Marco Rubio claims to be a fiscal conservative, but Rubio's track record is proving that claim is no more than a line he delivers when the cameras are rolling.
First it was Rubio's inappropriate use of his corporate Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) Amex card that surfaced in February - something that would have gotten any other employee fired in the real world - exposing Rubio's love of political junkets. Somehow Rubio thought that fixing his wife's mini van and buying music equipment fell under business expenses.
But even RPOF spokesperson Katie Gordon said of the party's policy, "The RPOF American Expess Card is a corporate card and is meant to be used for business expenses."
And then there's that whole business of the $130 haircut he charged to the card. Bill Clinton liked expensive haircuts; John Kerry and John Edwards too. But hey, they never tried to create a reputation of being fiscal conservatives.
Yet even if you're able to get past Rubio's haute couture coif, it's now being reported that while average Americans struggle to find jobs and make ends meet, Rubio has been using the monies every day citizens gave to him to make a difference and run for political office, to make a difference with his and his family's own personal finances.
According to a March 13 St. Petersburg Times article, "Rubio failed to disclose $34,000 in expenses - including $7,000 he paid himself - for one of the [political] committees in 2003 and 2004, as required by state law."
Can you imagine failing to disclose $34,000 and telling the IRS that you didn't report it because you "forgot" to file the "bureaucratic paperwork" as his campaign adviser Todd Harris said?
Harris also claimed, "This is not taxpayer money we're talking about." No, it isn't taxpayer money, but rather money of people who simply pay taxes. At the end of the day, transparency is the end game, not a spokesperson trying to spin shadiness into light.
According to the same Times article: "One committee paid relatives nearly $14,000 for what was incorrectly described to the IRS as 'courier fees' and listed a nonexistent address for one of them." Additionally Rubio billed more than $51,000 for travel expenses that weren't itemized. In the real world, who does that and thinks the CFO is just going to sign a check and reimburse them?
If you said no one, or perhaps some executive who worked for Lehman Brothers or Citibank in 2008, you'd probably be right.
Unfortunately this is more than episodic poor judgment. Rubio continues to illustrate that he is no different than the Beltway insiders who already rule DC. These are the same insiders who are leaving struggling families on the wayside as they sweep aside the public interest and instead line their coffers with monies from special interest groups.
On the sitcom 30 Rock, Jenna tells Tracey that, "Acting is the discipline of being someone else at all times." Well Marco Rubio has that skill down. But Republicans have a right to know who they are supporting; who they're giving their money to; and how that money is being spent.
Marco Rubio's actions clearly demonstrate that he doesn't think that he has to answer to the public he says he wants to serve.
Ronald Reagan once likened the federal government to a baby: "An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other." Voters are looking to lawmakers to end the wasteful spending that has plagued our government and contributed to our financial downfall, and Marco Rubio has shown that he would be more like that baby.
The people of Florida deserve better.
America has already lost confidence in the men and women who hang their hats on Capitol Hill. According to a March 2010 Polling Report, 76% of voters polled disapprove of how Congress is handling its job.
It's time to restore public trust and confidence and the only way to do that is to send responsible individuals like Governor Charlie Crist to the U.S. Senate so Congress can get her fiscal house in order.
Governor Crist has proven that he's a fiscally responsible leader by vetoing a record $459 million in pork barrel spending in the 2007 Florida state budget. During these times of economic uncertainty, Crist has been able to cut state spending by $7.4 billion while cutting taxes and ultimately saving Florida residents billions of dollars.
I urge you to join Charlie Crist and send a message to Marco Rubio that Florida Conservatives don't want someone who just talks the talk, but someone who walks the walk when the cameras are on or off.
First it was Rubio's inappropriate use of his corporate Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) Amex card that surfaced in February - something that would have gotten any other employee fired in the real world - exposing Rubio's love of political junkets. Somehow Rubio thought that fixing his wife's mini van and buying music equipment fell under business expenses.
But even RPOF spokesperson Katie Gordon said of the party's policy, "The RPOF American Expess Card is a corporate card and is meant to be used for business expenses."
And then there's that whole business of the $130 haircut he charged to the card. Bill Clinton liked expensive haircuts; John Kerry and John Edwards too. But hey, they never tried to create a reputation of being fiscal conservatives.
Yet even if you're able to get past Rubio's haute couture coif, it's now being reported that while average Americans struggle to find jobs and make ends meet, Rubio has been using the monies every day citizens gave to him to make a difference and run for political office, to make a difference with his and his family's own personal finances.
According to a March 13 St. Petersburg Times article, "Rubio failed to disclose $34,000 in expenses - including $7,000 he paid himself - for one of the [political] committees in 2003 and 2004, as required by state law."
Can you imagine failing to disclose $34,000 and telling the IRS that you didn't report it because you "forgot" to file the "bureaucratic paperwork" as his campaign adviser Todd Harris said?
Harris also claimed, "This is not taxpayer money we're talking about." No, it isn't taxpayer money, but rather money of people who simply pay taxes. At the end of the day, transparency is the end game, not a spokesperson trying to spin shadiness into light.
According to the same Times article: "One committee paid relatives nearly $14,000 for what was incorrectly described to the IRS as 'courier fees' and listed a nonexistent address for one of them." Additionally Rubio billed more than $51,000 for travel expenses that weren't itemized. In the real world, who does that and thinks the CFO is just going to sign a check and reimburse them?
If you said no one, or perhaps some executive who worked for Lehman Brothers or Citibank in 2008, you'd probably be right.
Unfortunately this is more than episodic poor judgment. Rubio continues to illustrate that he is no different than the Beltway insiders who already rule DC. These are the same insiders who are leaving struggling families on the wayside as they sweep aside the public interest and instead line their coffers with monies from special interest groups.
On the sitcom 30 Rock, Jenna tells Tracey that, "Acting is the discipline of being someone else at all times." Well Marco Rubio has that skill down. But Republicans have a right to know who they are supporting; who they're giving their money to; and how that money is being spent.
Marco Rubio's actions clearly demonstrate that he doesn't think that he has to answer to the public he says he wants to serve.
Ronald Reagan once likened the federal government to a baby: "An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other." Voters are looking to lawmakers to end the wasteful spending that has plagued our government and contributed to our financial downfall, and Marco Rubio has shown that he would be more like that baby.
The people of Florida deserve better.
America has already lost confidence in the men and women who hang their hats on Capitol Hill. According to a March 2010 Polling Report, 76% of voters polled disapprove of how Congress is handling its job.
It's time to restore public trust and confidence and the only way to do that is to send responsible individuals like Governor Charlie Crist to the U.S. Senate so Congress can get her fiscal house in order.
Governor Crist has proven that he's a fiscally responsible leader by vetoing a record $459 million in pork barrel spending in the 2007 Florida state budget. During these times of economic uncertainty, Crist has been able to cut state spending by $7.4 billion while cutting taxes and ultimately saving Florida residents billions of dollars.
I urge you to join Charlie Crist and send a message to Marco Rubio that Florida Conservatives don't want someone who just talks the talk, but someone who walks the walk when the cameras are on or off.
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