Marco Rubio: We Should Obstruct Democrats' Agenda

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Campaign 2010

(AP)

CPAC Convention, Washington -- If any conservative candidates in the upcoming fall elections have any inclination to seek a bipartisan solution on health care, climate change legislation or any of President Obama's other key agenda items, Republican Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio has a message for them.

"2010 is a referendum on the very identity of our nation," Rubio said at the opening of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. "Many of the old rules of political engagement will not apply."

The former Florida House Speaker is an upstart candidate challenging Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who has been stigmatized in large part by a picture of Crist embracing the president at an event in support of Mr. Obama's stimulus package.

Rubio told a supportive CPAC crowd that Democrats are not trying to improve America as the country attempts to come out of recession, but rather change it -- and that conservative voters want candidates who stand in the way.

Candidates, he said, who will operate like the giant piles of compact, dirt-splattered snow that still stand tall along the streets of Washington, after a week of record-breaking snowfall.

That snow, Rubio said, was "the best thing to happen to the American economy in 12 months."

Washington was brought to a halt by the storm.

"The Congress couldn't meet to vote on bills," Rubio said to cheers. "The regulatory agency couldn't meet to set new regulations. The president couldn't find anywhere to set up a teleprompter to announce new taxes."

While voters want politicians to work together, Rubio said, "that comes with a very important caveat: it depends on what they're trying to do."

"America already has a Democrat party, it doesn't need two Democrat parties," he added.

One of Rubio's most high-profile supporters, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), said obstructing the Democratic agenda will pave the way for a new Republican majority and help the GOP regain the public trust.

"I would rather have 30 Marco Rubios in the Senate than 60 Arlen Specters," he said.

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Communications Director Eric Schultz released a statement following the speech knocking it as a rehash of "the same old, worn-out Republican talking points that led to economic collapse in the first place."

More Coverage from CPAC:

Dick Cheney Urged to Run for President at CPAC
Mitt Romney: Obama's Agenda Is "Reckless"
Washington Unplugged: Sen. Jim DeMint On CPAC, Tea Party Movement

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by honestabeandtruth April 4, 2011 4:49 PM EDT: Sen Rubio (R-FL) ...Hmmm....Where do I remember that name? That's right....Under investigation by the FBI!! Rubio billed the party for more than $100,000 during the two years he served as House speaker, according to credit card statements obtained by the St. Petersburg Times and Miami Herald. The charges included repairs to the family minivan, grocery bills, plane tickets for his wife and purchases from retailers ranging from a wine store near his home to Apple's online store. Rubio also charged the party for dozens of meals during the annual lawmaking session in Tallahassee, even though he received taxpayer subsidies for his meals. Sounds just like any other glib politician trying to figure out a way to climb into the tax payer pocket! What a dirt bag!; Reply to this comment


by ggreen1794 February 24, 2010 9:45 AM EST: Mortar_29,

It took me all of 30 secconds to learn that you plagerized Barry Goldwatter. All you have to do is give him credit for the statement to make it legal; Reply to this comment


by dirkmcnasty February 19, 2010 3:02 PM EST: Rubio and the Repubicans must prove to this to us skeptics by repealing the marijuana tax act of 1937, clearly an end around the constitution. Our nation is so broke, we waste billions on this crap?
We outlaw our farmers from growing America's number one cash crop in the US. Of course it keeps all this money underground, and no taxes collected. Sheer stupidity and irresponsible waste of tax dollars.; Reply to this comment

by steeepe February 18, 2010 5:20 PM EST

Anybody can see that Rubio's strategy is total BS. Applied by Democrats to a Congress with a majority of Republicans would give the same result: nothing gets done. If Rubio thinks he will be in Congress to do nothing, there are plenty of other jobs out there for him to waste time in. We don't need ideologues like him...

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by velma179 February 18, 2010 5:37 PM EST: by steeepe February 18, 2010 5:20 PM EST

Amen!


by Donaburd February 19, 2010 7:22 PM EST: Do you even know anything about Rubio? You might take a look at what he stands for before calling him an ideologue! http://www.marcorubio.com/issues/ Doesn't sound like he's planning on becoming the next Florida Senator to do nothing now does it? You might try voting for a candidate and ideals rather than a party. Wow, this website doesn't lean too left now does it. Get used to the idea, Crist made a big mistake supporting obama's stimulus and Marc Rubio will be the next Florida Senator.

by GreatDepression February 18, 2010 4:05 PM EST

Fact:

23% of all Americans over the age of 18 have Registered to Vote. Of this number, an average of 52%, over the last 35 years, do walk out to vote.

Therefore, 12% of Americans, over the age of 18, do actually bother to vote.

Shame on our Democracy and WE THE PEOPLE!

Reply to this comment


by velma179 February 18, 2010 5:00 PM EST: Great D... where did you get your stats?

I know it is very sad that so many Americans don't take their right and responsibility to vote seriously (but hey sure as he!! will gripe and moan..) but, your numbers may be off.

If the country has a TOTAL population of [roughly] 306 million, 12% equals about 37 million people. About 129 million voted in the last presidential election.

You may have gotten the stats wrong...?

by lami987 February 18, 2010 3:45 PM EST

I would give Dem a chance to finish their agenda. They have been in power for only a year and I don't believe anything meaningful can come along in a year. Especially with Republicans united in opposing anything and whatever Democrats want. I do know America started to go bankrupt when Pres. Reagan took office. He started our big time borrowing and after twelve years of republican presidents (Reagan & Bush Sr.) our national debt had more than quadrupled. Only pres. Clinton (D) was able to balance our budget in his second term, paid off some of the debt Reagan and Bush Sr created and accumulated a big surplus. Then came another Republican president, Bush Jr., that big budget surplus disappeared in a year and we started another borrowing spree. I hope Obama can succeed and Republicans can cooperate and give Democrats a chance to succeed. Republicans had their chances before.

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by GreatDepression February 18, 2010 4:10 PM EST: lami987

So far, this Obstruction is paying big Dividends to Republicans. Only fools expect an incentive for Republicans to work with President Obama.

ex-President Ronald Reagan started our Debt.

ex-President Ronald started our Division. I remember clearly every time Ronald Reagan spoke in public, he would never miss the opportunity to say "...see, there goes the liberals again...". This started the Partisian game that president Obama is trying hard to cool-down.

by GreatDepression February 18, 2010 3:22 PM EST

WE THE PEOPLE complaint about our Out-Of-Control Federal Foreign Debt but we never start at home with examples.

We all know perfectly well that Americans have NO (ZERO) savings.

We all know Perfectly well that Americans have Reached the Maximum limit on their Credit Cards.

The only thing left to Spend is to convert our Assets such as our house which we re-mortgaged with Equity in order to buy that nice Expensive HDTV, iPhone, Nexus One and all the other 'Made in China' electronic gadgets and toys which nobody needs.

Still, American blame their Government. Like my grandfather always said to me "government is the Rear-View-Mirrow of WE THE PEOPLE".

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by velma179 February 18, 2010 3:25 PM EST: Exactly Great D!

Our country has REPRESENTATIVE government. People who want to blame the government for all their problems need bigger mirrors!


by Mortar_29 February 18, 2010 3:26 PM EST: Good point.

by omded February 18, 2010 2:48 PM EST

Fellow Americans,

Our Country is falling deeper in debt. It's falling ever deeper under the control of special interests. It's bogged down in two wars that it can't seem to bring an end to, and, it's "enemies" in these two wars realize the best thing they can do to hurt our country is to keep us there, bogging ourselves down ever deeper. While all of this happens, WE continue to give ourselves two choices: "Democrat" or "Republican", "Liberal" or "Conservative", The Same or The Same. It's time we threw both of these failures out by their ears! Demand better! This idiot "Rubio" is no different than the people he condemns, like "Obama", "Reed", and "Pelosi". We don't need any of them!

Reply to this comment


by Mortar_29 February 18, 2010 2:50 PM EST: Agreed. So, every person we support from now on should agree to and be held to the following:

"I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution ... or have failed their purpose ... or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is 'needed' before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should be attacked for neglecting my constituents' 'interests,' I shall reply that I was informed that their main interest is liberty, and in that cause I am doing the very best I can."

by velma179 February 18, 2010 2:40 PM EST

Meanwhile... the 99% of the electorate that doesn't post on message boards or answer poll questions (especially the recorded ones...CLICK!), or really -- pay a lot of attention to what goes on anywhere else in America except their own life, house, city-district, state; these folks are still waiting until there are actual candidates before they decide who they will vote for in November.... though some of them might take the time to vote in a primary.

November is quite a ways off when you consider the mercurial pace of politics. And, there is this story we all heard as children, the one about the tortoise and the hare. I put my money on the tortoise, it remains to be seen whether the turtle wears a (R) or a (D), yep. But I have feeling, just a deep feeling....

Oh well. We'll see -- when the voters come out of hibernation.

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by Mortar_29 February 18, 2010 2:45 PM EST: Some of those actual Americans have had a chance to vote recently. In NJ, VA, MA. The only win by the Dems was in NY, probably because Obama didnt show up there to campaign for the race. All of the ones he has, have lost (not a good batting average, huh?).

So, yes...elections will decide it. But, the elections so far havent been good for Obama.


by velma179 February 18, 2010 3:08 PM EST: Governor races are entirely local -- even the results. The voters in NJ and VA expressed this after the fact, as I recall.

While a Senator (MA)or a House Rep (NY) does have a national result, the politics during "off season" elections is also primarily local -- though both MA and NY had national interest.

President Obama couldn't sink the ball for the (D) candidates, yep. But clear evidence exists that he did help. Frankly, in my opinion Jesus and Moses appearing with two of the three couldn't have gotten them elected.

My point concerns the "regular season" national elections. I'd like to see more interest, that is for sure.

An example: Senator Brown won his MA seat with less than 30% of the registered voters. President Obama won the presidency with the votes of approximately 33% of voting age Americans across the country (of course, with the Electoral College, a Presidential race is entirely different than a Congressional race.)

I like the idea of people being involved in the country's future.

by midlclass February 18, 2010 2:35 PM EST

typical neo-con rehtoric, nothing said about making america a better place or changing things for the good of the people. all about the party. the uproar in congress is that yes the president and the democrates are trying to change america for the better of the common man not the corperat communist greedy wall st types. the problem on the conservatives side is that things need to change and they don't want to.

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by GreatDepression February 18, 2010 2:38 PM EST: midlclass

My biggest complaint to the Conservatives is they never share why they are Good or Great or Better. Instead, I read the opposite. I am still waiting patiently.


by velma179 February 18, 2010 2:52 PM EST: Great D...
The people I know who are truly conservative want limited government, fair tax rates and reduced spending with a balanced budget, enhanced national security and a commitment to both the US Constitution and the idea of US greatness in the world.

Why any of these people vote for Republicans is beyond me? History tells us that any three or four of these specific points are quickly jettisoned as soon as the votes are counted. Of course, people will say -- well, Democrats are no better. True, when you use the conservative measurement criteria... but, then Democrats are not the ones that tout "conservative values".

I was sort of hoping a real capital "C" Conservative Party would spring up from all the energy that's been spent (tea parties, etc) -- but it looks like they are just going to fold their tents into the Republican umbrella...again! Sad and too bad.