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Subscribe to RSSFlorida Sen. Marco Rubio sought to put a softer face on Republicans’ small-government agenda, accusing President Barack Obama of spreading blame for his own administration’s shortcomings.
Rubio used the official Republican response to Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday to advance the friendlier tone the GOP has sought to project after two straight drubbings in presidential elections.
Related: Obama challenges GOP, presses big agenda at State of the Union
A 41-year-old Cuban-American, Rubio referenced his own experience on matters such as immigration and entitlements. But he also used the spotlight to showcase well-known Republican positions: for a balanced budget amendment, for instance, and against stricter gun control that Obama wants.
“Mr. President, I don’t oppose your plans because I want to protect the rich,” Rubio said, in a line representative of Republicans’ effort to shirk their caricature of a party favoring the wealthy. “I oppose your plans because I want to protect my neighbors.”
In his rebuttal to President Obama, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., rejected the president's call for tax increases on the rich, advocated for a balanced budget amendment and said he wouldn't support changes to Medicare that would hurt seniors.
A rising star within the Republican Party who is regarded as a top contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, Rubio used much of his speech to lay into Obama with familiar criticisms. He accused the president of demonizing the GOP for its resistance to the administration’s agenda.
“There are valid reasons to be concerned about the president’s plan to grow our government. But any time anyone opposes the president’s agenda, he and his allies usually respond by falsely attacking their motives,” Rubio said.
Rubio’s moment in the spotlight was eagerly awaited by many Republicans, but at one point the spotlight seemed to affect him: Rubio ducked to his left, and almost out of camera range, to pick up a small bottle of water and take a gulp.
The unusual break in the speech was quickly mocked on Twitter. Within minutes of the speech, Poland Spring — the brand that Rubio reached for — was a trending topic.
The Florida senator was part of a bipartisan so-called Gang of Eight who last month presented a framework for immigration reform. It called for securing the U.S.-Mexican border before dealing with the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants.
He sounded those themes again Tuesday and said: “First, we must follow through on the broken promises of the past to secure our borders and enforce our laws.”
Rubio devoted a sizable portion of his address to attacking Obama’s proposals on the federal budget. He said that he hoped the president would “abandon his obsession with raising taxes” and instead focus on economic growth.
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The senator, who said that he himself had only just paid off $100,000 in student loans, accused Obama of blaming President George W. Bush for a rising federal debt when Obama “created more debt in four years than his predecessor did in eight.”
Rubio’s speech sets the stage for this spring’s fight over Democratic and Republican proposals to resolve the so-called sequester — automatic spending cuts to government programs set to take effect March 1.
The Obama administration has said that the cuts would hamper economic growth and harm national security.
Rubio accused Obama of seeking “devastating” cuts to the military and said that the answer to the nation’s fiscal problems in stronger economic growth and creating “new taxpayers, not new taxes.”
Recommended: Lawmakers clash on gun rights as victims' families gather
Rubio framed Washington fights over taxes and spending in personal terms. He spoke of retirees in his neighborhood who depend on Social Security, and how Medicare helped both his mother and his late father.
“I would never support any changes to Medicare that would hurt seniors like my mother,” he said. “But anyone who is in favor of leaving Medicare exactly the way it is right now, is in favor of bankrupting it.”
Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, giving a separate response address to a tea party group, suggested that not only should the automatic spending cuts standing — they should be greater.
“Washington acts in a way that your family never could,” he said, according to prepared remarks. “They spend money they do not have, they borrow from future generations, and then they blame each other for never fixing the problem.”
If Congress can’t pay its own bills and pass a budget, Paul said, “Sweep the place clean.”
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RUBIO'S PICTURE AFTER FAILING TO GIVE FEISTY RESPONSE TO PRESIDENT OBAMA'S SPEECH
POR BEBE
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BC9DZooCUAAXY22.jpg:large
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ROFL Hee Hee HaHa Hee Hee HaHa Hee Hee HaHa
Sure way to tell a person is lying: when he has a dry mouth.
NBC noted before Rubio's speech that the last successful person to give the response was Bill Clinton in 1985. I believe the streak continues.
Solid response, Senator Rubio!
It's refreshing to hear conservative principles articulated well: Liberty, personal responsibility, limited government, free market principles, the rule of law, the value of family.
It's a great day to be an American!!!
The GOP is not opposed to growth of government - just look at Reagan's vast govt spending in Star Wars for fighting with the USSR. Reagan even expanded the welfare program - remember the EITC? Give Reagan credit.
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George W. Bush vastly expanded the government after 9/11 in invading 2 countries, in enacting the PATRIOT Act (Big Brother gets even bigger - and still with us today). Also remember Bush also expanded the welfare state by passing the Medicare Prescription Drug benefits which also has given away billions of dollars worth of free bacon to the pharmaceauticals.
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For the GOP to critize big government is just hypocrisy. and Government has shrunk during Obama at the federal and state levels.
Arthur: What response are you talking about? It was more of the same they have been spewing for the last four years, as I say in another post, no substance, no solutions, just blame Obama game.
Are you living on planet Earth? Or did you have cotton in your ears?
If that was a SOLID response to the State of the Union speech, my dog speaks Mandarin Chinese.
Rubio needed a great drink of watrer (reminder of Paul Ryan) to step up on the National Stage and state that the President didn't have a thought or plan for jobs. Liars usually do need to drink more . . .
Drink up, GOP, drink up.
President Obama has truly given a great speech, combining JFK's ambition and Reagan's charm.
President has proposed some great ideas -
Obama made some suggestions to bolster the middle class. Among Obama's proposals were: Universal access to preschool for all four-year-olds, increasing the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour by the end of 2015, $50 billion in infrastructure spending, and partnerships to promote cleaner energy and improved manufacturing.
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Pres. Obama has the mandate: The DEMs won in November 2012, even trimming GOP majority in the House after expanding the Senate and winning the White House.
But it's a good idea to persuade enough Republicans to go along with the President's plan by inviting them to the White House for coffee, communicate with them, persuade them that it's in their best interest and in the country's interest to support some or even most of the President's proposals in the State of the Union.
The President holds all the chips in his hands. He is in a better negotiating position on most issues. So, it's even more important the President should use his grace and charm offense to win over Republicans.
The President has no more elections to win for himself...so his position is strong. If the President can tout the benefits for those members of Congress - Republicans and DEMs alike - who have to win re-elections in Nov. 2014, the President is more likely to achieve as many goals he laid out in tonight speech.
It's time for the President to continue to show leadership for the entire nation, bridging partisan and other sectional gaps
And that was the "SAVIOR" of the Republican Party...LOL!!! he was a teabagger to get elected but he turned his back on them and supports immigration, he threw in with the common sense people of the country and supports gun laws and all because he's trying to head back to the center!!! We know what he really stands for and it come from the extreme fringe.. just like his other cohort...the moron son of Ron Paul!!!
Maybe someone can explain to me just how these IDIOTS get elected or is this REALLY the best our nation has to offer??????? thats a scary thought!!!
Cuban Rubio might mean something to real immigrants if he was not welcomed with open arms and a BIG Government Check to help get his family started here in the USA. I think REAL immigrants KNOW there is a great divide between "WET FOOT DRY FOOT" and real immigrants that KNOW there is no policy for "WET BACK DRY BACK" and definitely no Government Check to get their families started.
Another one bites the dust. The Republicans just flushed Rubio down the drain (I'm being nice). What a joke the Grumpy Old Perverts have become. They offer nothing to citizens of the US - just more obstructionism! Oh well - another day - more lies from Republicans!
I don't always drink water but when I do, it's Dos Bull@!$%#.
That was the worse counter-speech ever. Well...maybe not the worse, but still crap! Too bad Senator Rubio had to read the dribble the "Party Masters" developed...no wonder he had a dry mouth. I am totally embarassed for the Senator...and the freaking good "old man's" party...which is exactly why I am now a registered Independent.
The good Senator could have saved a lot of time by just saying, "Same old game...Four more years of government growth and spending...That's what we oppose...So let's get together and get the country back on it's feet by getting people back to work!"
@ Invisible Hand, 1.1
Did you notice what Boehner was drinking? It wasn't water! He should take Republican Sen. Rand Paul advice and "Sweep the place clean" starting with himself. He really has some nerve drinking at the State of the Union. I want him gone! He is an embarrassment for the American People! He needs to follow in Jesse Jacksons Jr.'s foot steps and resign.
Baldfaced lying makes you thirsty!! <GULP GULP GULP>
Thank you all for proving his point so well!!
Sorry, but just SMILING while proposing more of the same policies that are destroying the American middle class doesn't make Rubio "friendlier." That man in the van smiles while he offers you candy, too.
The vast majority of Americans KNOW the economy was crashed in 2007-08 by the failure of a Conservative deregulatory ideology, but Rubio continues the radical GOPTP rewrite of history by claiming it was too much government that caused the housing collapse. It was clearly lack of proper government regulation coupled with toothless watchdogs that allowed the banksters to rob all of us without going to jail.
The accusation that President Obama thinks free enterprise is "the cause of our problems" is shear Tea Party boilerplate in the face of the many offers the WH has made to offer small businesses--REAL small businesses, not phony small businesses like Koch Industries and Halliburton--tax breaks. It's a lie, plain and simple.
All in all the performance was an epic, dry-mouthed, profusely sweating fail. Once again a radical Republican Conservative gets out of the clown car and ends up shooting himself in the face with his seltzer bottle. Not that it's any surprise if you've really been paying attention to Rubio's political career.
Arthur 66. Please do yourself a favor before you go out into the world and embarass yourself. Go to Google and type in Rubio Scandals, and then come back and tell us how great this PUNK is.
He might have just smoked a dube? And that wasn't water.. it was diet Koch or Alec kool aid with a splash of NRA. Puppet on!
Lipstick on a pig.....
Where does this crap come from that Republicans want to shrink government? That's the LAST thing they want to do. Look at what we got from George W. Bush and his Republican Congress from 2001 to 2007 --- the largest increase in government since LBJ. Look at the states where we have Republican governors and Republican legislatures -- all kinds of intrusive laws are being passed -- they want to snoop into the most personal details of your life. Republicans LOVE BIG GOVERNMENT -- they just want a different kind of big government.
I couldn't watch the entire Rubio speech, after 5 mins and him repeating over and over that the President want's bigger government I felt like it was a canned speech and he didn't even listen to the president, as I recall the President saying bigger government isn't the answer.
But conservatives will believe only what their party wants them to believe.
-who just happen to be rich...
Marco Rubio and the Republicans characterize the President as obsessed with raising taxes, but their struggle to protect tax loopholes and corporate subsidies while chomping at the bit to reduce Medicare/S.S. benefits is irrational. Just like their position against choice in pregnancy or common sense gun control legislation, I don't understand why they rejoin these losing arguments except to think - they are obsessive.
Rubio's republican message:
We messed up, AGAIN! We didn't get enough Hispanic votes to win, so they found a republican Hispanic fool, (Rubio) in the party, to promenade out front to lie and make people think the republican party is "Hispanic friendly."
What a joke, you have to be dead to not see through this bull@!$%#!!!
Liars mouths are always DRY!!!!
LOL!!!!! Man, I spit my coffee out.....LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Stay thirsty my friends.
Wow, now the future of our country hinges on thirst? What a bunch of parrots! Just because someone takes a sip of water means nothing, except they want a sip of water. I do public speaking myself, and do the same. So get off the accusations, it shows your lack of knowledge.
Just another radical Republican who can't live up to the expectations.
In between the cotton-mouth, Rubio also noted that although he needed and benefited by having a Federally backed college loan, now we need to ask if someone should even go to college, because we need to cut the student loan program.
I guess college (and a student loan) was good enough for Rubio, but not for others.
Why is it always Republicans who want to cut aid, cut college loans, cut salaries (and the minimum wage), cut entitlement programs, and then turn around and say they "want to support their middle-class neighbors"?
“Mr. President, I don’t oppose your plans because I want to protect the rich,” Rubio said, in a line representative of Republicans’ effort to shirk their caricature of a party favoring the wealthy. “I oppose your plans because I want to protect my neighbors.”
So, Rubio lives in a middle class neighborhood???? I think not.
There was nothing friendly about Rubio's response. His response was a series of lies.
The biggest lie that he told:
"Obama is not telling the truth when he says that the Republicans only care about the wealthy!"
If anyone believes Rubio, there is a bridge to sell you.
Andy, do you go off camera, or leave the room to go get your water, during the middle of your presentation?
Just asking.
Pig govt hasnt gotten smaller under BO. Fact check did a look at a claim a while back and from Sep08 until june 2012 the federal level grew by 176,000 with full and a few part time jobs. BO doesn't control whether state govts expand or contract.
Rubio does live in a middle class neighborhood in florida. Same house he has been in long before the Senate.
95% of both parties are not wealthy. Anyone that makes a broad claim that either the dems or the reps only care about wealthy is just just partisaship flying. Ask the 95% of either party if they only care about the 5% in their party that have money. LOL Thats funny.
Rubio never went off camera cannibal, you must not have watched it. He simply bent over and picked up some water. The prez and vice prez candidates did the same in their debates. Really, making a topic out of drinking water. LOL
I actually thought Rubio did fairly well. He didn't BF himself on national television like Jindal did with his mockery of volcano monitoring, just a few weeks before one blew in the US.
But it was the same old rhetoric with no real details, but the vague, Trust us to do better than a Democrat.
So he thinks the President is playing Robin Hood, what was his plan instead of promising to make things better and we're not the bogey men that you think we are.
In short, I guess I didn't hear anything but empty promises delivered in a soothing manner so you wouldn't notice.
Rubio: The not quite ready for prime time player.
Obama's speech was unremarkable to say the least. Just more of his vision that government should be bigger, and is the answer to everything. To suggest that all his vision for more investment, er I mean spending won't add a dime to the deficit, is as laughable as his promise to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. Not once did Obama mention the need to balance the budget, and the word compromise noticeably missing. Where liberals rip into a response given by Rubio, as if anything less was expected from those with closed minds that cannot fathom other opinions. This is not the time of Rubio or the Republicans, it is the time when everyone gets to finally see if Obama can rise above the first four years of endless blame and excuses, and finally prove he can be a leader.
Hey Pigotry, incase you didn't read the article about Obama's speach let me enlighten you since I'm sure you didn't watch it...HE LIED ABOUT EVERYTHING! And that's what your beloved liberal news media outlet MSN had to say about it. Looks like Pual was the clear winner last night.
StoptheCannibals,
From federal programs, the Republicans will benefit. After they use these programs, callously they work to shut these programs down, This is "the GOP way." Rubio used federally backed student loans. However, the GOP wants to eliminate federally supported college aid.
Ryan has admitted that when his father was sick, from Medicare his dad greatly benefited.
Unconscionably, Ryan wants to shut down Medicare.
This is the core of "selfishness:" You take for yourself what you feel others do not deserve.
At the DNC convention, First Lady Obama said it best: "When you walk through the doors of success, you do not slam those doors behind you!"
About moving America forward, as President Obama said in his State of the Union address:
"Let's get the job done."
Rick,
The GOP needs to stop their obstructionist ways. Obama was not re-elected to manage the decline of the USA he was re-elected because he had a more inclusive vision of a stronger America. It's not will the USA rise again but when the USA rises again how many will be left behind.
It was nice to hear some one make sense last night. Mr Rubio is correct.
To all you sheep who blindly follow Obama you know what the Sheep Herder doe's in the end don't ya?
He slaughters the sheep.
A good response to the President's fluff. President Obama did not provide any specifics or real plans. He lied about his administration's achievements (fact checking), but his horrible record stands for itself. The last four (4) years have been bad, but the next four (4) might be worst. Thank goodness I have resources.
Manufacturing? Manufacturing a new "crisis" each month by B H Obama and Company. Obummer...
Actually yes he does, he lives in the same neighborhood he grew up in, they talked about it in depth after his speech.
I did watch it (over and over and over again). He did go off camera. It's a big enough topic to get your "spin" on it. Be prepared. Have a podium with water. Don't do a rookie mistake and certainly don't let them see you with cotton-mouth. Liars get dry mouth.
Lastly, everyone laughs when they (or someone they support) makes a stupid mistake.
This president is the one most intellectually dishonest person and politician I have ever seen in my lifetime. He has no problem with stretching, cutting, and knitting half-truths and falsehoods together to present to the people he is supposed to be setting an example for. MSNBC is even running a a story about the 'facts' the president used last night. President Obama promised to the American people that he was going to change this. He has not. He is a constant. Constant spin.
I spent 20 years in the military. If ANYONE in a leadership position presented the 'facts' as our president routinely does, they would be immediately relieved for cause.
MSNBC is running a story about his questionable facts and you guys are bitching about the republicans...wtf??? It's alright because bush did it too???
RedRoverRedRover:
Rick,
How funny your post is: how is it "obstructionist"?
No he was not. He was reelected for two (2) reasons:
Earthpig, not sure what you mean by this (other than you were in the military 20 years).
Is that supposed to make you more credible than anyone else who has been working 20 years outside the military? Why did you preface your remark with that and why is 20 years important?
Are you saying, despite being reelected just 3 months ago, the President should be fired? What "'facts'" are you talking about?
BTW, radical Republicans spin, tell half-truths, and tell many falsehoods, just to let you know. A lot more than the President does. That's why Obama (and Clinton too) have such long answers, trying to give an explanation of what really is happening. They actually relate to the public.
GOP's brightest star has listed his 2,649-square-foot West Miami home for $675,000 “I oppose your plans because I want to protect my neighbors.”“Mr. President, I don’t oppose your plans because I want to protect the rich,” Rubio said.
just the facts fokes just the facts you decide.
The Republican Party has learned nothing from the election, or the polls. President Obama was elected because the electorate saw his policies as being superior to Mr. Romney's.
With the electorate, The Speaker of the House has a respect rating lower than Kim Kardasian, deservedly so.
He will sit silently while most in the chamber rise and applaud the President, sticking to principles that are obviously out-of-step, not only in the chamber, but in this country. Where does he think this mentality is taking the Republican Party.
Rubio? He said exactly what I expected. Patronizing remarks about how the Party has the best interests of the nation at heart, even though the nation rejected them and their policies. And the requisite rejection of anything, everything the President proposes. I don't recall a single articulated proposal during the entire rebuttal.
The Congress, is tasked to work with the President in establishing a course of action that will benefit this nation. Republican members of the House have spent the last 4 years plus, seeing to it that purpose is derailed. The American public, for the most part, sees this - the Republican Party continues to attempt to 'wag the dog'.
Homer, just keep talking. You're doing an excellent job. Sarcasm over.
Homer,
Provide facts. Demonizing people is not a rational way to justify poor behavior.
Whats worse, having to lean over to get a drink of water or Joe Biden having the worst pink eye I have ever seen? Just askin.
I wonder if Rubio is sponsored by Poland Spring?
“Mr. President, I don’t oppose your plans because I want to protect the rich,” Rubio said, in a line representative of Republicans’ effort to shirk their caricature of a party favoring the wealthy. “I oppose your plans because I want to protect my neighbors.”
Mr Rubio it looks to me like your neighbors are doing just fine without your protection and maybe you should concentrate your efforts on those below your pay grade.....
http://blogs.payscale.com/content/2010/11/congress-average-salary.html
• Congress Members (Representatives and Senators): $174,000
• Senate and House Majority/Minority Leaders: $193,400
• Cabinet Members: $199,700
• Speaker of the House: $223,500
• Vice President: $230,700
• President: $400,000
http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/12/news/economy/median-income-poverty/index.html
Median household income fell to $50,054 in 2011,
The poverty threshold for a family of four was $23,021.
Looks like Biden took a trip with Bob Menendez.
And the radical Republicans accuse Democrats of personal attacks when they don't have an argument....
You have to take this for what it's worth. The Dems are on a roll right now, but what will happen when one party gets too powerful? They take things for granted and become arrogant. They become dictators thinking they always know what's best for everyone else. The Republican party has fallen from the public's grace. They need to work on becoming relevant to the majority of the country. We should encourage them to be a voice of reason and an alternative should the other party misbehaves. It's is part of this balance that the people of this country is best served. We need two functioning parties to provide reference and balance. We should help the other party become a member and not that "crazy" uncle. We learn from teachings and from teaching, we learn. The truth is from which side of the fence we look from.
I live in Florida - Rubio is more hype than substance.
His response was interesting - clearly he prepared his own speech without bothering to watch the President's speech. Several references where he said the President said x-y or z, were not what the President said at all.
All of which points to Congress continuing down the same path of finger pointing and doing nothing, while they collect their $175k per year paychecks. As a taxpayer I am offended by this. Why should Congress continue to collect their paychecks while they do nothing but fight with each other?
LOL, friendlier? Hardly. Thirstier, hell yes! Thanks for the laugh NBC!
I'm curious Arthur, Rubio talks about the President trying to grow government yet:
1. This is the fourth year of a federal wage freeze.
2. This is the third year of a federal hiring freeze.
3. To the best of my knowledge, the last President to expand government was GW Bush with his expansion of the Dept of Faith Based Initiatives and formation of the Department of Homeland Security.
How would you explain this? Exactly what part of government are Democrats trying to grow? Why isn't he concerned when it's Republicans expanding government?
Yes Obama lets increase the Government by 20% or even more and bankrupt the Gov.. Are you kidding me?? We can not pay bills now and he wants more GOV. employees???
You libs sound like you are the ones who need more guns so you can rob all the rich to pay for Gov.. So sick for sure!!!
to 1SGFitzsWife4ID
Ok, I did some digging, Your rich friend, Rubio lives in an $800,000.00 home and all of his "neighbors in their "gated" community also live in "rich " homes. so don't believe all of his rhetoric.
What a giant turd. Talk about a liar. The GOP think the next election is all fixed now because they have their Latino boy convincing the country they love minorities. How sickening.
I see the main topic of the day is taking a drink of water during a speech...misdirection from the message by the partisians here on the blog.
Lets talk about the real issues as described in the Fact Checking Article of the Address delivered by the President. Here is a taste.
"The president claimed that "both parties have
worked together to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion."
But that's only an estimate of deficit reduction through fiscal year 2022,
and it would be lower if the White House used a different starting point.
jobs over the past three years, but there has been a net loss of 600,000
manufacturing jobs since he took office. The recent growth also has
stalled since July 2012.
our cars will go on a gallon of gas." Actual mileage is improving,
but Obama's "doubled" claim refers to a desired miles-per-gallon
average for model year 2025.
to slow the growth of health care costs." It may be helping, but the
slower growth for health care spending began in 2009, before the law was
enacted, and is due at least partly to the down economy.
The president also made an exaggerated
claim of bipartisanship. He said that Republican presidential candidate Mitt
Romney agreed with him that the minimum wage should be tied to the cost of
living. But Romney backed off that view during the campaign.
Analysis
President Barack Obama gave his State
of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, laying out his legislative
agenda for the coming year and achievements of his time in office. But Obama
puffed up his record.
I would encourage each of you to read the facts presented in the analysis before continuing the bloating of the accomplishments of President "lead from behind" Obama.
http://news.msn.com/politics/fact-checking-obamas-state-of-the-union
Next
It is more than clear that the Republicans have no idea how they come accross. A bunch of cry babies and obstructionists.
And there you have it. The left hates Cubans. And to think, all this racism over someone being thirsty.
FYI, that's EXACTLY how you guys sound when you pull the race card every time you don't have facts to back up your beliefs.
What's sickening is that people like you actually believe in bigotry to that extent. To actually believe that everyone who doesn't vote for Obama hates minorities has got to be a real mental disorder probably in need of lengthy treatment.
Our debt is what keeps a select few rich and powerful. Google ZeitGeist The Movie, the watch and learn...
Overall that would be an improvement from when he took office and in the last months of GW we were loosing over 750,000 jobs per month...don't you think? By the way...that's over 1.5 million jobs lost in the last 3 months of the Republican Administration.
The GOP is nothing but a giant turd factory.
The GOP, the party of LIARS!
This is what the GOP meeting in Williamsburg was all about. Changing the image they project to the public, and nothing else.
Try keeping up with current events...4th year of a federal pay freeze...3rd year of a federal hiring freeze. Neither has been lifted...
WTF are you talking about?
"Successful government programs like student loans and medicare have helped me and my family, so government is the problem and you need less and not more."
W.T.F.
Rubio stated his opposition to everything proposed by Obama, but then went on to agree with him on most things in a lot of the same language as delivered by Obama.
This response was written probably well ahead of time with no regard to what the actual SOTU content was. In that sense, it was just a GOP stump speech, but NOT a rebuttal.
The delivery in no way showcased Rubio as anything other than a competent reader of a teleprompter. His gestures of emotion seemed very canned and I couldn't feel any passion, compassion, or anything other than a political posturing for a fight against the White House from the GOP ahead.
Regardless, he just didn't look or sound presidential. I just don't see him as the next running mate, but who else does the GOP have? Christie is still in the dog house and the other likely contenders have already been to the well too many times and come up dry.
Rubio supported the entire GOP Party (not a fraction of it) supporting Arizona's immigration SB1070 law. Yet, he proclaimed his dissent from the law while politically supporting it's authors . His family was given a "free pass" into the United States 2 years before Fidel overthrew the Cuban Gov't. To make matters worse, Rubio now believes this scenario should now make him a fitting spokesman for criticizing ideas on immigration reform for those seeking an earned path to legal immigration.....not seeking a "free pass" like his own family did. And to add insult to injury, he pretended the President's executive oreder for the Dream Act was counterproductive to immigration before the 2012 election. And now that Romney (another Mormon like Rubio) lost. He wants to pretend it's good politics because he's on "board" the Dream Act. This guy is slithery like a snake........and Latinos realize it. He's a sell out......
My biggest issue with the GOP plan is that they want to spend MORE in the military, while also INCREASING unemployment by laying off a million workers in America.
So the basic GOP plan is to SPEND MORE of our money on the military, where all that money will go to fighting in another country... while less money is spent on people who actually BUY things in America. They want to lay off a million government workers, INCREASING unemployment... that is a million fewer customers for private business. That is a million fewer people giving businesses money.
No economy has ever improved by increasing unemployment, but the GOP believes ours will. My private business does not want fewer customers... we want MORE. That is how we make money. Your tax rate does not matter when you have no customers.
mguy,
Finally someone who will tell the truth about what businesses want most.....customers.
Your opinion of keeping our money in our country couldn't be said any better.
Salud
Ol Doc you are incorrect. Go to fact check and you will see 176,000 hired between sep 08 and june 2012. Go to the govt hiring site (usajobs.gov) and you will see lots of federal job openings. I work for the federal govt and see hirings all the time.
MGuy, what plan does the gop have to lay off 1 million? That is the first i have heard of that.
Mguy, the federal govt can only lay off federal workers. According to fedscope there was about 2.1 million federal workers last year. So you are trying to tell us there is a plan put forth by the GOP to lay off half of the govt workers in this country? Surely you aren't just making that up? Link us to a story about it because i tried google and did numerous searches and can't find anything like that. Seems like that would be front page fodder for the media. Surely you wouldn't just make that up?
Or maybe all the Reps in congress, Govenors, mayors, city councilmen, school board members all went to a meeting and decided as a national group to lay off 1 million????
"This is not a game, this is reality,” retiring Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta declared in a speech at Georgetown University on Wednesday, as he warned that the cuts would curtail U.S. naval operations in the western Pacific by as much as a third and force one-month furloughs for as many as 800,000 Pentagon civilian employees beginning this spring.
Beyond the threat of a further decline in the workforce, lawmakers and government officials say that the furloughs would pose major inconvenience and problems for many Americans. These include:
About a 10 percent reduction in the FAA’s 40,000-man workforce
A 25 percent decline in Coast Guard air and surface operations
An increase in waiting times at the nation’s busiest airports by as much as three hours with the furloughing of customs agents
Elimination of Head Start programs for some 70,000 disadvantaged children
The shuttering of food plants that won’t be able to operate without federal meat and poultry inspectors.
Reduction in embassy security as the State Department will be forced to absorb a $168 million reduction in funding for that purpose.
Cutbacks in clerks and other personnel to process applications for Social Security and Medicare, or to process paper tax returns or field taxpayers’ questions at the Internal Revenue Service.
Read more: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2013/02/08/How-the-Sequester-Will-Affect-Consumers-and-Business.aspx#yT77Yt8eKCiqqRQ4.99#ixzz2KoW4id4W
Mike, Rubio responded to specifics in BO's speech so the whole thing wasn't written ahead of time. I'm sure most people that do responses have a general outline and the speech mostly done. Then insert specifics as the speech goes on. Very few could just watch the speech and rebut effectively with nothing prepared. Clinton and Reagan are about the only ones i could think of.
I've seen him speak on the tube probably a dozen times and he was definitely nervous last night. Never seen him like that before, but i can't throw stones at him as i probably would have been also. Probably better than Jindahl's rebut last year. I was sitting in the recliner thinking "somebody give this dude some water" LOL
Cannibal they probably could do a better job of redistributing the cuts around from what you posted. Spread them out to more departments, or my preference ALL departments, so as not to impact one area and totally ignore others. I believe a bill was started from someone on doing that but no idea what the status of it is.
BigATC, you are aware that copies of the Pres' speech are made available ahead of time to many members of Congress, right? GOP speechwriters had plenty of time to write Rubio's speech. He simply blew it, big time. His deer in the headlights look of absolute terror and lunge for water was a train wreck to anyone watching regardless of political ideology. So much for Rubio 2016!
Geez, 2 lies in 1 sentence.
Mr. Rubio, how could you possibly expect for any reasonable, rational person to believe that crap when you and your party pursues policies that would ONLY hurt the Working Class, the elderly and the poor and ONLY benefit the wealthy?
For example, Republicans want to cut just about everything BUT Republicans refuse to close tax loopholes that benefit ONLY the rich.
As for "protecting your neighbors", are we supposed to forget that Republicans stood up and called for one of their hypothetical "neighbors" to die rather than have affordable healthcare?
Some neighbor, Republicans are ready to shoot-to-kill but not ready to save your neighbor's life.
Celtic, yes i am aware of that. They usually just release exerpts, not the whole speech. Especially to the other side. And Rubio had a prepared speech, and added a few things from BO's speech as all before him have done. So a speech that doesn't go well disqualifies someone from office? LOL You can find speeches that don't go well from anyone that has a camera stuck in front of them all the time. Including probably every President in history.
American girl, what is that about rebublicans wanting people to die rather than have health care? You sound like that strange dude from Florida, Greyson...."republicans want you to die, republicans want you to die". Not being a wee bit melodramatic here are we? LOL
It seems to me it's the Republicans who are dragging their feet regarding a normalization of relations with Cuba. If you're referring to Marcio Rubio, he's not a Cuban, he's an American...isn't he?
We can't help but notice exactly who is it that directly benefits from Republican Policies, and yes it is the wealthy.
Why would Republicans want to repeal the minimum wage? That sure wouldn't be good for the American People.
TO: BigATC who wrote:
I guess you didn't tune in to the Republican Debates last fall, and no that's no melodrama at all, that really happened. Maybe you should try Googling it, there should be a copy of that video somewhere on the Internet, maybe try You Tube. Try Googling something like "video of man at the Republican Debate shouts 'let him die'".
I just read on "Radar On Line" that Marco Rubio is selling his Florida home and moving to D.C.
I thought folks actually had to reside in a State in order to be able to represent it.
How can Rubio no longer live in Florida, but still represent it?
TO: BigATC who wrote:
Here's some of the results of my search on Google:
Wolf Blitzer | Tea Party Debate | Cheer Let Him Die | Mediaite
www.mediaite.com/.../cnntea-party-debate-audience-cheers-letting-u...Cached
You +1'd this publicly. Undo
CNN/Tea Party Debate Audience Cheers Letting Uninsured Comatose Man Die. by Tommy Christopher | 2:15 pm, September 13th, 2011 video » 482 comments ...
Teaparty: Just Let Uninsured People Die (CNN GOP debate, Ron ...
► 1:12► 1:12
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yva0VSN1_T4
Sep 13, 2011 - Uploaded by NoMoreBlatherDotCom
Teaparty: Just Let Uninsured People Die (CNN GOP debate, Ron Paul) ... (Super special note for Ron Paul ...
Tea party audience cheers letting the uninsured die | Raw Replay
►►
www.rawstory.com/.../tea-party-audience-cheers-lettin...
Sep 13, 2011
“Are you saying society should just let him die?” Blitzer asked. ... Watch this video from CNN's Tea Party Debate ...
by David Edwards - in 31 Google+ circles - More by David Edwards
Crowd Yells Let Him Die - Blogrunner
www.blogrunner.com/snapshot/D/0/7/crowd_yells_let_him_die/Cached
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Sep 12, 2011 – Ron Paul Endorsed by Drunk Man Yelling 'Read Your Constitution' ... As seen in the above video and already blogged by Joan McCarter, several members of .... Audience Member At GOP Debate Yells “Let Him Die” During ...
Support at GOP debate for letting the uninsured die
articles.latimes.com/.../la-pn-ron-paul-gop-debate-2011091...Cached
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by Michael Muskal - in 59 Google+ circles - More by Michael Muskal
Support at GOP debate for letting the uninsured die.
So somebody in the audience yells let him die and that is the republican platform? I would have said it if i were there just to stir up the media. LOL Hospitals don't work that way and you know it. Even if someone isn't insured they won't just pull the plug. The amount of uninsured they are estimating now under Obamacare is approaching the number we have now.
IRS estimates family of 5 under the cheapest of the four govt plans will cost $20,000. Single 27 yr old non smoker rates will go up 190% when its full implemented. Is this what you refer to as affordable?
Certain democrats used to say Bush should die for the wars, and would hang likenesses of him, but i doubt you or i would say that is a democratic platform.
I do remember seeing that debate, i remember Ron Paul saying he practiced before Medicare and they never turned anyone away..... And this novel concept of people being able to do what ever they want. Sounds more like a liberal concept than a conservative one.
We will still have 10's of millions uninsured even after Obamacare. And some people even with subsidies won't be able to afford to buy it. But under the new rules they will be fined/taxed and the money will be held out of your check by the IRS. This has to proven on your tax return. Why do you think they added 16,000 new IRS agents in Obamacare?
Hospital policy will still be the same as it is now. The reform in Obamacare is everyone is guaranteed health insurance, not health care.
To ALL Obama supporters..... Regarding Mr. Rubio....You have witnessed the grooming of a future Presenditial Candidate....and most likely, the future President of the United States.
I am confident he can represent America and Americans to their full potential and to back my belief, I am willing to bet my profile, he will be elected President......and to those that think otherwise, must bet their profile as well..... the winner will retain his profile and the loser must delete his profile and start over....much like his party affiliate.........Any takers...... Pigotry...Red Rover....Stop The Cannibals....Charlie19.....25Walker....SDN...or any other hater of the truth and purpose of politics....simply reply with your profile below and come 2016......we will see who is left standing.
Just Wrong..... didn't Congress get a pay raise recently. Think their pay is now higher than 175 thou.
Can't be bothered to discuss Rubio. Not sure who he represents in large enough numbers to make a difference to the GOP immaterial of his spanish language skills. Just saying .... LOL
Wonder if that water sip was just a clever endorsement insert moment? Why hold the bottle label side up and showing no matter how briefly...... Just asking..... LOL
Peace....
Perhaps friendlier. But the Stupid party is still as STUPID and DECEITFUL as ever!!! Nevermind Rand Paul, what an idiot. The Republican party and those that vote for and defend them should be ashamed, very ashamed!
Right on JV, being for smaller govt, less spending and lower taxes is just shameful.
It was so nice for Rubio to speak the truth about the failure that is Obama. And it is so fun and refreshing to see all the crybaby Libs deflect all the truth exposed about Obama. You Liberals are disgraceful and immoral with your lies and deflection.
Lots of hot Air BigATC.
Every time your friends are in power, they actually grow government, create welfare programs for the rich and wipe out the middle class. Then, as always, it ends in a crisis and democrats have to come in to mop up the mess. Then Republicans say they aren't cleaning it up fast enough, those big government unpatriotic socialists.
Republicans aways say one thing then do another. In other words, hypocrites....on top of stupid and deceitful. Eight years of Dubbya and you're still falling for the rhetoric. How many times do you have to be wrong before you will reconsider your position? Yes, shameful indeed.
Someone put lipstick on him..
Where were Boehner's horns"" his tongue was doing the job..
So Dems don't grow the govt JV? 176,000 added to govt roles as of June last year. The Dems cleaned up the mortgage fallout by ...........
-adding 6 trillion in debt
- unemploymeny higher than when BO took office over 4 years later
- lowest employee participation rate in 40 years
- real wages down 5% since BO took over
- african american unemployment up 2%
This what you call cleaning up?
So you want to bring up say one thing and do another JV? Look at BO. He said he was going to do the following ................(and didn't by the way if you were wondering)
negotiate on cspan
no taxes under 250k
no recess appointments (damaged goods he said)
close guantanimo
immigration bill first year
KSM military trail (then proposed NY with lawyers when elected)
renegotiate nafta
oppose columbia free trade
cut deficit in half (tripled it)
line by line cuts
putting bills online 5 days
lobbyists won't work in white house (they are everywhere)
promised to use public financing
against nuclear in the senate
keep earmarks under 8 billion (way past)
raise minimum wage
end no bid contracts
promised to back Boles simpson
Should i go on JV???? Is that hot air when i list a bunch of things Obama is a hypocrit on? I can list more if you like. You think the democrats are holier than thou and are rightous on double speak? I could list another 50 and you would still preach from the rafters on how its only the republicans that do it. This is just Obama, i could list a bunch from others too if you want?
So how many would i have to list for you to reconsider your position? I could list a thousand more examples of double speak from democrats and your response would be ....... damn republicans.
BABBLE! Complete right wing babble. The last thing I will say to you BigATC: Thank god the rght wing ideologies you so uneloquently espose are losing miserably and have absolutely no future.
Peace.
American Girl-724855I
Being that Rubio came out as the poster boy for the newest February edition of Time magazine "The Republican Savior", and considering the wild nature of latinas over in Miami and through South Florida, especially in relation to famous politicians, one needs to wonder. If I was Republican, I would be hoping and praying he had remain straight as an arrow all this time (no pun intended). Eyes on the sky are watching him, and the least Reps need is a younger version of Herman Cain for the 2016 candidacy.
Did anyone check for a puddle behind the podium? Maybe that's why he had to replenish his fluids.
Invisible hand 1.1
Interestingly, the internet has put up pictures of both Obama and Clinton taking a drink of water during a speech. Are they liars as well?
Oh well, if you ideologues can't discredit the message, look for something inane to distract with.
You are pathetic.
Exactly what part of government are Democrats trying to grow?
Let's see, growing the irs/other groups through obamacare. Expanding bureaucracy through regulations. Those are two huge ones.
It's pretty sick to read the way the libs here make fun of anything not liberal, yet you target them in the same way and they turn rabid.
You make fun of rubio saying he wants to protect his neighbors, and he paid his student loan off, and that he's not middle class. Yet your president lives in a far more spendy house, and you believe him when HE says he's gone through what the middle class does.
You make fun of rubio and the right with trying to work on immigration, but when obama had a 'change of heart' on gays, that was ok.
You all are so @!$%#ing hypocritical it isn't even funny.
And only liars get dry mouth while giving a speech? What was the temperature? Stress level? Nervousness? Humidity? When I have to get up in front of people I don't know (let alone national tv), I get nervous and dry mouth when I talk for a bit. Holy @!$%# you all are stupid.
Where's your evidence that those things are happening, Alex? Give us numbers...how much have their budgets grown? WHICH regulations?
If you don't have those things you don't have an argument, only talking points.
@John B
If you don't have those things you don't have an argument, only talking points.
Go google it yourself you lazy liberal @!$%#. If a conservative idiot like me can read sites (other than the pathetic liberal MSM) over the past few years and find this out, then I'm pretty a sure a DOE educated liberal drone like you can.
Actually it's up for sale at 675 thousand, it's a 4 bedroom 3.5 bath in west miami, so yeah it's going to be a little costly, but compare that to the multi-million dollar homes that some of the other politicians own. Well you see where I'm going there.
675 thousand in that area isn't that much, if you make comparisons to other homes of similar size depending where you are they can be worth a lot more or a lot less, for instance that same home in Valencia, CA will run you between 640 to 890 thousand, in Midland, TX it'll run you about 189 thousand.
Next! Rubio, adios.
john-537378
Next! Rubio, adios.
Quein que ser?
No sabe.
The Republicans don't know either. They are lost.
Rising star in the GOP? Another gwaddamn wet match!
ALL IS WELL ... IN OBAMALAND
I heard it said this morning - by a Republican - that the Republicans are in so much trouble right now, that their only hope to avoid being wiped out (as a national party) is the Democratic penchant for overreaching. He was pretty serious and I fear he was correct. Forget about the ineffective Rubio response for a minute: the Ted Cruz sideshow, inviting Ted Nugent to the event, refusing to support initiatives like cybersecruity (suddenly protecting the DoD, nuclear power plants, and our financial institutions from foreign hackers is a bad partisan idea?), dinking around on immigration policy, holding both a GOP and a Tea Party rebuttal - for the 2nd time, and generally ignoring technology is just surreal in 2013 for a major political party.
Mac, racist comment.
Let's try to get a handle on this budget mess.
President Obama is demonizing the upcoming "sequester", when in fact the (Democratic Party controlled) Senate passed the Budget Control Act on August 2, 2011 by a vote of 74–26, and the President signed the Act into law the same day. This was all initiated, proposed and done while trying to move forward on some semblance of a "balanced budget" amendment.
Now, I realized as do most, that balancing a budget as massive as our federal government's is mostly wishful thinking due to the many variables our country is faced with on a daily basis. Disaster relief and a volatile world stage being just a couple of examples.
Let's all try put our partisan behaviour on hold for just one minute and rationally try to grasp why 99% of our Great Nation's citizenry works on some type of budget, no matter how rudimentary it may be. We have x amount of income and x amount of obligations which need to be paid. What is left over can be either spent, saved for unforeseen expenses or a combination of both.
For the last 4 years, there has been no attempt at any type of budget to come out of the Senate. Our Nation has been running on the mistaken notion of if we have no money left, we can either borrow or print more. Kind of like "what do you mean I have no money, I still have checks left?"
This was the main reason for the Budget Control Act and the "super committee", which any rational person pretty much knew in advance, would be deadlocked in a tie. It was just an opportunity to see if one side would "blink" before the other, or if out of nowhere everyone would miraculously hold hands and sing around the campfire.
Well now, "The Act's" call for the automatic cuts is approaching and the side that initiated the cuts and signed them into law is blaming the other side for it happening.
Simply put, WHO was for it before they were against it, or is it the other way around?
The Author of this article must be dreaming. Rubio came across as typical New Republican'ts have in the past as Mean Spirited, and very very very angry. Seems the Republicheats can only win by cheating (The Democrats won 1.5 million votes more than the GOP in the house yet the GOP control it through gerrymandering cheating)
If we had a proper Supreme Court the GOP gerrymandering would not exist.
Sorry but Rubio is just another typical Teapublican.
And thats my opinion
Nothing more than the same old tired messages, wrapped in a supposedly more presentable package of Marco Rubio! Half truths, contradictory points, criticism and outright lies with no solutions! Yep. That's same same old GOP. Feasible ideas gentlemen. Where are they? Give us something.....please!
If kicking seniors, the neediest, children, and many other Americans to the ground is "friendlier" then yeah, Rubio is friendlier.
For all you who belong to Obama cult, just look at the facrts about Obamas speech last night. So many lies, like always, playing with thw ignorance of so many who think of Obama as a 'god'm. Open your eyes before it is too late, and this country becomes the next Venezuela. You twisted what Rubio said. He lives in the same neighborhood where he grew up as an inmigrant. But what do most of you know about it? again, talking or reveberating the nonsense that obamas says. He is one of those millionaires he talks so much about don't you see it? What about the vacations he took while every body is in miserable conditions from so many problems he has created. Mrs. Obama took a whole Hotel in Spain to go with her friends for vacationing, while so many people were loosing their homes here. What about the 110= games og golf of Mr. obama, while so many things are happening around the world? I will leave more for later while you try to digest these truths, Everyone of them can be checked
GOP's brightest star has listed his 2,649-square-foot West Miami home for $675,000
yep older-but-not-wiser if this was his grow up neighborhood poor, poor Rubio and he still needed to use govement subsidized collage loans. Something just dosn't seem right. If it looks like it smells like it then you will need a shovel to take care of it.
Hey older-but-wiser:
I live in Florida, Rubio is more hype than substance. Quit defending someone you know nothing about. Then we will consider you older-but-wiser.
I find it really amusing. Rubio's parents cane to this country as illegals andf was some time before that changed.. so I ask what is his problem.. as for running for prez he needs to get his criminal record straight..
What is not being discussed here is the Fact Checking of the President's speech. So lets take a look at the highlight shall we?
"President Obama put a rosy spin on several
accomplishments of his administration in his 2013 State of the Union address.
worked together to reduce the deficit by more than $2.5 trillion."
But that's only an estimate of deficit reduction through fiscal year 2022,
and it would be lower if the White House used a different starting point.
jobs over the past three years, but there has been a net loss of 600,000
manufacturing jobs since he took office. The recent growth also has
stalled since July 2012.
our cars will go on a gallon of gas." Actual mileage is improving,
but Obama's "doubled" claim refers to a desired miles-per-gallon
average for model year 2025.
to slow the growth of health care costs." It may be helping, but the
slower growth for health care spending began in 2009, before the law was
enacted, and is due at least partly to the down economy.
The president also made an exaggerated
claim of bipartisanship. He said that Republican presidential candidate Mitt
Romney agreed with him that the minimum wage should be tied to the cost of
living. But Romney backed off that view during the campaign.
Analysis
President Barack Obama gave his State
of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, laying out his legislative
agenda for the coming year and achievements of his time in office. But Obama
puffed up his record."
http://news.msn.com/politics/fact-checking-obamas-state-of-the-union
All I see here in the analysis is continued prevarications about achievements that do not exist. For more on the analysis please read the following report here on MSN. Then tell me about public speaking and cotton mouth since most of you hide behind a screen and never speak publicly. I speak publicly and know water is an important part of any speech preparation. This is so typical of the progressive left to place under a microscope a drink and ignore the substance of both speeches. But that describes perfectly why 51% were convinced to vote like they did last election cycle and also addresses why nothing has changed. We still have a President who is a factual do nothing...except make speeches...and a Congress that excels in doing nothing good for the country or people.
Tell me again what has been accomplished except a nearly $7 trillion dollar increase in the debt?
Next
I think what is missing in all the talk from both left and right is the fact the 16 trillion in debt is not the whole story. The real debt is over 70 trillion when we factor in obligations we have to pay for in the future. That is never mentioned because it might start a national riot.
The Republicans and many of the Democrats have to understand that the real story needs real strategies and not the endless flag waving and talk about American exceptionalism. THAT BOAT HAS SAILED.
I'm an old fart and recall the newsreel talks Hitler made that are the same as our Right Wing stance. When I say Right Wing, I include plenty of Democrats..
Like it or not, both parties have to reduce the size of the military's offensive capabilitiy and set up a solid defense. WE simply can no longer afford to use war to funnel money to the fat cats.
Nice try Viet. To begin with, Sequester (or the Budget Control Act) was a deal that was struck to get the Teabaggers in Congress to pass the increase to the debt ceiling. The Tea Party was literally holding the "good faith and credit" of the United States hostage. Neither Party had any intention of going through with the deal. It was simply to prevent the Tea Party "suicide bombers" from blowing up the US economy. The problem is paralysis. We no longer have a functional Congress.
No maas Rubio!
TO: JR-3053574 who posted:
Doesn't he have to actually "live" in Florida in order to represent Florida?
The problem is that the rational arm of the GOP is afraid to tell the tea partiers to buzz off. If they just ignored the tea partiers, the rest of the Republicans could negotiate with the Democrats and probably achieve more of what they really want. Because the tea partiers take an all-or-nothing approach, the Republicans wind up with, basically, nothing.
I live in Florida, Rubio is more hype than substance. Quit defending someone you know nothing about.
And obama isn't? We know a crap ton more about rubio than we do obama. @!$%#ing hypocrite.
For example we know that unlike President Obama, Marco Rubio's family history was fabricated. http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2011-10-20/politics/35278071_1_cuba-several-times-marco-rubio-fidel-castro
Well one thing about Rubio is that he ADMITTED to benefiting from government programs. Unlike so many in the GOP who yap about freeloaders as they are using government programs. Rubio needs to take a look at the cause of the huge debt, war, war, war! Next time you vote to go to war, figure out how to pay for it first!
You mean that Iraki oil didn't pay for the war, as promised by war criminal Bush?
I AM SHOCKED!!!
sandy,
Rubio gave 2 speeches in one. He really contradicted himself tonite.
One for the government and one against the government.
LOCO!!!!
Just never could fit the nut to the bolt. Republicans are like that.
Public schooled by union teachers
^ But isn't that how Bush pronounced it?
Gypsy
Who was schooled by union teachers? You left out the subject in your sentence. Also, you forgot a period at the end of it. I guess your private schooling or home schooling or wherever you went to school wasn't much better than public schooling.
Well -- he did better than Bobby Jindal but then --- that's not all that difficult.
Jindal set the bar so low that the only thing Rubio needed to concern himself with was stubbing his toe while stepping over it.
Does the GOP have another hispanic they can use? This guy is finished, never had what it takes anyway.
Beverly in Chicago
The Gov. is our problem!!!!!! Entirely to big and to much power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He's just like Paul Ryan - they both owe everything to government, and they want to ensure that others don't benefit in the same way.
Every Republican I know personally has or does either: Collect unemployment, receives a veterans pension with health benefits, lives on Social Security, has Medicare or Medicaid, and finds the best tax breaks. Admittingly, this is based only on personal, limited experience. But here's the kicker that seems to pervade throughout the whole GOP party, my friends included....that working stiff liberals and progressives are takers and slackers.
Rubio didn't answer Obama's speech, he just went into the usual rant from Republican and TeaBaggers, repeating the lines they have been spewing for the last four years and, curiously, proposing the same things Obama did about education as if they were his own ideas.
Are these guys ever going to get it?
Rubio spokefor the Republicans, HA I had always thought he was another teabagger and I am from Florida!!
I'll believe Rubio is serious about liberty and reducing unnecessary government from our lives when he starts pushing to legalize cannabis and end the insanely expensive and horribly counterproductive war on drugs. Until then...
The repub/tparty spinners take parts of President Obama's speeches and incorporate them into the repub/tparty speeches, in case it wasn't noticed. And the conclusion of Rubio's yak, ha! Exactly as Prez Obama's. Hey, if it works, do it. There isn't one whit of decency in a repub/tparty, sorry to say. So which is it? Rubio said he got his help from the government, his family is getting theirs, BUT now he'll want programs that helped him forge ahead stopped for others? That's so repub/tparty of him. That sounds like Paul Ryan - he was able to put his Dad's SS in the bank to pay for his college. Naw, nothing in the repub/tparty has changed. They're running scared, as they should be. They are, however, sweetening their talking points. Don't forget 2010 - how the repub/tparty campaigned on JOBS and after election they all spent their time legislating on women's privates, and they're still at it. Bunch of immature school boys. That is, when they weren't trying to pass voter restriction laws. Still they stick to NO that will put the U.S. into a better economic standing. Never, ever, trust a repub/tparty. They've proven their uselessness.
It was like they dusted off one of Romney's old speechwriters and just put Marco in front of the teleprompter. Honestly.
If you look back at Rubio's speech, and watch closely, you can see the puppet strings dangling behind him.
The GOP responses, with apologies to Rocky and Bullwinkle....fractured fairy tales....
That was no response, just another Obama bashing rant.
Ever see a Milk cow suck itself dry? Just did. Republicans are real, real, reeaall good at that.
@woodbutcher: and a goodly dose of the way-back-machine. Fortunately, they have put Snidely Whiplash in charge of their new kinder, gentler GOP campaign.
node4 you are delusional. Keep on drinking the Kool Aid that nubms your feeble brain.
.... and I rest my case.
The response was written before Obama's speech.
And the "pre-buttal" delivered by the Democrats was broadcast before Rubio's rebuttal that was given before the State of the Union speech. Hard to wrap my head around the fact that these clowns, in a truly bi-partisan effort, have spent so much money and time on intricate messaging to make old talking points sound new. I wish this much planning and execution was evident in the actual functions of our government these folks are associated with.
Are you serious??? this couldn't have been a more polarizing response. No compromise... More of what was spewed during the campaign.
Marco Whobio ? Ohhhhhhhhhh I remember now He's the latest Republi-Dumb who opposes womens rights....
http://www.politicususa.com/marco-rubios-defense-gop-abortion-platform-suggests-women-humans.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/21/marco-rubio-lilly-ledbetter_n_1997298.html
'The senator, who said that he himself had only just paid off $100,000 in student loans, accused Obama of blaming President George W. Bush for a rising federal debt when Obama “created more debt in four years than his predecessor did in eight.”'
LOLwat? Absolute bull@!$%#. Bush took us into a recession; Obama's trying to bring us out.
Corey, and he continues to get NO help from the GOP in his efforts. The GOP continues to do everything in their power to be sure the economy stays in the tank. Did you see Boehner tonight when the president called for doing what is right for the country first and not party? He just sat there on his hands. Party first to the GOP not a question about it.
"Obama “created more debt in four years than his predecessor did in eight.”'
^ I just think GOP targets not very bright people, who can't even reason that Bush inherited a surplus, and turned it into debt, and then crashed the economy.
Obama inherited a crashed economy. He had to 1st fix the economy, and then end the tax cuts for the rich that caused the debt.
He is actually accomplishing both goals and in spite of the GOP.
Rubio understands this, but he hopes his audience does not.
Corey...agreed. Bush created the debt along with his buddy who announced that "deficits don't matter." Surprise...deficits do matter and guess who created them and whose paying for them Rubio? Bush and the republicans took 8 years of failed Ayn Rand economic policy to tank our nation's economy. Voters are fed up with republican spending sprees and their politics. Every person who has been directly impacted by the economic downturn knows just how much the GOP is playing them for. POTUS has right idea voters need to press these selective hearing ideology bent insiders. Boehner's bunch need to leave the politics at the door and get the people's work done not their party agenda only. Ignore the voters be prepared for the consequence come 2014 as many key republicans are now very vulnerable.
"Obama “created more debt in four years than his predecessor did in eight.”'
What these Republicans never mention is that adjusted for inflation, President Obama has proposed less new federal spending than any president since Eisenhower. This debt is a result of programs that were on the books long before this president took office. Remember -- Bush and his Republican Congress inherited the largest surplus of all times. In less that 3 years they turned that into what was at that time the largest deficit of all times.
I am traditionally a Republican, but Rubio's speech really P.O.'d me. He misquoted Obama on several points, accusing him of statements that were the exact opposite of what Obame really said. Rubio spent more time campaigning for himself than he did discussing Obama's talk. I know who not to vote for in 2016.
Just a gentle reminder to the progressives here. The Democrats took control of the Congress (both Houses) on January 4th 2007 and remained in control until January of 2011. Since the Congress sets the budget...in this case no budget just CR's tell me who is responsible for the current fiscal mess? That would be the party of no fiscal controls and no legal budget. Remember the President only suggest the budget it is the Congress that has the power of the purse. So tell me again who is responsible for what again? If you say President Bush or President Obama you ignore the dysfunctional Congress who you all voted to return to the current power divide by 51% of the nations vote.
Just saying you should be careful where you throw rocks while living in a glass house.
You may now return to your previous bloviating.
Next
"The Democrats took control of the Congress (both Houses) on January 4th 2007 and remained in control until January of 2011."
That's an oversimplification. Democrats held the majority in both houses but only controlled the Senate for a few months. When the late Senator Spector switched parties, that gave the Democrats a filibuster proof majority --- in theory. But Ted Kennedy was sick most of the time so they never had the 60 votes necessary to break the over 300 filibusters thrown up by Republicans.
Rubio was lousy with no substance. His tone was horrible and blames President Obama for everything wrong. In addition, he was desperately trying to strike the tone of small government; and at the same time, he is talking about all of the benefits that he and his family received from the government, hypocritical.
Hypocritical? No! GOP!
Same thing.
re: was desperately trying to strike the tone of small government; and at the same time, he is talking about all of the benefits that he and his family received from the government,
________________________________________________________
They've learned from General Allen West and IRS tax collector Michelle Bachmann that irony and hypocrisy are lost on the tea party crowd.
The constant references to the supernatural is off-putting. Why can't people of faith have the courage to keep their beliefs private? I could respect that.
This country is too diverse to assume Rubio's god is the same god for all. And of course, the NONE's now make up the second largest demographic in the USA.
Someone in the GOP hasn't received that memo.
The TPGOP God is corporatism and money.
Atheist,
"This country is too diverse to assume Rubio's god is the same god for all. And of course, the NONE's now make up the second largest demographic in the USA."
And you see no correlation to the current world events and past history? Interesting. So in your mind we should all embrace your "religion" of self-centered ascendancy over a world view of other centered living? When in history has self-centered thinking advanced the greater good of the nation or world? This is exactly the problem with worship of self. Even the evidence of the success of Alcohol Anonymous (trust in a higher power) should confront your premise.
By the way you should allow for the possibility that other people have a different experience than you do. I uphold your experience and hope for something better for you in the future. The time is coming when reliance on self will not be enough to take you through the day. Maybe, you should consider other alternatives and keep an open mind...your experience may change. I wish you well.
No you misunderstand.
The Constitution makes it impossible to provide religious preference in American Law (though the 1st Amendment is assaulted all the time, witness Prop 8).
All I'm saying is that our elected officials, when on the the taxpayers' dime, should keep their supernatural beliefs a little more private and respectful of the fact that this is a diverse nation of many faiths and of no faith.
I found it off-putting. You didn't. So we contradict one another. These things happen.
Where's Rand Paul's response? Wasn't he suppose to speak to?
He did... and both people that listened are due to reply shortly.
Good one.. And oh so true..
I heard that it was online only. Actually, thank goodness for that, I sure didn't want to hear that twerp.
re Rand Paul's speech:
He did... and both people that listened are due to reply shortly.
^ Ron Paul, and who else?
His mama.
Ron and Rand, of course.
www.politico.com/story/2013/02/tea-party-rebuttal-text-of-rand-paul-response-87557.html
Video also
Listening to the politicians is painful enough, but then to be subjected to the propaganda reporters "explaining" to us and twisting everything Obama said was a little more than I could deal with. They act like we are all not-too-bright children who can't understand what was said unless they bore us with their biased interpretation. The same crap was on this morning's news, and will be hashed and rehashed every day for the rest of the week.
Rand Paul said “Washington acts in a way that your family never could,” ...
Well, duh. Doesn't he know the difference between micro and macro economics? A national economy is very different than a household budget, a point that seems to elude the Tea Partiers. Slashing your own budget is a good way to save money and it doesn't affect your future income stream. Slashing national spending is a good way to throw a lot of people out of work AND reduce government income at the same time.
Nominate me for 2016, even if or because I do not make sense!
Not making sense is a feature to the GOP, not a bug.
This is not Lincoln's party. It's Sarah Palin's, and boy is it a mess.
They deserve more credit than that.
Michelle Bachman is there too, also making negligible or no sense.
Of course Bachman and Palin pale by comparison to Hank Johnson(D) and Jessey Jackson Jr. (D) right?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZczIgVXjg
Enjoy the clip...this is an example of leading from behind at all levels.
Next
More Tea Party ignorance, hostility to science and economic ineptitude. He may have sounded nicer, but he sounded just as stupid as those he represented. I didn't hear the President emphasizing more major taxes. I would have liked to have heard Obama defend deficit spending, because that leads to the Fed introducing an equivalent amount of newly created money out of thin air into the economy. And during recessions we need lots of deficit spending. If we cut back on deficit spending we won't be counteracting all the drainage of money out of the national economy from buying imports like foreign oil and manufactured goods from Asia. And we'd go further into a recession. Rubio shows even greater economic ignorance in advocating balanced budgets, not realizing that the Federal government doesn't have to tax to spend, and if it borrows, the borrowed money gets redeemed by the Fed in the process of creating and issuing new Federal Reserve dollars to buy the securities (IOU's) received by banks for lending money to the United States. The Fed cannot claim ownership of the securities or to be paid for the securities it holds. It is an agency of the government and it buys them with government created money. Its claim to be paid is as invalid as a bank clerk's claim to be paid the value of securities it buys from bank customers for the bank with bank money. It is employed to handle money and securities, but does not own them. There is no national debt we can't pay off. The federal government's ability to create and issue new money by spending it is a power no state or local government or business, or household has. So, we can't think of federal finances as like those of these other entities. While we still will have to use our oil, coal and natural gas as energy sources for awhile, we will need to be developing wind and wave farms and new smaller nuclear reactors to supplement our energy sources, because we need to work to reduce global warming, the melting of the ice caps and the Greenland ice sheet. If not, Rubio's Florida is going to slip beneath the waves.
Stan, the Fed is not an agency of the government! The Fed is a privately owned financial institution who uses the US and its' economy as a vessel for creating profits for itself. The Fed by name is meant to deceive Americans into believing that they are a government agency and they actually have enormous powers within the US. They were set up in 1913 as a lender of last resort amid a financial meltdown. They are in business to make money and have unprecedented powers to run the US economy as they see fit.
With luck, Rubio, West and R. Scott will be there when FL slips beneath the waves. It'll be music hearing them call for government help...again.
Agreed. I have finally reached the point where I am ashamed to be a Republican. Rubio spent half of his speech misquoting, misinterpreting, and outright lying about what Obama said. The rest of the time, he spent campaigning for himself. The Republicans ought to dissociate the party from him.
What do you expect? This is the same guy who originally claimed that the age of the Earth was unknowable. He'll say anything to curry favor with the tea party nuts.
Did Rubio receive a different copy of the President's speech? That was no response, that was just the same old, same old.
LOL Yes, LADY, you are correct but did you notice how even though he said the exact same thing they always say, he mentioned his older neighbors and said his spiel in a softer voice? That's the new GOP showing.
nightwalker: you mean, like, they changed their underwear -- with their brother?
earthgirl "nightwalker: you mean, like, they changed their underwear -- with their brother?"
Yep. Rubio stood his skivvies up in the corner and put on Romney's, apparently in hopes of being the next Republican "fair-haired boy".
Earthgirl, JerryB, I was actually thinking more of the thin fake veneer of civility and compassion was already wearing through.
But you're also right, as I've said before in other blogs, the GOP just plain cannot change. LOL except in the ways mentioned by Earthgirl and JerryB.
I watched the GOP response by Rubio. What a pile of horse manure. He's obviously setting the stage for a presidential run. Good luck with that. Get some pointers from Mitt.
Wow! ... so many on this blog are seemingly clamoring for a one-party rule!
... why not. Let's then do away with elections. It will certainly be cost effective. And while you are at it do away with the House and the Senate and just have a rubber-stamp echo-chamber. Then certainly many on this blog and other like-minded kindred spirits throughout the nation will finally be happy.
We already did that Jose, it was called the George W. Bush Misadministration.
Wow! ... so many on this blog are seemingly clamoring for a one-party rule!
^ Naw man. it's just that your guys stink.
Sarah Palin stunk.
Herman Cain stunk.
Rick Perry stunk.
Michelle Bachmann stunk.
I could go on, but i'm sure you get the picture.
... great! let's make it permanent ... and official. Just one party - duh, the Democratic Party. Rename the country, ObamaNation. ... but then we will have to spend a lot on therapists to help so many cope with being denied the convenient boogie-man in Republicans to vent their self-righteous, narcissistic tirades.
Jose thats exactly what the state of Florida is trying to do "Do AWy with Elections"-- they have indicted both the democrat president and vice president in there corrupt supreme court and want both impeached so the wonderful Republican Speaker of The House can become our president. If you don't believe it check it on on snopes.com
No, not a one party rule. How about a party that works for the good of all Americans? A party that can separate government business from religious business? A party that doesn't coddle the very few big money boys at the expense of the middle class, the working people? A party that can, at minimum, respect the rights of all, respect the diversity of each? Bah! this repub/tparty is worthless.
If one of the two parties is the present GOP, then yeah, let's have a one party rule.
You can't really blame them when ONE republican Party refuses to do any work and Two has no new ideas!
The time has come for a true labor party that will actually stand up for the middle class.
I thought Obama was supposed to stand up for the middle class? I don't think so. He is taking more and more money OUT of the middleclass pocketbook. The working class is dying out here and Obama gave a same old, same old speech again. Nothing new.
eg.ltnm, still better than what the GOP gave us. That's why he won again.
Considering the quality of candidates that the GOP has put forward in the past few years (see #16.2 above), I think that is the GOP that is clamoring for one party rule. That party certainly isn't serious about actually winning elections, or it would nominate candidates that didn't scare half the country.
Rubio- The same blah blah yada yada, government bad, President bad, sweat drink and lie some more... LOL
The token rising star was just seen and heard crashing and burning, quick send in the clean-up crew another
man made disaster!
Well I guess that's your opinion....I think his speech was refreshing. I think his immigrant roots and his story is compelling. I, on the other hand think Obama gave the same speech he did last year and the year before etc. Nothing new. He will NOT create new PRIVATE sector jobs. He doesn't understand any part of private business. Now he is going to the BIG manufacturing companies handing them the taxpayers money. He could care less about the small business owner. He's just buying votes.....which he does very well.
we all have immigrant roots unless you are native Indian you idiot. My grandparents immigrated from Europe and never took a dime in government money.....not one freaking dime....Rubio did however, to fund his college tuition. He has paid it back from all the money he has made as a senator...(get the picture???)
Sorry eg.ltnm, but Obama already did make new PRIVATE sector jobs from where Bush left us.
What was THAT? Ernest, thirsty young man WAY out of his league!! AND his talking points makes one wonder what is inside that man's brain -- SHALLOW.
Senator Rubio is just to protect his neighborhood, a wealthy neighborhood. A tax rated is a must for the top 1%, and I hope that the top 1%, at least, pays 30% income tax rate like the rest of the majority of middle class.
And the top 1% is better to pay the new tax rate in 2012 tax return, not to wait till the 2013 tax return.
The problem is not the tax rate for the filthy rich. The problem is that they can deduct their yachts, private airplanes, multiple beachfront "homes", cruises, parties, junkets to South America, their ho's, etc, as "business" expenses, so the remaining "taxable income" is zero.
Loopholes...we MUST demand republicans get rid of the tax loopholes!!
Those loopholes are voted on, and they are perfectly legal. It takes both parties to vote on them. That means democrats voted and republicans voted.
Sorry, turned down the tv so we could not listen to it.
You didn't miss anything.
Oh my gawd he stunk.
Whine, sweat, wipe brow, wine, sweat, wip...er, drink.
What's next - potty time?
Substantively - he's a garden variety GOP hypocrite.
Went to school on government loans, mom's on medicare, but want's to cut medicare and student loans.
He is Sarah Palin all over again (her family would go to Canada for free government health care):
Meaning he will never be President, and he won't run either. Another GOP rock star bites the dust.
You know it is a sad day in america when no one LISTENS. He was nervous and needed a drink of water. How about when Obama said we have 57 states. The only difference is the media and the sheeple ignore the stupid things Obama and Biden do. I think Rubio is great and what he said makes more since than the same old crap Obama keeps regurgitating!
Water-boy Rubio needs some work on his presentation... Loved the water bottle skit.. SNL should be great this week.
I don't know why they are calling this guy a star. One thing he is for sure is a liar. I live in florida and what the republicans are trying to do with him is to divide the hispanic and black vote thinking this is all the have to do to gain control of the white house. They know they have no chance of getting the black vote and don't want it because they have been anti black for some time now. What a lot of people don't know is that Rubio is a token. He is cuban and cubans already have a pathway to citizenship. This was done after the "Bay Of Pigs" and the "Missiles Of October" crisis. To spite castro: any cuban that made it to the American shores would automatically be made a citizen and this law is still on the books. Don't think for one minute he cares about the other hispanic groups. This is the same guy that used the cuban movement to help get him elected by lying about his mother and father escaping castro and fled to the U.S. The truth of the matter is that his mother and father came to the U.S. two years before castro over threw the Baptista regime. This is all a ploy. I pray that no one will be deceived by by the Judas.
Ball Game. I also live in Florida. We have to get the word out on this scumbag Rubio. Please tell everyone you talk to about the scum Rubio. Tell your friends and everyone else to go to Google and type in Rubio Scandals. If, after reading about the scandals he is involved in, no one could vote for the Punk Rubio.
Tell YOUR friends to go to Hill Buzz and find out about Barack Obamas love of going to the gay bath houses in Chicago by Kevin DuJan....what an eye opener. There seems to be plenty of people who remember him from his State Senate time. I would say whatever you want people to know about Rubio pales in comparison to what you will find out about Obama, I know it sure shocked me.....wascigarman.
Dear GOP, Come back to this century. Accept women's choice for abortion, and gay marriage. Stop discriminating in general. You truly are the party of the old, rich, white, heterosexual males, supporting the big corporations who are making record profits. Oh, Rubio says they're for the middle class?... Biggest BS I've ever heard.
The new friendly Republican party loves you all. Well, so long as you're the proper, opposite sex. And, with all that loving, remember, if you should be female and get pregnant, they will tell you what you can do about it. And good luck with the medical bills associated with that, if you don't get health insurance from your employer. And about that pay difference, well, just suck it up. Equal pay for equal work sounds good, but its bad for business. And all you illegals, well, you just keep on working, but you'll never get amnesty to stay here and enjoy your contributions. Not that Republicans don't appreciate dishwashers, busboys, gardeners, and cheap produce picked by migrant farm workers. But when you're done working here, you should deport yourselves right back over the border. And hey, those friendly new Republican policies, well, they don't actually reach all the way to helping you out when you get hit with hard times. You need to learn self-reliance. You need to pull yourselves up by the bootstraps. And make sure to caveat emptor, because the megacorporations will be doing what they can to make a profit, even when it means layoffs, stagnant wages, unsafe working conditions, shifty financial shenanigans, and fraud. After all, lower and less regulation will make our economy strong. And hey, sure, we can't help you out, but our taxes are low! Nice try Republicans, but lipstick on the pig still stinks. Friendly smiles on the same old repressive and 1% favoring policies just won't get there.
I heard that too - right out of the gate the "kinder, gentler" face of controlling women's rights to their own health decisions. That's all I had to hear. I didn't even listen to the rest of it. Republicans have not yet figured out that it is not the delivery, its the message. When they are really the party of small government I will listen further but they are not.
Anita I have to agree, it's not the messenger...its the message. All of these messengers are bought and paid for by Koch and the like. The American people can see through skin color and gender and they are not buying what the Koch, teaparty......ect. are selling.
anita and tammy: You hit it right on the head. "Republicans have not yet figured out that it is not the delivery, its the message." What does this mean? They either don't believe, or don't know, that the message has been wholly rejected. Well said.
I usually don't make very many comments, but when I do, it's usually to point out a liberal democrat's hypocrisy. Many examples today.
So this is the best the republicans have for the future. Dry mouth spewing half tuths and lies. Hillary if this is your competion in 2016 you are an easy win.
One would certainly think that right wingnuts would shoot themselves in the foot so often that they would learn not to aim at one another. Common sense people don't really mind your being so self-destructive because it's rather funny to keep watching you all implode all over one another. Keep it up though, that virus called the tea party is causing your terminal brain cancer and now i am glad it got in your system. Ha!! even faux news got rid of the disease carriers like Palin etc....too bad you can't cure yourselves.
Given how many wives Gingrich has cheated on the love all attitude may be factual.