Posted on 07/31/2012 5:21:31 PM PDT by Red Steel
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Although he could be an asset to Mitt Romney, irregularities in the Florida senator's record would make him a fat target for Democrats.
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Overlooked in this is Rubio's big Achilles' heel: his record. Not his legislative record -- though Democrats would surely take great pains to paint him as an extremist, he tends to be in the mainstream of the GOP -- but his political and lifestyle ones. Those areas will give opponents plenty to work with. There's no single smoking gun -- the lone revelation that would make him unviable. Instead, his record raises a series of smaller questions that would add up to many potential headaches for a campaign headed into a tough election against an incumbent president. The case for Rubio is well known, but here's a quick rundown on his potential vulnerabilities.
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7. He Also Has Close Connections With Jim Greer. Greer is the embattled former chair of the Florida GOP, and as a prominent Florida Republican, Rubio naturally worked alongside him. The bad news: Greer has been charged with fraud and money-laundering. Worse: Greer is furious at party leaders and is thought to be sitting on damaging information about the party and its officials. Worst: He is set to go on trial in late July, on the eve of the Republican National Convention -- which is being held in Tampa.
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9. His Record Has Several Other Irregularities. Rubio has already faced questions about his official biography. Washington Post reporter Manuel Roig-Franzia revealed that contrary to prior claims, Rubio's parents came to the United States from Cuba before, rather than after, the Cuban Revolution.
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Much of it penny ante, but collectively it could pose a significant distract during the campaign. I have no doubt that the lib media along with the Dems with play it for all it's worth against Rubio.
"1. He Improperly Used a Republican Party Credit Card. In 2010, the Miami Herald and the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) reported that Rubio"
Rubio used it on groceries wine and to repair his minvan although, Rubio said he paid it back. And the related complaint charges about this were tossed a few days ago by Florida Ethics Commission.
If this is the worst the opposition can come up with...
Of course the Atlantic thought those weren't worth looking into.
Why isn't this a crime when the commie 'RATS do it?
Rubio drives a minivan? Gads that there is enough to disqualify him.
His abuse of the corporate credit card is a red flag. It shows moral defectiveness. If you can’t trust the guy with a credit card there are probably other problems. Where I work there are a few f*$#ups who put thier personal crap on the corporate credit card. Often times these same guys/gals get fired for screwing up other things.
Boy, its a good thing that these guys were too busy to look into Barack Obama’s past. We’d all be talking about John McCain’s reelection campaign.
Cuz Repubs have values.....RATS have nothing to live up to.
I have my own reasons I prefer to not see Rubio as the GOP VP pick.
I don’t want to see his Florida Senate seat in play, and AT THIS POINT IN TIME I think he is more important to the party, and will be more important to the GOP in 2013-2014 in that Senate seat than he might possibly be as VP for Romney.
Romney’s “Hispanic” vote will be what it will be, based on his policy positions, not on who his VP pick is.
Other’s can help Romney as much as Rubio, in different ways, without taking Rubio out of the Senate where we need every GOP vote we can get.
Marco Rubio: Why He's an Unlikely Veep PickWe can only
While my choice for VP is West, I don’t much care what the Atlantic has to say about anything
Why choose Rubio when he could choose Hillary?
Rubio lost me when he recently voted to continue the government subsidies to big sugar.
Ah, Marco “the illegals can stay anywhere but his house” Rubio, he is like a Democrat, the law can be interpreted and followed according to the way the wind blows upon one’s finger! RINO’s, they are as loving as a dove and as cunning as a cow!
Choosing Rubio, or anyone else who wasn't born here to two citizen parents at the time of his/her birth, for VP will make that group into sworn enemies instead of potential Romney voters.
There won't be anything you or anyone else can say or do to change that fact.
I don’t know anybody like that nor have I ever seen that viewpoint expressed. I think you’re projecting.
This crap about birtherism and Rubio is just that. Not the law of our country, period.
However, I’m not sure it’s worth picking Rubio, because of a perceived lack of experience.
The Gold Standard definition for a Natural Born Citizen is someone born here to two citizen parents at the time of his or her birth.
That is the only definition that will be acceptable to everyone.
Anything less will guarantee a fight for Romney against a very motivated block of otherwise republican voters.
You will find that many strongly disagree with you.
If you want to make the election into a Constitutional fight over the VP's eligibility, there are plenty of Americans ready, willing and able to be so distracted and will readily help you spend your campaign dollars against your otherwise faithful voters.
I think Romney is a more practical man than that, but if this is the hill he wants his political career to die fighting for, he'll have plenty of help making that happen.
I think that's the reason Rubio is being pushed, to torpedo Romney and cause infighting, while taking some of the heat off of obama's similar problems.
It will work!
You're right, but the MSM will take the penny ante stuff and magnify it breathlessly, a la the Palin "dress shopping" pseudo-scandal.
I'm sorry, I do like Rubio, but there is too much potential for him to be Palin-ized. It's a shame, but I'm only being realistic.
Paul Ryan IMO is the only good candidate on the short list. This Atlantic article describes Ryan as "a dynamic proponent of unpopular ideas."
Well, good! The public admires a "dynamic" and confident man who sticks to his ideas, even if they're "unpopular." Think Ronald Reagan.
Another good choice, though not on Romney's short list probably, would be Jon Kyl.
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