I actually agree with Trump here. Jeb's line of attack was sound but he messed it up. To be sure, part of what happened is that the audience had the fix in for Rubio.
Jeb's valid point that the Senate is a six year term didn't seem to go over that well but Rubio's rejoinder-If missing Senate votes was good enough for McCain, it's good enough for me-seemed to bring down the house.
This might have stunned Jeb-which doesn't seem hard to do, The fact is though, he had to have an answer there and didn't. But it was a good point.
The story over Rubio's finances is potentially serious. Part of it is his hypocrisy in prescribing austerity for the country while he is a personal spendthrift who doesn't keep up with his own expenses.
But this use of a state credit card could be very serious. This story has been framed until now as 'Intermingling of personal and campaign finances' as if this is just an natural and understandable mistake.
How about stealing? He is taking money people have donated for campaign or state purposes and using them to buy his own groceries or a car for his wife, etc.
If I'm doing oppo research this is where I think I would focus.
Jeb's valid point that the Senate is a six year term didn't seem to go over that well but Rubio's rejoinder-If missing Senate votes was good enough for McCain, it's good enough for me-seemed to bring down the house.
This might have stunned Jeb-which doesn't seem hard to do, The fact is though, he had to have an answer there and didn't. But it was a good point.
The story over Rubio's finances is potentially serious. Part of it is his hypocrisy in prescribing austerity for the country while he is a personal spendthrift who doesn't keep up with his own expenses.
But this use of a state credit card could be very serious. This story has been framed until now as 'Intermingling of personal and campaign finances' as if this is just an natural and understandable mistake.
How about stealing? He is taking money people have donated for campaign or state purposes and using them to buy his own groceries or a car for his wife, etc.
If I'm doing oppo research this is where I think I would focus.
"The Post has a good overview of the escalating attacks on Marco Rubio from his GOP rivals, from Donald Trump to Jeb Bush. The attacks focus mostly on his missed Senate votes, as well as this:
"And then there are Rubio’s personal finances, which have dogged him since he ran for the Senate in 2010. During that campaign, questions emerged about his personal use of a credit card issued to him by the Republican Party of Florida when he served in the state House. He reimbursed the state party for flights he said were mistakenly billed to the party and paid for personal expenses that he had charged to the card….“All you have to do is look at his credit card — I mean, he’s a disaster with his credit cards,” Trump said.
"There will be a lot more of this. And Rubio may not be able to shrug it off as the handiwork of a liberal media conspiracy to help Hillary Clinton."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/11/04/morning-plum-a-brutal-reality-check-for-the-democratic-party/
"And then there are Rubio’s personal finances, which have dogged him since he ran for the Senate in 2010. During that campaign, questions emerged about his personal use of a credit card issued to him by the Republican Party of Florida when he served in the state House. He reimbursed the state party for flights he said were mistakenly billed to the party and paid for personal expenses that he had charged to the card….“All you have to do is look at his credit card — I mean, he’s a disaster with his credit cards,” Trump said.
"There will be a lot more of this. And Rubio may not be able to shrug it off as the handiwork of a liberal media conspiracy to help Hillary Clinton."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/11/04/morning-plum-a-brutal-reality-check-for-the-democratic-party/
This episode was not the first time he had been implicated in corruption or misdirection of funds charges he had some similar questions come up back in his days in the Florida state legislature.
Rubio has tried to stay under the radar until just before Iowa.
“Well, you can only hide the bacon for so long,” said David Carney, a top strategist for past GOP presidential candidates who is neutral in this race. “They are fully exposed at this point. This is the gantlet that a serious campaign has to be prepared to run.”
"Carney predicted the next hundred days will be “brutal” for Rubio. “If he withstands it, he will be a stronger candidate,” he said.
"Two other GOP presidential candidates, Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), have also targeted Rubio in recent days — Cruz on trade and Paul on Senate votes. “If you’re going to accept pay, you ought to show up for work,” Paul told CNN.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-republican-field-has-a-new-target-marco-rubio/2015/11/03/9638d9cc-824e-11e5-8ba6-cec48b74b2a7_story.html?tid=pm_politics_pop_b
Ok, on the Senate attendance issue, some want to give him a pass and say Senate votes don't matter. I don't know if I buy it. Yes, President Obama and Senator McCain missed some time to run for President in 2008 but neither ever said they hate their Senate job and that it's cramping their style.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2015/10/25/28cfaff0-6d59-11e5-9bfe-e59f5e244f92_story.html
So legitimate question: does Rubio hate his job? If so how can feel any confidence putting him in the Oval Office?
Ok, on the Senate attendance issue, some want to give him a pass and say Senate votes don't matter. I don't know if I buy it. Yes, President Obama and Senator McCain missed some time to run for President in 2008 but neither ever said they hate their Senate job and that it's cramping their style.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2015/10/25/28cfaff0-6d59-11e5-9bfe-e59f5e244f92_story.html
So legitimate question: does Rubio hate his job? If so how can feel any confidence putting him in the Oval Office?
UPDATE: The issue of Rubio's regular use of state credit cards is becoming a live issue.
http://www.politico.com/playbook/2015/11/politico-playbook-presented-by-chevron-rubio-promises-to-release-his-much-gossiped-about-florida-gop-credit-card-records-jebs-new-image-meister-boehner-names-post-hill-team-bday-ben-smith-laura-bush-blair-latoff-holmes-211076
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/marco-rubio-spent-lavishly-on-a-gop-credit-card-but-some-transactions-are/2252470
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