidate, I don't care about that and I know that none of them have a handle on the problem. I think it's pretty cool that the Republicans have 2 candidates of Cuban descent interested in the Presidency. It's a nice change from ivy league patrician types.

[bae]

I'd just figured he was another corrupt smarmy career politician, but now I'll have to take another look.

Thanks, NYT!

[Alan]

I'd just figured he was another corrupt smarmy career politician, but now I'll have to take another look.

Thanks, NYT!
You'd think they'd learn that in the absence of subtlety, the law of unintended consequences kicks in.

[LDAHL]

I think they they should keep digging. If I'm going to cast an intelligent vote, I need to know if he ever had an overdue library book or brought twelve items to the ten items or less checkout line.

[nswef]

:)Thanks for the smile LDAHL.

[gimmethesimplelife]

I see the New York Times has broken the news that Marco Rubio has gotten four traffic tickets over the last eighteen years. He also ran up a lot of student debt and paid it off. And when he got a book deal, he bought a speed boat.This is ridiculous. I would never vote for Mark Rubio BUT that doesn't mean I don't believe mud slinging where no mud really exists accomplishes anything for anyone. Rob

[gimmethesimplelife]

The Times' view is that with a net worth of only $444,000, "persistent doubts about his financial management" exist.MMMM.....LOL. I get a kick out of this statement. If my net worth were $444,000, I'd be in another country with much lower costs truly showing common sense financial management of a caliber the Times would probably never understand. But this isn't about me - this is about Mr. Rubio. Who has a net worth I find quite high and does the Time's really believe that someone who reaches this level, and is able to maintain it, especially in this brutally capitalistic take no prisoners economy - they are not proving themselves to be at least preservers of their wealth? I don't get it.....Rob

[LDAHL]

MMMM.....LOL. I get a kick out of this statement. If my net worth were $444,000, I'd be in another country with much lower costs truly showing common sense financial management of a caliber the Times would probably never understand. But this isn't about me - this is about Mr. Rubio. Who has a net worth I find quite high and does the Time's really believe that someone who reaches this level, and is able to maintain it, especially in this brutally capitalistic take no prisoners economy - they are not proving themselves to be at least preservers of their wealth? I don't get it.....Rob

I may vote for him just so I can brag that I'm richer than the President.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Well one becomes president to become a billionaire obviously. And it works. Maybe why he wants it, he doesn't have the 2 million you "need" to retire, and at 44 most people's peak earning years aren't ahead of them. Fidelity says at 45 years old you need to have saved 3x your salary to retire at 67. So he's only on track if he makes 148k or less, otherwise he better run for President and chase those billions.