Rubio Rising

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Betsy Woodruff @ NRO:

A few hours before President Obama was scheduled to deliver the State of the Union address on Tuesday, Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, mentioned to Senate Republicans in their closed-door luncheon that Marco Rubio would be delivering the party’s response.

Rubio jumped up and said, “I am?” His colleagues laughed.

That’s how Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin tells it. Rubio, whose rapid rise has been exhaustively chronicled, has made quite an impression on his colleagues. In his two years in Congress, he’s gained the respect of members from both sides of the aisle and become a leading member of his caucus. And despite his feigned surprise, he is now one of the GOP’s chief spokesmen, the man who was tapped to deliver the most high-profile rebuttal of the year.

On Capitol Hill, though, what really stands out is how much his colleagues simply like having him around. Beyond the magazine covers and primetime speeches, he’s become a favorite within the institution.

“He’s got a wicked sense of humor,” says Senator Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.). “When we were flying overseas, he picked the movie Machete. You go watch it, and that tells a lot about his sense of humor.” (Rotten Tomatoes, a movie-review website, says thatMachete is “messy, violent, shallow, and tasteless — and that’s precisely the point of one of the summer’s most cartoonishly enjoyable films.”)

The members of the Republican conference aren’t the only ones who notice his star power — over the last few weeks, the 42-year-old senator has made a plethora of media appearances in support of his immigration-reform proposals, and Time magazine declared him the “savior” of the GOP. The senator, an avid Tweeter, tweeted a quick response: “There is only one savior, and it is not me. #Jesus.”

But Rubio’s modest Tweet hasn’t lowered expectations. Senator Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.) says the flurry of coverage hasn’t been ignored. “It’s been interesting in the last week to be in the House gym with him when every television has him, and the Time magazine thing pops up,” he says. “But he takes it all in stride.”

Is all of the media attention a good workout incentive?

“Maybe that’s it!” says Flake with a laugh. “He tends to speed up a little!”

For now, though, Rubio and his staff don’t seem to be getting ahead of themselves.

“You can’t be the guy that took down Charlie Crist in a political fight without also being keenly aware of how fleeting these moments in politics are,” says Todd Harris, a longtime Rubio strategist. “Charlie Crist was measuring drapes in the White House one day and persona non grata the next.”

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If the Republican party is looking at Rubio as a Presidential condidate for 2016, they are wrong because he doesn’t meet the criteria. He may have been born here in the US, but neither of his parents were US citizens at that point in time. Same with Jindahl.

@jaspercounty1:

If the Republican party is looking at Rubio as a Presidential condidate for 2016, they are wrong because he doesn’t meet the criteria

If you think the GOP, or even the Democrats, are going to go there, you are wrong. Rubio meets the standard of “natural born” promoted by the Democrats (hello? Anchor babies?). And he is not going to be thwarted by the establishment GOP.

But make no mistake; Rubio is being set up to be the heir apparent for John McCain. Why do you think Rubio was chosen to try to force thru Shamnesty II? Because, mistakenly, the McCain/Graham faction of the GOP thinks Rubio is the answer to recruiting Hispanic voters. He’s not, at least not in most states, but he has become the face of the GOP push to tap into the Hispanic voter bloc. It will not work.

Oh, don’t get me wrong. Rubio is a smart man. And he is a dynamic speaker. But he is being compromised by McCain/Graham tag team. The fact that Time Magazine is singing his praises should give you just as much pause as when the NYSlimes was signing the praises of John McCain in 2008. The left wing media will turn on Rubio with a vengenence, when the time is right.

Add to that John McCain’s recent public attack on Ted Cruz when Cruz went against Hagel. McCain, ever the RINO, sided with Nelson against Cruz. Why? Because Ted Cruz, a brilliant man, doesn’t agree with Shamnesty II and has said so publically. Can’t have a Hispanic wandering off the GOP plantation, you know. And damn sure can’t have Ted Cruz, also of Cuban heritage, disputing with the heir apparent, Marco Rubio.

We are watching the beginning of another GOP establishment shell game.

My sister lives in Florida and unlike others does not like Rubio. I asked her why and she told me some of his shady dealings previously. I am sure though if he has any idea of running for President, it will all come out of the closet. regardless being born in Miami, FL of two Cuban citizens makes him ineligible. I know, I know obama isn’t either but the media and those with no cajones in the senate and congress are allowing this miscreant to remain in office. However there will come a time, and I will guess shortly that obama has gone too far and he will be impeached.

For some reason Rubio has always left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, I can’t say why. Now when I heard Cruz, I got seriously excited. I rate Cruz right up there with West, Martinez, Love and Palin. We have some very good Conservatives sadly we don’t have any leading the GOP. Oh bummer Ted Cruz was born in Canada. Well I still like him.

The Glug Heard Round the World.

I really don’t know why they don’t videotape the response minutes ahead of the broadcast. Or at least think to use a podium with a handy glass of water.

so, he drank water, he needed it and he did what was natural to do, would y’all prefer he choke on his saliva?
and so he is a human being with high skills,
is this here a CONSERVATIVE BLOG?
I could not stand the vetting of the CANDIDATES BEFORE,
IT WAS SO VICIOUS, enough to destroy any characters, done by CONSERVATIVES TO GET ONE TO COMPETE AGAINST A TELEPROMTER IN A SUIT NEVER BEEN VETTED AND PROTECTED LIKE A BABY BORN BY THE MEDIA AND THE BLACK ORGANISATIONS IN HOLLYWOOD AND INTO ALL THE STATES,
AND THE UNIONS AND THEIR MEMBERS, ALL OF THEM DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE HE COME FROM, and what good he’s doing there,
THIS IS THE OTHER SIDE, AND WE CONSERVATIVES DARE TO CRUCIFY ALREADY A GIFTED MAN DRINKING A SIP OF WATER, WE BEGIN TO SNEAK IN NEGATIVES SLUR AT HIM,
THERE YOU ARE STARTING THE UGLY GAME AGAIN,
WHY DON’T Y’ALL USE YOUR NEGATIVE ENERGY TOWARD YOUR ENEMY SIDE
WHO WAS NEVER VETTED. AND GIVE A KUDO TO MARCO,
I like THIS SENTENCE,
AM I GOOD OR NOT?
I JUST FOUND THE LABEL FOR HIM,
GIVE A KUDO TO MARCO.
and redirect your negatives to me if it make you feel good,