Posted on 05/16/2009 5:40:29 AM PDT by Scanian
TAMPA - Making his first U.S. Senate campaign appearance in Tampa, Marco Rubio today said party leaders and political chiefs shouldn't be the ones to decide the Republican primary between himself and Gov. Charlie Crist.
"I would hold my Republican credentials up there with anyone who currently holds leadership statewide in the party," Rubio said in an interview. "I feel like I deserve to be treated fairly."
Rubio, a former state House speaker from Miami, was commenting on efforts by party leaders, including state GOP Chairman Jim Greer, to line up the party behind Crist in the primary.
Greer and others believe Crist can guarantee a Republican win against a Democrat in the general election next year.
"I can't understand that logic," Rubio responded.
"Who is this unbeatable Democrat that's in the race … that somehow is this insurmountable foe?" he said. "The bottom line is that other than the governor, the other three people in this race, including me, are all fairly unknown throughout the state of Florida. And of the three, I'm the one with the biggest base."
Democratic candidates include U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and state Sen. Dan Gelber.
Rubio spoke to a crowd of about 75 at a Hispanic Republican Club meeting Friday evening, after seeing a larger crowd at a meet-and-greet event Friday afternoon.
In a speech to the crowd, he condemned government spending under President Barack Obama, saying, "Our children will spend their lifetimes paying the interest" on the $11 trillion national debt.
But he added, "The Republican Party is responsible for a portion of that deficit – the Democrats put it on steroids, but we're responsible for a portion of it, and it's time to acknowledge that."
(Excerpt) Read more at 2.tbo.com ...
Bttt
Go Rubio!
Crist will support 80% of Obama’s agenda, and Rubio closer to 0.
Meek, of course, will support 100% of Obama’s agenda.
Rubio can capture the much needed hispanic vote. That’s the deciding factor right there.
Goooo Rubio!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Call for REFORM in 2010 - 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rumble for Rubio!!!
The next time Jeeziz H. Crist (RINO-Fl) looks in the mirror he will see a man who, while attracting all the right support in the GOP wine and cheese centers of the beltway, knows he will lose the primary. All that’s left to him is to play out his mistake, lose the governor’s mansion, and be named ambassador to China after Huntsman goes native.
Rumble for Rubio!!!
WOOO!
WOOO!
WOOO!!
I don’t see where the RNC gets off supporting one person over another in the PRIMARY. That is what they were going to do in PA - - support Specter, and we saw how that developed.
It is the right of the voters in the state to choose who they want, not people in the national committee.
Remember, RINOs are tolerable if and only if the Democrats have such an iron lock on political life in a state that the "results" of the General Election are the same as the "results" in the Democrat primary that precedes it.
You'd let a Democrat whose outside the machine for some reason run under the Republican label just so you could "organize" the legislature or the Congress if you ended up with a majority.
Still, you'd usually never let such a person sit in the councils where decisions are made about the direction the party is going, or in selecting "other candidates" elsewhere.
Florida's Republicans really ought to get with the picture and start running real Republicans.
It seems that the Democratic strategy is to run RINO’s, defeat them, and then run them again. And if one happens to win, so what. They’ve got their votes on key issues anyway. Crist is one of that gang, an insider who loves to lock arms with presidents and king’s no matter what their views and actions.
Backroom political decisions have oftentimes brought us real bad actors. Let’s get these choices out in front of the voters. Go Rubio!
I heard that Senate Republicans like Crist. That right there diqualifies him in my mind.
It’s disappointing that the Republican Party still doesn’t get it after all those Tea parties. Maybe if G Beck had a three hour show from 5 to 8 on Fox they would get the msg.
I’ll bet Miss Lindsey can’t wait for Suntan Charlie to join the party! Ought to be mighty cozy.
They do it because the establishment is made up of RINOs and they know that RINOs don’t do well in Republican primaries. All those conservative extremists of the type mentioned on Janet’s list vote in those primary things, you know.
At what cost? Crist adores Hussein just like the Democrats adore Hussein. Screw it. I am done with CC. He had his chance in January of 2009 to stand with conservatives against big spending, all-intrusive federal government. He blew it.
Get over it, Greer "and others".
I’ve met Rubio and he is great.
I started to write this as a private note but why not put it out here.
When I wrote “Rumble for Rubio” it was an off the cuff label, but your post made me realize, sure, why not repeat that as a “war” cry. Maybe it’ll catch on in Florida. Who knows. Thanks for the Wooo’s.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.