Rubio, Nelson already clash over earmarks

[cal04]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/15/rubio-nelson-already-clash-over-earmarks/

In his first appearance on Capitol Hill as the Sen.-elect from Florida, Republican Marco Rubio struck a markedly different tone on earmarks than that of his soon-to-be Florida Senate colleague, Bill Nelson.

Rubio, who like many Republicans campaigned hard on cutting government spending, told reporters at a joint press conference with Nelson Monday that he will vote in favor of a Senate GOP ban on the practice that often delivers millions of federal dollars to political pet projects and causes back home. The comments came after Rubio and Nelson met privately.

"I want Florida to be fairly represented in this process, (but) on the other hand I think this country owes … thirteen and half trillion dollars and growing and we have to deal with that very seriously," said Rubio. "If we can't deal with the issue of earmarks how are we going to deal with thirteen and half trillion dollars?"

(snip)
"For example I gave the example of bringing a nuclear aircraft carrier to Mayport. And the necessary earmarks that take place over five years," said Nelson. "Two years of which we've already been able to get well and it's well underway. It's a request by the Department of Defense. But if I didn't attend to that appropriation, the Virginia delegation was going to eliminate a carrier coming into Florida."

[madrchsod]

1. a bunch of rabid dogs fighting over a rotten carcass....

[Dappleganger]

2. dupe

dupe

[Dappleganger]

3. That carrier coming to FL will bring more jobs...

and VA is fighting it every step of the way, they have been spoiled wrt defense spending in the Hampton Roads area (I grew up there, btw). The point is to diversify the ports and Jacksonville is just the place to do it, but without those improvements this project is dead in the water. Jax and FL doesn't have and won't cough up $$, either. We're in a repuke stranglehold down here but dammit, we need the jobs. If Rubio kills the carrier coming to Jax he can kiss his voters from NE FL goodbye.

[Yavin4]

4. Why Do We Need Yet Another Carrier?

Can someone please tell me?

[Mika]

5. Ya think Rubio will support ending the 100's of millions of tax dollars spent on undermining Cuba?

Hundreds of millions of our tax dollars pour into Miami for all of the foundations and study groups posted in S. Fla universities all figuring out how to create the Cuban "transition" to privatization.

So far, Rubio FULLY supports this massive waste and fraudulent subsidy to RW exile factions in S Fla.

Then again, Florida just elected a governor convicted of fraud. So, its all good. :eyes:

---

[seafan]

6. March, 2010: Rubio's campaign image belies history of $250 million in pork requests

Fast forward to November 15, 2010:


Lil' Rubio is in a real pickle with this one. He is tagging along with Jim DeMint in his stance to freeze all requests for earmarks.

But McConnell doesn't like a challenge to his power.




Marco Rubio, *the young, great right hope of the Republican party* is a disgrace.


Now he's already spouting a laughable "opposition to earmarks"; we Floridians fondly remember Rubio's antics in the State Legislature:



From 8 months ago:

Republican U.S. Senate front-runner Marco Rubio brags on his Web site that he didn't officially request budget pork in his last four years as a leader in the Florida House.

But during Rubio's eight years in office — including the final two when he was House speaker — he unofficially helped push loads of hometown spending: $250 million, according to a Times/Herald analysis of little-known budget documents.

The budget items linked to Rubio from 2000 to 2008 are part of a list compiled yearly by the governor's office to track hometown spending.

Most of Rubio's budget items benefited his home county of Miami-Dade — from a $50,000 grant sought for a Coral Gables park to $80 million for a University of Miami genomics project. A total of $25 million in requests were vetoed by the governor.

The amount of budget money connected to Rubio attests to his skill as a lawmaker but also contrasts with his campaign image as a tight-fisted spending hawk crusading against "earmarks'' that have plagued the budget process in Washington.

Rubio wouldn't comment and his campaign referred questions to consultant Albert Martinez, who worked in the House under Rubio.

.....

Get ready for a real show from this charlatan, this time on the national stage, pushed into the limelight by Big Money and Jeb Bush.

Soon, as Florida has already experienced, the rest of the country will see this act for what it is.