The FBI's search of Trump property reminded us of Marco Rubio's hypocrisy or it may have been Val Demings' shadow
New poll shows the incumbent senator and his Democratic challenger in a dead heat
If you lined up Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, Rand Paul, and Marco Rubio next to each other, it would be difficult to determine which of the five would be seen as the most loathsome, specious, and ineffectual member of the U.S. Senate. However, if I were coerced into making a choice, it would have to be Rubio. I believe that he is the most dangerous among the group due to the state he represents and his ability to project a somewhat less insane persona than the others who have become caricatures of themselves.
Like most of the GOP establishment in and outside of Washington, Rubio predictably jumped into the fray over the FBI and the Justice Department authorizing a search of Donald Trump's Florida property. In response, the state's Senior Senator tweeted: "Using government power to persecute political opponents is something we have seen many times from 3rd world Marxist dictatorships. But never before in America."
In comparison, during the GOP-induced tumult over then-Secretary Clinton's emails, Rubio opined, "Hillary Clinton's actions have sent the worst message to the millions of hard-working federal employees who hold security clearances and are expected to go to great lengths to secure sensitive government information and abide by the rules. They don't take their oaths lightly, and we shouldn't expect any less of their leaders."
This duplicity isn't surprising to long-time Rubio observers. His image and influence have gradationally waned since his spectacular crash and burn as a presidential candidate in 2016. Consequently, he will at the drop of a hat, seize on any issue and seek any platform to stay relevant. With every Tweet or Fox News interview, it seems that he reaches a new low in what seems to be a desperate attempt to find a phoenix-like rise on the political landscape. It wasn't supposed to be this way.
From the day he entered the political arena, he was destined to attain great heights. Starting as a City Commissioner in West Miami, to the Florida Legislature where he rose up the ranks to become Speaker and went on to become a U.S. Senator. His was a storybook tale of rags to riches, from his family fleeing Communist Cuba as immigrants to his achieving the American Dream as a result of his parents' hard work and sacrifices.
When images of Cubans fleeing their island under the regime of the Castros unfold in my mind, they include terrorized men, women, and children with only the clothes on their backs making their way in small boats through perilous waters desperately attempting to make it to shores of America. But unbeknownst to many, Rubio's family landed in the U.S. on a regular commercial flight at Miami's airport and the oppressive Cuban leader that spurred the clan's immigration was U.S.-backed military dictator, Fulgencio Baptiste.
In a 2011 article, Author and Feature Reporter for The Washington Post, Manuel Roig-Franzia discovered and made public the Rubios' naturalization papers. What they displayed was that the family was awarded U.S. permanent residency two and a half years before Castro took power. Later, Roig-Franzia further explored his conclusions in a biography, The Rise of Marco Rubio. Needless to say, over the years Rubio and his team have fought back on these claims and have done everything in their power to discredit them.
But Rubio was not supposed to be in his current situation. At the outset of his career, he was young, charismatic, intelligent and a can't miss political achiever. Many believed he possessed superior debating and campaign talents that would present a nightmare for Democrats. But his rash decision to abandon his Senate seat to dive head first into a Presidential race in 2016 that he knew would include who we now know was a frenemy and not a mentor, fellow Floridian Jeb Bush.
After a credible showing in Iowa, the campaign regressed from there, culminating in an embarrassing loss in his home state’s primary. To add insult to injury, in the preceding debates, he tried to out bully the ultimate bully in Donald Trump, who in one of their exchanges, awarded him the title of "Little" Marco, a branding that will live with Rubio forever. It was after this defeat that he reneged on his pledge not to seek re-election to his Senate seat. Fortunately for him, no legitimate GOP candidate had emerged and to the delight of Mitch McConnell who was seeking to flip the Senate, he was welcomed back into the fold.
Now he is seeking a third term that if attendance records are an indication of resoluteness for the job, he clearly wants to do something else. But this time, he's facing an extremely qualified, passionate, and well-funded candidate in former Orlando Police Chief and current U.S. Rep. Val Demings, who is seeking to be the first female Senator from Florida in 40 years and the first Black Senator ever.
Polling conducted by Progress Florida and Florida Watch shows the race between Demings and Rubio tied with each attracting 45 percent support. Roughly a third of respondents were unfamiliar with the challenger. However, more disconcerting for Rubio is that a survey by The Hub that measured favorability between the two candidates found that 52 percent of Florida voters held an unfavorable view of him, while 34 percent held similar feelings about Demings. That number presents a real problem for an incumbent. That’s why it wasn’t surprising that he reacted to the search of Mar-a-Largo at warp speed in order to toss red meat to the former President’s base.
With November rapidly approaching and the U.S. Senate race in Florida currently seen as a tossup, Rubio isn't the only one sweating. Both Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Campaign Committee Chair and Florida Senator Rick Scott have to be nervous. What looked to be a layup to regain the Senate majority is now a battle to keep the Democrats from adding seats. One thing is certain, watching a face-off on a debate stage between "Little" Marco and the Chief will be must-see TV. For me, that will definitely be a popcorn and cab night.
Great Article