Paper: Don't Wait For Rubio To Do The Right Thing

The Orlando Sentinel didn't mince words when they went after their shallow, power-needing Senator, Marco "Li'l Marco" Rubio, for his cowardice and betrayal of American democracy over establishing a January 6 investigative commission. From their editorial:

"So Marco Rubio declared on Twitter he’s a no vote on creating a commission to get to the bottom of the Jan. 6 insurrection.

That’s the least surprising news since Rubio voted against convicting Donald Trump after the former president encouraged the insurrection, the clearest case for impeachment and removal of a president in U.S. history.  [snip]

Sorry to say it, but Marco Rubio is beyond hope.

Before the insurrection, we, too, took a few stabs at encouraging Rubio to do the right thing.

After Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death just weeks before last year’s election, we asked Rubio to stand by the Merrick Garland doctrine he and the GOP embraced in 2016 — that replacing a Supreme Court justice in a presidential election year should be left to the election’s winner.

No dice.

We asked him to go ahead and support Trump’s policies if he must but to take a stand in opposition to Trump’s worst, most grotesque impulses.

Nuh-uh.

What’s the point of appealing to someone who swore off another Senate run when he ran for president in 2016, then turned around and ran for the Senate? Someone who negotiated a bipartisan immigration reform bill and then campaigned against it?

We’ve been waiting a decade for Rubio to do the right thing. But the senator is Lucy with the football, and every Floridian who trusts him is Charlie Brown."  (our emphasis)

Rubio imagines himself to be a future President, as a young child might. But imagine this: a President without the character, spine and honesty to put his country above his party making life-and-death decisions for the nation. That's what you'd get, and worse, from Li'l Marco. The Trumpist / Insurrectionist Party is full of Rubios, and won't be deterred unless they start losing elections, and probably not even then.

(photo: Li'l Marco tries out a big person chair)

 

Twit Tweet, Thwap

 

Twit tweet from Li'l Marco Rubio, professional poltroon:

Biden’s cabinet picks went to Ivy League schools,have strong resumes,attend all the right conferences & will be polite & orderly caretakers of America’s decline

I support American greatness

And I have no interest in returning to the “normal” that left us dependent on China

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 24, 2020

 

Thwap: 

Donald Trump just spent four years turbo charging American decline with Rubio’s full support. The people who have to clean up that mess don’t really need the lecture on American greatness https://t.co/cEoZN3KllM

— Ben Rhodes (@brhodes) November 24, 2020

 

Trump — UPenn
Pompeo — Harvard Law
Mnuchin — Yale
Esper — Harvard
Barr — Columbia
Ross — Yale + Harvard
Acosta — Harvard
Azar — Dartmouth + Yale Law
Carson — Yale
Chao — Harvard
Navarro — Harvard https://t.co/DnJ7mLIxuK

— Jacob Rubashkin (@JacobRubashkin) November 24, 2020

 

Is Rubio arguing that in order to achieve "American greatness" our public servants must avoid top colleges, have weak resumes, avoid working or meeting colleagues, and be mean? https://t.co/cjkVJPE6L0

— igorvolsky (@igorvolsky) November 24, 2020

 

Was this normal? pic.twitter.com/JMf9YqObKy

— Lula Rodriguez (@Lananalula) November 24, 2020

 

The shameless hypocrite has some thoughts. 🙄

— Chidi®️ (@ChidiNwatu) November 24, 2020

 

Forgive me if I dismiss your ability to judge good government after your fawning support of the greatest internal threat to America democracy in its history during the last 4 years of Trumpiam Dystopia.

— Ollie will be worried until 1/20/21 at 12:01 (@Olliechocopup) November 24, 2020

 

Ya boy out here demolishing planes just to make it harder to keep an eye on Russia

— under the bus 🍑🥜 (@thrillout) November 24, 2020

 

You chose the wrong side of history, Bible boy. We won’t forget.

— KareBearScare (@KareBearScare) November 24, 2020

 

 

Monday Reading

As always, please go to the links for the full articles/ op eds.

The Capital Gazette, the Annapolis, MD, newspaper that lost five journalists in a shooting rampage last week won't forget:

We will never forget Rob Hiaasen, Gerald Fischman, Wendi Winters, John McNamara or Rebecca Smith, our five co-workers who were gunned down in a senseless attack. [snip] 

Here’s what else we won’t forget: Death threats and emails from people we don’t know celebrating our loss, or the people who called for one of our reporters to get fired because she got angry and cursed on national television after witnessing her friends getting shot. 

We won’t forget being called an enemy of the people. 

No, we won’t forget that. Because exposing evil, shining light on wrongs and fighting injustice is what we do.

There's a ton of evil, wrongs and injustice all around -- that's why we need a free press to stand up and be a witness.

Speaking of evil, you may have seen the tweet sent by spineless, NRA coin- operated Sen. Marco "Li'l Marco" Rubio (R- Elevator Shoes) in response to the Capital Gazette reporter's dropping of the f-bomb:

Sign of our times... the F word is now routinely used in news stories, tweets etc It’s not even F*** anymore.  Who made that decision???

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) June 29, 2018

Creature who takes $3 million to protect the NRA's interests while routinely spouting "Scripture" in his tweets is offended by...  a word.  This is the best response to that little charlatan that we've seen:

Hey Marco...in case you lost your way...😁👇 pic.twitter.com/3ugigl2OTk

— Wendy Marcinkiewicz (@WendyMarcinkie1) June 30, 2018

Speaking of naughty language, we have new rules for civility, first from The Onion (h/t Silver Spring Bureau Chief Brian):

Avoid unkind generalizations like equating the jailing of ethnic minorities with some malevolent form of fascism...

Recall that violently rejecting a tyrannical government goes against everything our forefathers believed in... 

Make sure any protests are peaceful, silent, and completely out of sight of anyone who could actually affect government policy... 

Give your political opponents the benefit of the doubt by letting this play out for 20 years and seeing if it gets any better on its own... 

Realize that every pressing social issue is solved through civil discourse if you ignore virtually all of human history...

Now from Alexandra Petri (whose Washington Post editorial board published an egregiously ahistorical defense of "civility" recently) a tour de force of new rules for civility.  Here's just a few of many excellent points:

When marching with a torch in support of white supremacy, be certain not to take up too much of the sidewalk, and give the space on the side nearest the wall to him who you wish to honor... 

Children whose peers have recently been murdered due to gun violence ought always to show deference to conservative media personalities, who are, after all, their elders...

It is polite to give up your seat to a judge selected by Donald Trump, especially if you are Merrick Garland...

Asparagus may be eaten with the fingers, unless you are in Puerto Rico and no longer receiving food assistance... 

Women ought to be addressed with respect. “Crooked Hillary” is rude. It is “Madam Crooked Hillary,” or “Miss Mika Brzezinski, Bleeding Badly From A Facelift.”...

It is rude to address people as “animals,” unless you are the president...

It is rude to say “infest” when speaking of people, unless you are the president... 

T-shirts that read “TRUMP 2020: F*** Your Feelings” are wildly inappropriate. Instead, embroider this sentiment on a sensible button-down or, better yet, print it on a tie.

It's one of Petri's best ever; it's the editorial the Post should've written.  Lessons maybe some of our Democratic "leaders" would do well to absorb.

Vox's Sean Illing interviews Roosevelt University political scientist David Faris about his new book, "It's Time To Fight Dirty."  Here is some of what Faris says in the interview about the procedural war Republicans have been waging:

... [N]o policy platform is going to win three or four consecutive national elections for Democrats because we know policy isn’t what decides elections; that’s not how most voters make decisions. 

So there are no policy changes that are going to reverse the overall trajectory that this society is on right now. We have to address some of the structural barriers to progressive power in this country, and we need to take those things as seriously as we do the policy fights within the party. [snip] 

We’re in the midst of a slow-motion unraveling of democracy in this country. If we don’t return the favor with some of this procedural war stuff, the only other option is to continue watching the other side do it. That’s not an acceptable option in my opinion. 

I don’t think we can restore order by respecting rules that are not respected by Republicans. I do believe we’ll have to find a way to end this procedural war at some point, but now is not that time. Republicans need to know what it’s like to be on the other end of normative violations. The Republicans are behaving like a party that believes it will never be held accountable for anything they’re doing, and so far they haven’t been. 

That has to change before we can fix this mess. 

Some of Faris' prescriptions for returning the favor might be categorized as spitballing, but it's an important starting point for discussion and action.

Finally, Infidel 753 has again assembled his link round- up to cover all the ground (and air and water) that we rarely get to here.  It's our favorite stop for a spin through the internet.

Tweet, Twit, Thwap - The Kids Are Alright Edition

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School survivor's Tweet:

We should change the names of AR-15s to “Marco Rubio” because they are so easy to buy.

— Sarah Chadwick// #NEVERAGAIN (@sarahchad_) February 23, 2018

"Anne Coulter without the Adam's apple" Laura Ingraham's Twit:

HOW TEENS SPEAK TO AND ABT ADULTS: “We shd change the names of AR-15s to ‘Marco Rubio’ bc they are so easy to buy,” Stoneman Douglas sophomore Sarah Chadwick tweeted.

— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) February 23, 2018

Thwap:

These teens are more respectful, rational and mature and less childishly name-calling (even of Marco Rubio) than President Trump https://t.co/0g1xodrw2l

— Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) February 23, 2018

Remember what I said about adults trying to stay with teenagers on social media?
Yeah, it can get pretty bad. https://t.co/XX6VBnLiD8

— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) February 23, 2018

18, old enough to buy an AR-15, but too young to sass little Marco Rubio.

— Schooley (@Rschooley) February 23, 2018

Overripe Mean Girl Starts Beef She Won't Be Able To Finish https://t.co/sZSbJdhblX

— Quinn Cummings (@quinncy) February 23, 2018

And the coup de grace:

I’m a junior. https://t.co/P9clE1ks5N

— Sarah Chadwick// #NEVERAGAIN (@sarahchad_) February 23, 2018

NRA- Bought Sen. Marco Rubio Not Popular With This Crowd

Steven Colbert covers Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio's (R- NRA) appearance at a town hall event the other day (and also scorches some in the media giving him credit for "showing up").  Li'l Marco received $3.2 million from the National Rifle Rampage Association during his 2016 run for the Senate and has an "A+" rating from the rampagers.

TONIGHT: Senator Marco Rubio faced a tough crowd at @CNN's town hall, but one of his gun control suggestions brought them to their feet. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/CchPRDr0vF

— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) February 23, 2018

Tweets Of The Day - "Now That We've Created A Problem, We Have Just The Solution!"

Republican says the quiet part loud:

Hmmm, Marco Rubio says that the tax plan is just the first step before "instituting structural changes to Social Security and Medicare" benefits to reduce the federal deficit.   https://t.co/MPMczpCLjT

— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) November 29, 2017

Good morning, suckers. https://t.co/o3XzLjbWz7

— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) November 29, 2017

Quote Of The Day - Li'l Marco Gets Taken For A Ride

“They had the best M&Ms on the planet.” -- Sen. Marco "Li'l Marco" Rubio, who accompanied un- indicted co- conspirator Donald "Rump" Trump on Air Force One to Miami where the shitgibbon announced a rollback of some of President Obama's open door policies toward Cuba.  Li'l Marco was recently observed on the Senate Intelligence Committee serving as wingman for Rump in his questioning of former FBI Director James Comey.  Li'l Marco, a media darling who happens to be one of the emptiest suits in Washington with no significant accomplishments, has never set foot in Cuba and has lied about his family's history in coming to America. But, give him a ride on Air Force One and some of its M&Ms and he's a happy gusano.

(Photo: Li'l Marco at Grevior Furniture Store in Franklin, NH)

"Little Marco" Rubio Goes 0 For 4 In Major Florida Newspaper Endorsements

Sometime Florida Republican Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio (a.k.a., "Little Marco" -- h/t neo- fascist loser Donald "Rump" Trump) is in an increasingly tight re- election battle with Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy.  Glug Glug, who is being coy about whether he'll finish out his term or make another Presidential run, has already lost in the battle for endorsements from Florida's four biggest newspapers.  While each paper had strong reasons to support Rep. Murphy, they were unified in noting the failings of the transparently ambitious Glug Glug.  As always, we recommend reading the entire editorials.

The Miami Herald, a consistent supporter of Glug Glug, has had a particularly brutal change of heart:

He has fought Obamacare at every step, even though it has brought immeasurable relief to millions who previously had no healthcare. He has joined the Senate majority in the scandalous move to block any consideration of the president’s nominee for a Supreme Court vacancy. He has unilaterally blocked other meritorious presidential nominations for purely political reasons, including confirmation of a judge he himself had once recommended. 

Beyond the political differences, there are issues of sincerity and character for voters to consider. First, he reneged on his unequivocal pledge not to run for re-election for a position he once openly disdained — but only after he lost his bid for the Republican presidential nomination to his nemesis, Donald Trump. Then he endorsed Mr. Trump, whom he called a con man during the campaign. And still at this late date, he continues to stand by that endorsement, even as the Republican candidate stumbles from gaffe to insult to outrage. 

Mr. Trump’s candidacy is a test of character, and Sen. Rubio is failing that test. How can voters believe he’s sincere when he says he does not share Mr. Trump’s awful views on Mexicans, immigrants, Muslims, women, etc., yet — at the same time — stands by his endorsement of the New York billionaire? His act is unconvincing. It reeks of political convenience rather than political conviction. 

And he has refused to issue a clear, unequivocal statement on whether he will finish out his term if he wins reelection. And though he used the June massacre at Pulse, the gay nightclub in Orlando, as his excuse for getting in the race, he has a disastrous record as far as LGBT issues are concerned, opposing marriage equality and adoption by gay parents, and voting against giving LGBT Americans workplace protections.

The Sun Sentinel starts off its endorsement with a statement that should leave a mark on Glug Glug:

Floridians deserve a U.S. senator who genuinely wants to do the job and who views his office as something more than a place to cool his heels until it's time to run for president again. That means voters should give the job to Patrick Murphy. 

Democrat Murphy, who lives in Jupiter, serves in the U.S. House. He's running against Republican Marco Rubio of West Miami, who currently is serving — when he shows up for work — in the U.S. Senate. 

The Orlando Sentinel also hit on the absent/ distracted/ weasel Glug Glug theme:

Rubio also backed away from the day-to-day responsibilities of representing Florida in the U.S. Senate. Between April 2015 and March 2016, he missed 65 percent of Senate votes, according to Politifact. He defended himself by arguing that running for president is a full-time job. True, but so is representing Florida in the U.S. Senate. Yet in his current re-election campaign, he has pointedly refused to rule out another presidential bid in 2020. 

So if Rubio is re-elected to the Senate, and decides to pivot for another run for the White House in a couple of years, Floridians won't be getting the full attention that they expect and deserve. They also are more likely to see him do things, like retreating on immigration reform, that make more sense for a GOP presidential candidate than a sitting Florida senator. 

The Tampa Bay Times, before listing 12 good reasons to support Rep. Murphy, has this to say:

Florida voters tired of gridlock in Washington have a clear choice for U.S. Senate. Democrat Patrick Murphy of Jupiter has served just two terms in the House, but he is a centrist who is right on the issues and works in a bipartisan fashion. Incumbent Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Miami is on the wrong side of most every issue, and he changed his mind about seeking re-election after he was crushed by Donald Trump in the Florida presidential primary. A Senate seat should not be a consolation prize for a failed presidential candidate killing time until his next run for the White House. 

Let's dispel with this fiction that Glug Glug is unbeatable. It's 20 days to go until the election, so if you can, please support Rep. Murphy and get this gusano out of the Senate.

Today's Cartoon Twofer- "Little Marco" Rubio's Bad Reviews

(click on images to enlarge)


(Jim Morin, Miami Herald)


(Nick Anderson, via gocomics.com)

Record- setting Senate no- show Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio's (a.k.a., "Little Marco") announcement that's he's gone back on his word and is now running for re- election has received some harsh reviews in some of Florida's biggest newspapers.

Tampa Bay Times:

... Rubio's decision gives Florida voters an opportunity to judge his thin record in the Senate, his tortured policy on immigration and his out-of-step positions on Cuba, guns, climate change and other major issues. And where has Rubio been for the past six years? Many communities would need to form a search party to discover that Florida has two members in the Senate. This race should be a reminder that this office cannot be taken for granted.

Miami Herald:

... The sudden switch puts his honesty into question. How can he persuade voters that he will be an effective champion for Florida after he’s said that the Senate is no place for anyone who wants to get things done? The famously impatient senator told one interviewer during the campaign that he couldn’t stay there because he was too “frustrated.”

Glug Glug doesn't want to be "an effective champion for Florida." On the contrary, he's calculated that his tormenter, neo-fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump will lose the election, leaving 2020 open for his overarching Presidential ambitions. The Senate seat is just a cushy rest stop for him until he can run again.

Rarely, in our judgement, has a politician so lacking in character and accomplishment been as exalted as Glug Glug. What a fraud.  What a liar.  What an empty suit.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article85410122.html#storylink=cpy

Surprise! "Little Marco" Rubio's Running For Senate

Let's dispel with this fiction that Republican gusano Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio (Liar- FL) isn't an ambitious lightweight in high heels. Glug Glug has announced that, contrary to his pledge upon running for the Republican presidential nomination, he's going to run for re- election after all.  The proximate reasons:  the Senate needs him after the Orlando massacre (because of his anti- LGBT record or his vote against assault weapon restrictions?); also, must save Senate seat for Republicans!

Glug Glug, who lost the Florida Republican primary by 20 points to neo- fascist Donald "Rump" Trump (a.k.a., Cheeto Jesus), has a 49% disapproval rating in the State, perhaps a reflection of his worst voting record in the Senate and professed hatred of his job as a Senator.

His likely Democratic rival, Rep. Patrick Murphy, issued this statement in response to Glug Glug's flip flop:

“Marco Rubio abandoned his constituents, and now he’s treating them like a consolation prize. Unlike Marco Rubio, I love working hard every single day for the people of Florida,” said Rep. Murphy. “From missing the most votes of any Florida Senator in nearly 50 years, to seeking to ban abortion even in cases of rape or incest, to repeatedly voting against closing the terrorist gun loophole, Rubio is proving he is only out for himself. 

“Florida is ready for another Senator like Bob Graham and Bill Nelson, who is committed to doing this job and who will work with people to fight for progressive values.”

As Bob Schooley previews, the negative ads are writing themselves:

The negative ads against Marco are busy this morning writing themselves. pic.twitter.com/zMSB41OPsQ

— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) June 22, 2016

And, it's a good bet this will still come true:

I have only said like 10000 times I will be a private citizen in January.

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) May 17, 2016

(Image:  musical accompaniment here.)

History Will Remember (Cont.)

Before neo- fascist demagogue Donald "Rump" Trump shredded him, booties and all, failed Presidential candidate and vertically- challenged Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio (R- Poland Spring) called "Rump" all kinds of (accurate) names.  But that was then, this is now.  Saying he will release his delegates to vote for Rump,

Rubio added that he’d “certainly be honored” to help defeat the Democratic ticket.

In case anyone’s forgotten, during the primaries, Rubio referred to Trump as a “lunatic” and a “con man.” His campaign, quite literally, sold #NeverTrump swag on its website. The Florida senator told audiences that Trump might urinate on himself, mocked Trump’s hair and face, and even made vulgar jokes about Trump’s genitals.

As recently as two weeks ago, Rubio said he stood by his earlier comments that Trump cannot be trusted with the nation’s nuclear codes.

But as of yesterday, the senator is eager to do his part to make Donald Trump the leader of the free world.

We’ve all seen examples of people putting party above principle, but even by contemporary standards, Rubio’s shamelessness is simply breathtaking.

"Lunatic."  Check.  "Con man."  Check.  Not that it makes any difference now to "The Republican Savior," who has his future to think about.

The Republican/ New Confederate/ Stupid/ Shooter's Party has long been a collection of misfits, bigots and sociopaths, and its demise would be a welcome outcome of this election.  It should come as no surprise that these amoral contortionists, after putting party over country for the past 7 years (as well as from 1992-2000), are bending over backwards to kiss Rump's rump.  Eventually, it will be Every.  Single.  One.  Of.  Them.  Lemmings (no offense to lemmings intended)!

For the latest updates in this March of Shame, go here.

BONUS:  Wonkette's take on Little Marco.

Marco "Roboto" Rubio Foregoes "Victory" Speech To Catch Some Z's

From TPM:

Fox News reported Wednesday that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) had gone to bed as the results of the Tuesday Nevada caucuses were still rolling in.

Fox hosts cut to reporter John Roberts for an update on the Rubio campaign, which had announced Tuesday that it would not stay in Nevada.

"Nothing else tonight," Roberts said. "The senator has gone to bed and has a lot of work to do between now and super Tuesday."  (our emphasis)

 "... gone to bed"!?   And forego his "victory" speech!?  Was it past his bedtime?  Was it to recharge his batteries?

BONUS:  For a state that was supposed to be Roboto's "firewall,"  he performed disastrously.

BONUS II:

Missed Rubio's inspiring victory speech after getting killed 2-1 in #Nevadacaucus. How was it?

— Susan J. Demas (@sjdemas) February 24, 2016

So reassuring that the GOP's plan to stop Trump is to pretend Rubio losing is really winning.

— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) February 22, 2016

(Photo:  0-for-4 Roboto)

Marco "Roboto" Rubio's Crank Economics

The empty suit has some very interesting ideas.  pic.twitter.com/NjFVd6ykKM

— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) February 22, 2016

Interesting ideas, indeed.  Paul Krugman writes today about the "crank economics" of easily- rattled lightweight gusano Sen. Marco "Roboto"* Rubio (R-Mattel), and who the real audience is for his ignorant economic proposals, starting with tax "reform":

What you may not know is that Mr. Rubio’s tax cuts would be almost twice as big as George W. Bush’s as a percentage of gross domestic product — despite the fact that federal debt is much higher than it was 15 years ago, and Republicans have spent the Obama years warning incessantly that budget deficits will destroy America, any day now.

But not to worry: Mr. Rubio insists that his tax cuts would pay for themselves, by unleashing incredible economic growth. Never mind the complete absence of any evidence for this claim — in fact, the last two Democratic presidents, both of whom raised taxes on the rich, both presided over better private-sector job growth than Mr. Bush did (and that’s even if you leave out the catastrophe of Mr. Bush’s last year in office).  [snip]

In short, Mr. Rubio is peddling crank economics. What’s interesting, however, is why. You see, he’s not pandering to ignorant voters; he’s pandering to an ignorant elite.  [snip]

So when Mr. Rubio genuflects at the altars of supply-side economics and hard money, he isn’t telling ordinary Republicans what they want to hear — by and large the party’s base couldn’t care less. He is, instead, pandering to the party’s elite, consisting mainly of big donors and the network of apparatchiks at think tanks, media organizations, and so on.

In the G.O.P., crank doctrines in economics and elsewhere aren’t bubbling up from below, they’re being imposed from the top down.  (our emphasis)

Please read Krugman's entire piece at the link.

One of the challenges in dealing with the gusano, as we and others have noted, is that he's the favorite pony of the Republican "establishment" (the "elite" noted above) and their cheerleading Beltway corporate media.  That's why every day you see descriptions like this (in the "liberal" once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle) that conflate a descriptor like "mainstream" to the very radical Roboto:

Rubio is hoping to run up his score with suburban and upwardly mobile, mainstream voters in metropolitan areas such as Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis and Nashville.  (our emphasis)

They're really, really dying to run with their narrative "21st Century Marco vs. old news Hillary/ Bernie," aren't they?!  Meanwhile, let's see if he ever wins a primary, shall we?
_________________
*  Until something better comes along, we're changing Rubio's nickname from "Glug Glug" to "Roboto," even though we acknowledge his on- going need for hydration!

Marco Roboto Declared A Winner! (By Beltway Media)

As widely predicted, the Republican "establishment" wired Beltway media were quick to declare lightweight, easily panicked gusano Sen. Marco "Roboto" Rubio (R-Mattel) a "winner" for his second- place showing in the South Carolina Republican primary yesterday. A few examples.

Here's purveyor of Beltway nostrums Chris "Lizard" Cillizza, who practices in the school of politics- is- a- horse- race (and he's the horse's ass - rimshot!), on his favorite pony in the once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle today:

Marco Rubio: The Florida senator got what he needed tonight: a clear signal that he is the establishment candidate who can win. Bush getting out of the race opens up a massive amount of major donor money for Rubio. Beating Ted Cruz was likely just icing on the cake. Rubio should be well positioned to do well in Nevada in three days' time — a showing that will solidify him as the clear alternative to Trump. This was, without question, Rubio's best night of the race — and the one that makes clear that he is in the race to stay and, maybe, to win.  (our emphasis)

Well, he had a great night if by "great" you mean finishing 73,970 votes behind Donald "Rump" Trump and ending up with 0 (nada) delegates compared with Rump winning all 50 at stake!  Keep pumping air into that balloon, Lizzard!  Hey, he beat one of Lizzard's "losers" "Tailgunner Ted" Cruz by a little over 1,000 votes!  Landslide!

Example two is in the form of a Freudian slip uttered by Chuck "Not My Job" Todd (h/t Crooks & Liars):



Look, we get it.  The CW is that eventually the race will boil down to a face off between Rump and either young Marco or "Tailgunner Ted."  At least that's the CW until people realize Rump has gathered a large plurality of the delegates in the Rump- favorable primaries coming up, while the other two divide up the not- Rump vote (with Kasich maybe winning some in the Midwest).

Unfortunately, the corporate media's desire to have its long- cherished narrative of young Marco Roboto, man of the 21st Century, facing either "yesterday's news" Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders is so unshakable that, regardless of facts (Marco Roboto has a grand total of 10 delegates after 3 contests;  Rump has 67), he will be deemed a "winner" just by showing up and competing, as Bob Schooley amply illustrates here:

I'm keeping this handy for every primary day. pic.twitter.com/9dktLDTiZP

— Bob Schooley (@Rschooley) February 20, 2016

No-Show Marco Roboto

Well, we already know young media dazzler Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio (R-MIAmi) has been -- shall we say -- lax in performing his Senate duties while running for President.  It seems, however, young Glug Glug has a long history of not doing the job he was elected to do:

In the anxious weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Florida House hurriedly assembled an elite group of lawmakers to develop plans to keep the state safe.
A spot on the Select Committee on Security was a mark of prominence in Tallahassee. Some of the airplane hijackers had acquired Florida driver’s licenses and trained at flight schools in the state, and legislators lobbied furiously behind the scenes in hopes of being named to the 12-member panel tasked with addressing the state’s newly exposed vulnerabilities.

It came as little surprise that Marco Rubio, a promising and charismatic young lawmaker from Miami, secured a coveted position on the committee.

Rubio did not give the job the attention that legislative leaders expected. He skipped nearly half of the meetings over the first five months of the panel’s existence, more than any of his colleagues, according to Florida legislature records. He missed hours of expert testimony and was absent for more than 20 votes — prompting the state House speaker who had given him the assignment to express concern, the committee’s chairman said.  (our emphasis)

Tell us if this doesn't also sound like the ambitious, superficial little gusano he is:

At times, Rubio befuddled his colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans. After apologizing for arriving late to a debate in February 2002 about a proposed system to track foreign students, Rubio argued passionately that the proposal would unfairly target law-abiding immigrants, such as those who had entered the country as refugees or to seek political asylum. But he quickly backed down in the face of opposition and, then, despite his publicly stated misgivings, went ahead and voted for the proposal.

That's your serious "establishment" Republican and "mainstream" media darling and last hope, folks.  

The Media And Marco Roboto (UPDATED)

We (and fellow bloggers) have noted the fact that the corporate "mainstream" media has been rooting for sweaty gusano Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio (R-Mattel) since the beginning of his candidacy.  Their problem has been that young Glug Glug, since Gov. Chris "Krispykreme" Christie (Thug-NJ) gutted him in the Republican "debate" prior to the New Hampshire primary, has been revealed as an over- programmed empty suit with a tendency to panic when forced to go off script (Ed. note: that's the real indictment of young Glug Glug as a potential President).   What to do?  Well, simply re- craft your stories to detect a "comeback" for young Glug Glug that no one else can see!

Gary Legum looks at Glug Glug's appeal to the media, even when it's clear both the candidate and his campaign are pathetic:

Observers have long noted the kid gloves Rubio gets on both the campaign trail and often onstage in the Republican debates. Which was why Chris Christie’s effective attack on him in the last New Hampshire debate was surprising only to people who had not noticed it before.  [snip]

What accounts for this phenomenon? There are a couple of possibilities. Rubio running in the general election against either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton would give the media the sort of easy youth-vs.-experience narrative that has fueled more than one presidential campaign in the past. Rubio is young and telegenic, and you can see the press corps get excited about that the way they got excited about Barack Obama in 2008 or (ironically) Bill Clinton in 1992. Rubio is fresh-faced! He’s relatable! He likes football and rap music! He got busted for underage drinking once!

"And he'll take us back to 19th Century America!" (h/t old classmate Peter Fenn)

The ineptitude of young Glug Glug's campaign can be demonstrated both in a visual and substantive way in this one fact- averse ad, which not only bollixes the old Reagan trope of "morning in America" by now suggesting decline rather than rebirth, but manages to use the skyline of ...  Vancouver, Canada, as its accompanying visual.  Hahahaha!  Well played, young Glug Glug!  Not to worry -- we're sure your adoring media will spin this as a subtle dig at Canadian ham Sen. "Tailgunner Ted" Cruz!



BONUS:  Elias Isquith has more.

UPDATE:  Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson had this to say about Glug Glug's appropriation of the Vancouver skyline:

“If Marco Rubio likes Vancouver’s waterfront that much, I’d encourage him to come check out our universal healthcare, public transit and Pride parade."

Domo Arigato Marco Roboto, Part 2 !

From Crooks and Liars:

I'm not sure what or who is ramming stuff down the throats of the children of the Rubio family, but it must be pretty traumatizing to the Junior Senator from Florida. At an appearance today in Nashua, New Hampshire, his robotic tendencies resurfaced while speaking about how awful life is in Obama's America, so he needs to take America back to the 19th Century.

With his customary frenetic delivery, he expressed a familiar tale of outrage at the values of this convoluted century. After he referred to President Obama as 'BrockObama,' as per usual, he set up his portrayal of the hellscape of debauchery that is 2016 America.

Check out his face toward the end when he realizes he's in the middle of delivering the same line again.  Let's go to the videotape!



BONUS:  Eugene Robinson on the conclusion many of us came to some time ago:

It’s time for establishment Republicans to face the truth about Marco Rubio: Once you get past the facade, there appears to be no there there.

... except for a malfunctioning microchip?

BONUS II:  It's bad when even your allies know you panic under stress.  Can't be good.

Today's Reading - The Real Marco Rubio

Brian Beutler has an article worth reading on the malleable, dangerous gusano, young Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio (R-MIAmi), beloved of the Republican- wired Beltway media.  Here's a sample:

He has landed near the sweet spot between Cruz-like extremism, Trump-like nativism, and Jeb Bush’s more principled rejection of both factions of the right. But to get there, he’s attached himself to policy proposals that are different in kind, and more extreme, than those of recent Republican nominees. Now Rubio threatens to smuggle them into the general election undetected by a press corps that has been fixated on Trump.  [snip]

• Recklessly suggested ethnically profiling Muslims through their mosques, community centers, businesses, and the web. He accused President Obama of pitting Americans against one another by visiting a mosque, seemingly articulating the principle that presidents shouldn’t visit mosques because the millions of Americans whose votes Rubio wants dislike Muslims.

• Professed, in what was possibly a moment of debate-stage panic, the view that abortion should be outlawed even in cases of rape, incest, or risk to the life of the mother. (Republicans see this in particular as a major liability.)

• Denied the fact that “human activity is causing these dramatic changes to our climate the way these scientists are portraying it.”

• Promised to nominate Supreme Court justices who would rescind the constitutional right to same-sex marriage.

There's much more, so please read the entire piece if you can.

Buetler wonders, as we do, if Glug Glug will ever be held to account for his cynical maneuvering and extremist positions, starting at tonight's Republican "debate."  Regardless, Glug Glug has clearly emerged as the corporate media's darling, even at the "liberal" New York (Effing) Times, as Steve M. points out.

Coupled with their disdain, if not outright hatred, of Hillary Clinton and dismissal of Bernie Sanders, the corporate media is setting the stage for an election based on the most egregious narrative:  Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio is a likeable guy well within the "moderate conservative" tradition.  Don't ever fall for it.

Today's Cartoon - "A Uniter In Dividing"

(click on image to enlarge)



(Tom Toles, once great Washington Post Bezos Bugle)

See yesterday's posting for more context.  Also, this editorial comment:

Mr. Rubio somehow contorted the president’s message of inclusiveness into “pitting people against each other.” This, the Floridian said piously, “is hurting our country badly.”

What’s hurting the country badly are hate-mongers who would rather betray American values by appealing to bigotry than address the reality of 2 million to 3 million American Muslims, the overwhelming majority of them patriotic, who are as entitled to dignity and respect as everyone else.

[Sound of rake hitting young Marco in the face]

UPDATE:  Our Silver Spring Bureau Chief Brian, in the comments, provides us with the perfect sound and visual complement (TCIITM).

Today's Cartoon - Back, Er, On To The Future With Young Marco Rubio!

(click on image to enlarge)



(Jim Morin, Miami Herald)

Object of a not- so- secret- media crush Sen. Marco "Glug Glug" Rubio is, of course, just as extreme as the rest of the Republican field.  He just has a pitch and a highly embellished life story that plays well with the gullible, and he's the last hope of the Republican "establishment" and the corporate media (being somewhat redundant there).