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Marco Rubio’s compelling family story embellishes facts, documents show
Washington Post ^ | October 20, 2011 | Manuel Roig-Franzia

Posted on 10/20/2011 5:54:25 PM PDT by Seizethecarp

During his rise to political prominence, Sen. Marco Rubio frequently repeated a compelling version of his family’s history that had special resonance in South Florida. He was the “son of exiles,” he told audiences, Cuban Americans forced off their beloved island after “a thug,” Fidel Castro, took power.

But a review of documents — including naturalization papers and other official records — reveals that the Florida Republican’s account embellishes the facts. The documents show that Rubio’s parents came to the United States and were admitted for permanent residence more than 21 / 2 years before Castro’s forces overthrew the Cuban government and took power on New Year’s Day 1959.

The supposed flight of Rubio’s parents has been at the core of the young senator’s political identity, both before and after his stunning tea-party-propelled victory in last year’s Senate election. Rubio — now considered a prospective 2012 Republican vice presidential candidate and a possible future presidential contender — mentions his parents in the second sentence of the official biography on his Senate Web site. It says that Mario and Oriales Rubio “came to America following Fidel Castro’s takeover.”

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: eligibility; eligible; ineligibility; ineligible; marcorubio; naturalborncitizen; rubio
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To: trumandogz

Yeah, but that’s not “embellishment.” It’s just inaccuracy. Embellishment is when you try to make it appear that you’re something that you’re not.


21 posted on 10/20/2011 6:15:16 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: trumandogz
Rubio claimed a lot of things about his parents' travels back and forth several times between the US and Cuba.

He was a little kid ~ his direct memories may well be unclear when it comes to time but the Post provided information regarding where his parents were, and they were there before Castro and after Castro. They were also in the US before Castro and after Castro.

Remember, Batista ~ plenty of people fled the Batista regime. That didn't mean they were Castro's favorites.

The Washington Post writers failed to support their initial arguments.

22 posted on 10/20/2011 6:17:30 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: exit82

I keep hearing that... “ineligible to be President”. Clearly this is a tiger without any teeth, as if elected, Rubio would be the THIRD president with this distinction. So given the precedence, and that the courts clearly define this distinction differently, and “the system” is unwilling or unable to address it, continued discussion is wasted effort IMHO.


23 posted on 10/20/2011 6:18:34 PM PDT by bigdaddy45
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To: Brilliant

It is not an embellishment, it is not an innacuracy, it is an outright lie.


24 posted on 10/20/2011 6:18:43 PM PDT by trumandogz (In Rick Perry's Nanny State, the state will drive your kids to the dentist at tax payer expense)
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To: trumandogz

Nice try.


25 posted on 10/20/2011 6:22:11 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: muawiyah

Seems like a smart native born citizen like Rubio would have a more accurate understanding of his family history.


26 posted on 10/20/2011 6:23:59 PM PDT by trumandogz (In Rick Perry's Nanny State, the state will drive your kids to the dentist at tax payer expense)
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To: muawiyah
“The Washington Promised a lot in this story but they failed to provide evidence to back up their contentions.”

I disagree.

If true, WaPo has proved that Rubio’s family were not political refugees of the Communist Revolution, but were economic immigrants. In 1959 Castro was still claiming publicly to be in favor of multi-party democracy and had many non-Communists fighting with him (folks that he and Che quickly liquidated after taking power).

BTW, the comments to this article have immediately jumped to WaPo's failure to vet Obama's bio!

27 posted on 10/20/2011 6:25:35 PM PDT by Seizethecarp
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To: FritzG
Romney's parents were US Citizens at the time of Mittens birth.

George on the other hand was not a natural born citizen, and shouldn't have run for President in 68.

28 posted on 10/20/2011 6:25:51 PM PDT by ASA Vet (Natural-born citizens, are those born in the country, of parents who are citizens. De Vattel)
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To: Seizethecarp

but obama’s mother died of cancer without health insurance- or something like that...


29 posted on 10/20/2011 6:26:18 PM PDT by God luvs America (63.5million pay no federal income tax then vote demoKrat)
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To: bigdaddy45

That dog won;t hunt.

Chester Arthur deceived his contemporaries—it was not found out until well after his term that he was ineligible.

The second person is Obama, and he is a disaster for America. If we had the Generation of 1776 here, he would be in prison by now, but there is a distinct lack of testicular fortitude in DC for the last twenty years.

A third person—should never be allowed to happen.


30 posted on 10/20/2011 6:30:40 PM PDT by exit82 (Democrats are the enemies of freedom.)
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To: buccaneer81
You are correct. Marco Rubio is NOT a natural born Citizen.

Notice this slippery wording used by the Washington Post employee Alice Crites:

"A similar claim has been made in blogs and other forums because Rubio’s parents were not citizens when he was born in Florida in 1971. But legal scholars on both sides of the McCain debate told The Post that Rubio’s citizenship does not appear to be an issue."

The issue is NOT Rubio's citizenship, but wether he is a natural born Citizen as required by article II of the Constitution. Of course Washington Post employee Alice Crites is NOT allowed to tell us that for obvious reasons.

31 posted on 10/20/2011 6:33:04 PM PDT by Godebert
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To: Godebert
“The issue is NOT Rubio’s citizenship, but wether he is a natural born Citizen as required by article II of the Constitution. Of course Washington Post employee Alice Crites is NOT allowed to tell us that for obvious reasons.”

Yup. I am making my way through the 500+ comments to see if this is pointed out. There are some articulate constitutionalists posting comments.

32 posted on 10/20/2011 6:38:06 PM PDT by Seizethecarp
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To: Seizethecarp
"I am making my way through the 500+ comments to see if this is pointed out. "

I'm sure an employee of the Washington Post will be ready with the delete key if it is pointed out.

33 posted on 10/20/2011 6:45:54 PM PDT by Godebert
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To: Seizethecarp
Who gives a f*** about his "compelling family story"?

What has he DONE to make him a plausible national leader? Being able to talk to the pool boy without a translator doesn't count.

34 posted on 10/20/2011 6:48:03 PM PDT by Jim Noble (To live peacefully with credit-based consumption and fiat money, men would have to be angels.)
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Name Another Site Where You Can Get As Much Information

Can't Think Of One?

Then Why Don't You Donate

35 posted on 10/20/2011 7:03:07 PM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are here! What will you do?)
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To: Brilliant

True, but it also greatly embellishes the story, which is made to sound like his parents fled with mass chaos and destruction all around them.


36 posted on 10/20/2011 8:05:15 PM PDT by hitchwolf
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To: ASA Vet
This is demented. George Romney was never anything except a U.S. citizen by birth. He was never subject to Mexican citizenship since they did not recognize Jus Soli birthright. His parents were only ever U.S. citizens.

The Naturalization Act of 1790 says, "And the children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond Sea, or out of the limits of the United States, shall be considered as natural born Citizens."

That is precisely George Romney's case. By that early congress's view he was eligible for POTUS.

37 posted on 10/20/2011 8:07:46 PM PDT by newzjunkey (This is where birthers go off and rant about the 'holy writ' of Vattel. /s)
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To: Seizethecarp
I'm not a fan of Rubio. Lots of hype going on about him with no record of him doing anything special.

I think it's mostly about getting the latino vote & nothing more than that.

38 posted on 10/20/2011 8:15:50 PM PDT by LADY J ( Change your thoughts and you change your world.. - Norman Vincent Peale))
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To: LADY J

he certainly could bring the “female vote” to the republican party.


39 posted on 10/20/2011 8:17:10 PM PDT by Scotswife
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To: Seizethecarp

so I see the press is still interested in the personal history of “some” people.


40 posted on 10/20/2011 8:19:15 PM PDT by Scotswife
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