Rubio fires up S.C. Republicans by attacking Obama

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

(CBS News) COLUMBIA, S.C. - Florida Sen. Marco Rubio fired up an audience of South Carolina Republicans as he labeled President Obama the most "divisive" figure in modern American history, picking up an attack line used by his party's presumptive nominee, Mitt Romney.

"The president and his party's view of America's government and our lives is a failed one. It hasn't worked. His ideas that sounded so good in the classrooms of Harvard and Yale haven't really worked out well in the real world," Rubio said. "They get frustrated. They cant win on their record. And so they've chosen to go down a different road, one that I think is destructive, counterproductive, and very unfortunate."

If Rubio's speech to the nearly 1,000 party members gathered for their annual Silver Elephant dinner was meant to serve as a test of his ability to act as an attack dog for Mitt Romney, he did his job well. The oft-mentioned potential running mate for Romney delivered an extended critique of the president's policies and rhetoric that was interrupted several times by applause from the audience, who also gave him a standing ovation at the end.

They weren't the only ones voicing their approval for Rubio. South Carolina's top Republicans in attendance - Gov. Nikki Haley and Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint - had their own praise for the young senator.

DeMint said, as he introduced Rubio, "We have a speaker here tonight that can be that voice for freedom." And Graham praised him as "the future of the Republican Party," and thanked him for his leadership. "Ronald Reagan would be proud of you," he said, the ultimate compliment among a GOP crowd.

They aren't alone. Rep. Tim Scott from South Carolina told reporters before Rubio's speech that the Florida senator is a popular pick among his colleagues on Capitol Hill to serve as Romney's number two.

Rubio returned much of the praise, even crediting DeMint with his 2010 Senate victory.

"If Jim DeMint had not endorsed me, I would not be a member of the U.S. Senate today," Rubio said as he reflected on how defeated he felt when Republican after Republican lined up to support his opponent, then-Gov. Charlie Crist.

For all his focus on the importance of the election at hand, Rubio's speech also had the hallmarks of a candidate gearing up for a possible presidential run in 2016. He presented his life story as representative of the American dream, noting that while he stood before a podium, his used to stand before a bar serving drinks on a Saturday night.

And South Carolina is not Rubio's first dance with voters of a key primary state. He delivered that same message about the ability to escape the circumstances of one's birth in America before a group of Iowa business leaders who had traveled to Washington, D.C. earlier this month.

[nancy_naive]

Obama is black... that's all that is necessary to fire up the South Carolina GOP.

[WHAT-IS-HE-SMOKING]

Well just take a look at Europe. They decided to tackle the financial problem with cuts, just like the Republicans want to do, and Obama did it with stimulus monies. Which is in a better position today?

[euge005]

Each and every comment in order right down the story that he makes is wrong. Obama may be weak, born from a humanitarian core value, but he is spot on and the devisivness is from the GOP refusal to follow good policy or even acknowlege the truth. They drove the truck into the ditch and now want to keys again. but Mittens' main policy man admits they plan a Bush II white house. Wonder which oil country they plan on attacking first?

[marychgo]

Rubio's complaint about "divisiveness" is classic Karl Rove: accuse your opponent of what you yourself are doing. The GOP and its talk-radio mouthpieces and its Grover-Norquist Congress critters have been "dividing" since the moment Obama was elected.

Warren Buffett said it all months ago: there's been a class war going on in the U.S. for 30 years, and (much to Warren's dismay) "my side is winning!"

[marychgo]

Or perhaps, canthelpmyself, most Obama supporters just don't think Rubio's rantings are important enough to respond to....

[mllimberg]

Rubio is a RINO.... he's for Open Border and Amnesty....

The Real Tea Party in America demands ALL LAWS ENFORCED, AND THE CONSTITUTION IS OUR BUBLE FOR AMERICA!

That's where my Tea Party stands.....

[Midwesterner001]

Long live the Buble! Go Christian Taliban..!

[Mike_in_USA]

"... his ability to act as an attack dog for Mitt Romney..." so if you disagree with the president's policies and rhetoric you are an attack dog? Blatant propaganda.

"...anti American GOP economic terrorist pimps for the 1%..." you call thisa factual rebuttal?Your hate is showing and then you expect a serious consideration of your writing? right.

And most of these posts are about history-not the article. If these policies are so great, why is there no noticeable change after three years? Rubio us attacked for misuse of the credit card. Well, at least he didn't take many vacations, dinners out and use taxpayer money to campaign.
spew and regurgitate what you have been told and fool yourself into thinking how wonderful you are for being in lock step with one side. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy huh?

[audemus]

When a preacher fires up the choir, no one should be impressed.

[CNH]

Republicans and tea party pundits self-righteously proclaim that the divisiveness that has been stagnating progress in Congress and that has been evident in the political blogosphere constitute proof that the public is justifiably upset with the policies being promoted by Obama and the Democrats in Congress.

Hmmm. In 1938, Orson Welles presented a Mercury Theatre radio melodrama version of War of the Worlds which was so convincing in its presentation that many panicked listeners believed that they were witnessing a real invasion from Mars. Some folks took up arms against their neighbors, fearing that they were part of the alien invasion.

When Obama was elected, Congressional Republican leaders publicly proclaimed that their top priority was not to improve the national economy, nor was it to improve the security and welfare of the American public, instead it was to do whatever was necessary to undermine the Obama presidency.

In 2009-10, right wing pundits went on the air, and and in an attempt to instill irrational fear and hatred among their listeners, repeatedly proclaimed that health care reform and other progressive programs would result in Armageddon -- the end of society as we know it, the onset of a fascist, socialist, tyrannical dictatorship led by a foreign-born, terrorist-sympathizing, Caucasian-hating closet Muslim.

The only difference between the 1938 event and the disingenuous, fear-mongering propaganda campaign that has been waged by the likes of Limbaugh, Beck, Hannity, Coulter, Bachmann, Palin, and others is that Welles did not hit the airwaves on the day following the mass hysteria and declare that the public response was proof that malevolent Martians did indeed exist.

[irreverentasever]

It's apparent to me that Rubio doesn't do well giving speeches unless all you have to talk about is the promise of America and we haven't reached our potential and bla, bla, bla, bla. Go meet Romney at that Shining City on the Hill, Marco.

[Mike_in_USA]

So you think where we are now is 'the promise' of America? What country are you from?and what/which promise?

[hilario3]

Mr Rubio is really hoping that the public 'forgets' the Bush
experience and also hopes that those that do not forget will
'forgive' the former president for violating our country for
8 long years. These 'Americans' in the Republican party did
nothing to Stop or even question the Bush/Cheney administration
as it slowly sufficated our economy and destroyed our reputation
in the World order. Rubio can talk all he wants but until his
party truly acts in the best interest of ALL the American People
his words will fall on 'deaf' ears.