« BACK  |  PRINT

RS

MEMBER DIARY

Sen. Rubio Beat a Dead Horse in the Senate Today. His Name Is John Kerry.

And to think: we could have had Charlie Crist making that speech.

By: Aaron Gardner (Diary)  |  July 30th, 2011 at 05:56 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Sen. Marco Rubio [R-FL] took to the Senate floor for a 15 minute speech on the Debt Ceiling debate. Around 7 mins in Sen. John Kerry [D-NVA] thought he would try and debate him. Hilarity ensued. [h/t to The Corner]


“To the Senator from Massachusetts I would say that it is impossible to negotiate with someone who doesn’t have a plan”

I will note the reaction of two of my friends.

First an observation by Moe via email, “And they wanted us to take Kerry seriously as a Presidential candidate.”

The second from Ben Howe, “The most impressive thing about Rubio vs Kerry is that Rubio didn’t fall asleep while Kerry was talking.”

Not much else to say really.

Aaron B. Gardner

P.S. If you want to see more like Sen. Rubio in the Senate in 2013 then you should probably consider sending a few dollars to the Senate Conservatives Fund while they still have some bit of worth. Ted Cruz and Josh Mandel would love to join Senators DeMint, Rubio, Lee, Paul, and Johnson.

COMMENTS

POSTING RULES  |  LOGIN TO COMMENT  |  REGISTER TODAY
  • RealQuiet

    n/t

  • msctex

    And are subsequently flabbergasted when confronted by anyone who speaks from a position based upon Reality.

  • runner12

    You just took down Obama, Reid, Kerry, and the whole Democratic party, all with tact and intelligence. That was an excellent articulation of the truth.

    There were several points in which I was tempted to let out an “amen.”

    Keep preachin’ it.

  • bk

    A blank sheet of paper to represent the Democratic plan.

  • Tbone

    He must scare the Dems to death.

    Like” Are you sure we want to register all these Hispanics?”

  • gekster

    The only bad thing about it is, for all of the comon sense he made,
    all the Dems will ignore it.
    Comon sense is not in thier playbook.

  • keysconservative

    Excellent point. How do you compromise with a party that never saw a spending or tax increase they didn’t like? When you’re up against a party that is wedded to the idea that every dollar government spends is necessary and can NEVER be cut where is the compromise?

  • jtlfrommd

    1) When Senator Kerry tried to argue the financial emergency that we find ourselves in, why didn’t Senator Rubio retort that we wouldn’t be at this stage if not for the ridiculous spending caused by the likes of Senator Kerry and the party he belongs to? (Not to give any kind of a pass to the R’s who were also a part of the problem). Seriously, it is as simple as that.
    2) Can you imagine if this speech was shown across the airwaves of the MSM? Many people at Redstate have been asking for some good speakers to get out there and make the case. Senator Rubio did just that. This speech would go a long way in making conservatism look like the place to be and liberalism the party to run away from.

  • texasmama

    in saying that B.O.’s vote was “purely symbolic.” It sums up the Donkey party’s point of view that all that is important is to win the next election and consolidate its power. Rubio’s analogy of negotiating what part of a burning house to save was brilliant.

  • cfoy65

    With all the news lately highlighting some pretty incompetent Floridians, at least we got this senate race right! Senator Rubio is the first politician I felt strongly enough about to actually donate to, and am very proud he is representing our State so well. I’m hoping he decides to eventually run for president, as he is one of the very few out there that can so eloquently articulate the conservative view and make the liberals look like the lying hypocrites that they are. If we could just get Senator Nelson out of the way this next election!

  • Ned Reck

    Quote: “Sen. Rubio Beat a Dead Horse in the Senate Today. His Name Is John Kerry.”

    Aaron… your title line made me laugh out loud… reminded me of that ol’ joke back durin’ the ’04 election….

    ~~~~~

    John Kerry walks into a bar. Bartenter says to him… “Why the long face?”

    hehehe

    Ned Reck

  • Aaron Gardner

    And thanks. ;)

  • throwback59

    ouch.

  • jaykali

    Dude Rubio is going to be president. Not in 2012, he’s not even running, but this guy is going to be stinking president. I get so frustrated that so many Republicans can’t make coherent arguments when they have the facts on their side. They get pulled into dubious arguments about things that don’t matter.

    Such as, has anyone heard a reason WHY we SHOULDN’T have a BBA? I am not in the camp that it’s realistic, but what exactly is any Democrat’s official position on WHY they wouldn’t vote for it? It’s absolutely indefensible. Everyone on this message board wants to talk about pressure. Pressure does NOT come from Boehner arm wrestling Harry Reid in some back room somewhere. Pressure comes from winning the freaking argument in the public arena. The people are the ones that put on the pressure.

    So anyway Rubio is so good at articulating his points, he sounds so absolutely reasonable, he doesn’t just hem and haw with crutch cliche phrases like ‘kicking the can’ down the road or speak in broad platitudes like Obama who patronizes us like we’re 4 year olds. He is absolutely brilliant that Rubio. I hope he sticks around.

  • fedsocdan

    Man, when he takes over for Perry in 10 years it’s gonna be sweeeeet!

  • fedsocdan

    Rubio could torch anyone in a debate. He mopped the floor with what’s his name in the primary last year. I can hold my own but I’d be terrified to go up against this guy.

    Future President for sure.

  • alaskaescapeartist

    Good grief….. Kerry is a lumbering, rambling, self-caricature.

    Rubio is a gem.

  • Mike

    Here’s why.

    The ethics of a Senator’s vote do not change based on what everyone else is expected to do. It is either the right thing to do, or the wrong thing to do — and what everyone else does is irrelevant.

    Situational morals is like rooting for the Mets all year, and then rooting for the Phillies in the playoffs. It’s not something a civilized person does :D

  • Mike

    I’ve never seen a horse who had a four inch mushroom mane hanging over its eyes.

  • msctex

    n/t

  • jeffreywturner

    n/t

  • qsclues

    The problem with the Democrats is not that they don’t have a plan — it’s that they refuse to acknowledge that there is even a problem. That’s the real reason that we can’t negotiate properly with them.

    Awesome speech by Senator Rubio, though. A perfect summation of where we are and what the problem is.

  • 6eorge Jetson

  • gekster

    Look at it from a different angle.

  • Green_Lantern

    Kerry really tried to be relevant. Unfortunately, he picked a superstar.

  • tankertodd

    SEN Rubio is phenomenal. I think he’s going to do great things. He nailed it.

  • ashland_avenue

    Great work

  • jaykali

    We all know Bill Krystal is in love with a Rubo/Ryan ticket (neither are running sadly…altho stay tuned for a lot of VP rumors next year…) and we can see why. Rubio & Ryan are 2 hugely influential thinkers in the conservative cause and rising stars. They make fantastic arguments. I love when a sunday show has on Ryan & Debbie Shultz – she sounds like a complete moron spitting out tired Democratic talking points. I always come away thinking why does she ever agree to go against Ryan? Anyway if there is a way for us to get out of this mess it’s through guys like Ryan and Rubio.

  • Alpip

    Excellent! Nuff said.

  • ideasmatter

    Sen Coburn today was recorded by c-span, I am not a big Coburn fan, but this was Coburn with the same dead horse, taking a second beating.I heartly recommend its viewing by everyone…

    http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/SenRe/start/14756/stop/16376

  • texasmama

    My subject line was apparently confusing–my apologies. Perhaps a better way to put it is to say that Kerry’s point was perhaps more truthful than he intended. He was justifying Obama’s, Biden’s, etc., votes by saying that they were symbolic because they couldn’t change anything anyway so they couldn’t actually bring further harm to the country. He was revealing that their rhetoric was nothing more than that–intended to decieve people into believing they were taking the high road, when they knew that the low road was safely theirs. Rubio, to the shame of the veteran gray-hairs, is the adult in the room. He is standing on conviction, damn the political consequences.

    Any bets on the outcome?

  • http://www.baseballcrank.com Dan McLaughlin

    The funniest thing here is that Kerry still believes that empty symbolic gestures are a responsible thing to do.

  • texasmama

    Rubio is a precious gift to this country–one I pray for regularly. One of the things I respect most about him is his refusal (much like Christie’s) to be rushed ahead of his time. We need men and women of his caliber in every facet of government.

  • Aaron Gardner

    ;)

  • carolina

    I really, really wish they would clean up (cut) the obvious redudant programs and spending that Coburn has put together with input from CRS, CBO, GAO, etc. Talk about low hanging fruit!

  • carolina

    .

  • Tbone

    for President.

  • texasmama

    but I don’t underestimate the value they are to us where they are for right now. We are in transition, and there is a natural progression that brings the fullness of maturity. There is only one President, and he only serves eight years at best. These men are in the trenches where the law of our land is established. My hope is that they will help shape the Congress to come, and will take their place at the helm of this nation when the time is right.

  • carolina
  • mexneck

    I bet we’ll be seeing more of Marco Rubio in a more Presidential setting. Meanwhile both parties will concoct some kind of bs that will allow them to continue spending and paying lip service to the Constitution of the United States of America. So sad. Marco why aren’t you running now?!

  • littlehouse18

    if he were in the VP slot on the ticket. Then everyone would have to pay attention to his oratory, and there would be a huge swell of support. I believe the younger generation would go for him in droves. He can wipe the ‘scales from their eyes’ and do much to overcome the indoctrination to which they’ve been subjected.

    Of course, it would be a shame to lose him from the Senate so early in his national career. He makes me hope again for this nation, if only we can get his message out.

  • littlehouse18

    ..

  • littlehouse18

    What a tragedy in so many ways.

  • littlehouse18

    So they could recommend huge cuts, say, to defense, and if the House doesn’t go for them, then, the Republicans get portrayed as the Grinch right before Christmas.

    Not to mention the whole idea that cuts get spread over 10 years, hence are fictitious. Meanwhile, Obama gets his big increase right up front to buy off 2012 votes.

  • rightwingmom52

    …

  • littlehouse18

    catch everyone just wanting to get home for Christmas, so they’re more likely to get enough people to go along with the committee to get it over with.

  • wbb1950

    Washington elites claim that big bargains are a good thing and compromise is a virtue.

    But that is not always the case, is it? For example:

    If one side says death by a thousand cuts Apache style and the other side say draw and quarter here and now, and instead the hang him and it turns out that he was an innocent man, would 48% of the voters say that was a good thing because it was a compromise.?

    If Harry Reid drafts the Boehner bill–as his people did, until conservatives forced hm to put some teeth in it and Reid comes up with a bill which purports to be his own which is full of smoke mirrors false savings and tax increases would anyone in their right mind t say that a compromise which falls well short of the goal needed to protect our bond rating call that a good thing?

    Anyone besides big media?

  • lastgopinillinois

    mopped the floor with Kerry and Durbin today in the senate.
    No stumbling, no spin, just the facts.
    Now if this could just be broadcast on every news media on Sunday morning, it might be worthwhile in so far as changing a few liberal minds.

  • sanderson13

    Thankfully Kerry’s loaded with botox, or his face would have been melted.

    One MINOR quibble, I wish Rubio would have exposed Kerry’s lie about a possible default for what it is.

    Rubio is the most inspiring politician I can think of. Man, Perry/Rubio would rock!

  • gekster

    But I agree, it aplies. :)

  • reaganator

    use your facebook and twitter accounts.

  • cej

    Rubio has been invisible on the debt ceiling. We need to look to Rand Paul and Mike Lee for leadership.

  • gekster

    How is that being silent.

  • kyconservative

    I hadn’t heard him since he was elected and was impressed. He was very articulate and set out a strong case for the position taken by DeMint, Lee, Paul and the others in their little group

  • romeg

    from Massachusetts who, by the way, also served in Viet Nam, demonstrates for all the world to see that, in a battle of wits, he is unarmed.

  • romeg

    I think that the Senator from FL recognized that such an argument would put him on thin ice or open the door to valid counter charges that there were some wretched excesses proposed and passed and signed into law under the previous Republican administration. I’m alluding, specifically, to NCLB and the Medicare Drug Benefit add-on to Medicare neither of which should have seen the light of day.

    As to your second point, I could not agree more.

  • trutexan

    …(getting out my checkbook).

  • http://aposematic.wordpress.com aposematic

    The Government solution to a problem is rarely as bad as the problem as it often makes the problem much worse.

    What free market? There is only regressive regulation and crony capitalism left in America and that is the real problem we the people face.

    But I did get your point, I just wanted to clear up a few of the points.

  • http://aposematic.wordpress.com aposematic

    The Democrat definition of compromise is when Republicans agree to all of the Democrats demands.

  • Common_Cents

    And get more Rubio’s. Once we shore up our own party, we’ll make quick work of the DEMS.

    One thing that the GOP is terrible at, is coordinated messaging. DEMS are very good at it. They get out the talking points of the day with similar coordinated language as a group. REPS tend to go on their own.

    Messaging could be much more solid when coordinated. The messages from Rubio and the other new guns should be relied on much much more.

    Guys like Kerry will just eventually go away after ruining the country and when real work will have to be done, true patriots like Rubio are starting to come out of the woodwork.

  • Mike

    iFail. Point well taken, and I agree :D

  • Mike

    Because 15 minutes of flame-broiling the enemy in public, while pulling who knows how many hours at the negotiation table, is invisible. In fact, he’s so invisible, there’s a 60-comment thread on RedState about him…AoSHQ thread is probably closing on 1k comments by now…and I still haven’t seen Paul or Lee.

    Go away, little troll :D

  • 6eorge Jetson

    or anyone that is a leader in the good fight.

    Besides Michele Bachmann, we haven’t heard much from the “frontrunners” on the debt ceiling debate.

  • http://travismonitor.blogspot.com Freedoms Truth

    Kerry was saying that ‘no’ votes that don’t change anything are OK. In other words, so long as you are engaging in empty symbolism, that is OK. But if you you have the ability to make any real change, that would be dangerous. It’s a stunning admission of the hypocrisy of liberal politics.

    It also points to exactly WHY we have commission after commission, deal after deal, and hand-wringing and yet, the problem of over-spending never gets fixed. The status quo spend-it-all system is the problem and ALL these Kerry-types want to do is keep the gravy train going at all costs.

    And yes, Marco Rubio is indeed brilliant.