A look at Senator Marco Rubio’s GOP response to the State of the Union Address
February 13, 2013 at 4:20 pm in News by Tea Party Patriots 26 Comments
Since he was elected in 2010, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has had a lot of media attention turned to both him and his political future. Last night, he was the Republican picked to officially respond to the President’s State of the Union address. Our quick take:
The Senator started off strong, talking about the Tea Party core principle of free markets:
This opportunity – to make it to the middle class or beyond no matter where you start out in life – it isn’t bestowed on us from Washington. It comes from a vibrant free economy where people can risk their own money to open a business. And when they succeed, they hire more people, who in turn invest or spend the money they make, helping others start a business and create jobs.
Next, the Senator stated how the idea that more government and higher taxes are a good thing for America is an illusion in the President’s mind, especially in light of how government helped cause the 2008 financial crash. He rightly took down Obamacare and articulated how it is harming potential economic growth through its regulations and mandates. He also talked about the importance of tax reform and economic growth.
Unfortunately, despite his rhetoric about limiting government to the size allowed in the Constitution, as well as his professed belief in local and parental control of education, the Senator said he “believe[s] in federal financial aid.” Basic supply-and-demand realities show that when the supply of students artificially increases, and the demand for students rises more slowly, costs increase. Thus, Senator Rubio’s concern about the high cost of education is mitigated by this bad policy idea.
Senator Rubio next talked about the need to reform Medicare – but said anyone who is on it today should not have their plans modified. In 2024, Medicare is expected to begin going bankrupt, which means delaying a decade for reforms to kick in (as the Senator insinuated) is not nearly fiscally viable.
Overall, the Senator’s speech was philosophically solid, but it failed in one significant way: he did not articulate many policy specifics on the debt or growing the economy. This has long been a problem in both parties – talking points are prioritized over specific policy proposals that would actually do good for America.
We’re not going to worry about the lack of pre-speech hydration, there’s much more important things to focus on.
he has still a ways to go before he can convince me..especially the stand on immigration..and also like you said he heasnt said one thing about the debt..I personally believe they go to WAShington with good intentions to become victims of the big $$$ lobbyists to push their agendas instead of the parties of their choosing.. Constituents agenda..he will learn to do one or the other and see how long he stays in office bcus of it!!
What about the pipeline? What about illegal aliens and allowing them to stay and get free medical ans SS, etc? What about his scheme of president for life? What about our constitutional rights? What about Marshall law which he has given himself the power to declare whenever he likes? What about his power grab all together? he does not and will not listen to the people, what about that? He is a treasonous, murdering, liar. We won’t stand for it any longer! Either the Republicans grow some guts or get out and take the rebel democrats with you. We’ll fight for a new government and a Patriot party.
What exactly is this act of treason that you believe Prez Obama has committed? As for SS, no undocumented worker can collect social security even if he as an undocumented worker has paid into it. And I don’t ever remember any marshal law being implemented nor do you really believe that any US president will ever try and change presidential term limits, at least not in our life time. But there is a drone issues as well as the unfortunate 100 mile from the border zone that gives federal authority to search private property without a warrant if there is an issue regarding cross boarder trafficing in what ever.
I’m wondering if the White House is directly assisting the Islamist Arab terrorists. In particular, I wonder if the White House was complicit with Al Qaeda when they attempted to kidnap Ambassador Stevens, killing him in that attempt, and the White House gave the necessary orders to prevent any assistance from being sent to help the American security detatchment there. This would be treason.
Additionally, I wonder if the White House gave the detailed information to the Taliban about the “secret” mission of SEAL Team Six that ended with the helicopter descending to disembark the assault team at the “secret” location right into the sights of a lone Taliban waiting for them with a rocket launcher. This was the very next mission after the bin Laden mission, when it is obvious Obama didn’t even have a clue was happening. This would be treason.
And, I’m wondering if the White House is directly preventing the investigation of Eric Holder running guns for the Mexican drug cartels. This would be treason.
About the plan to establish an unconstitutional government funded by the Treasury Department minting trillion dollar coins given to the Federal Reserve in exchange for real money, obviously in direct violation of the Constitution. This would be treason.
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
I’m wondering if the White House is directly assisting the Islamist Arab terrorists. In particular, I wonder if the White House was complicit with Al Qaeda when they attempted to kidnap Ambassador Stevens, killing him in that attempt, and the White House gave the necessary orders to prevent any assistance from being sent to help the American security detatchment there. This would be treason.
Your comment is awaiting moderation
I wonder if the White House gave the detailed information to the Taliban about the “secret” mission of SEAL Team Six that ended with the helicopter descending to disembark the assault team at the “secret” location right into the sights of a lone Taliban waiting for them with a rocket launcher. This was the very next mission after the bin Laden mission, when it is obvious Obama didn’t even have a clue was happening. This would be treason.
I’m wondering if the White House is directly preventing the investigation of Eric Holder running guns for the Mexican drug cartels. This would be treason.
About the plan to establish an unconstitutional government funded by the Treasury Department minting trillion dollar coins given to the Federal Reserve in exchange for real money, obviously in direct violation of the Constitution. This would be treason.
I described 4 specific treasonous acts that should be investigated.
“Your comment is awaiting moderation.”
The last act I described was allowed to be posted.
… last two acts….
I wish you and those of you thinking would stop hiding behind the skirts of the Republican Party. I’m all for your starting your own party & call it what you want.
Since the presidential race is still at least 3 years away, it’s too early to worry about who is going to represent us as President. Let’s not tear Senator Rubio apart because he didn’t hit every topic that needs to be addressed, in his speech last night. There are too many of them to have hit them all. What we need now is someone in Washington who is going to stand up against Obama and his minions, before our country is totally ruined. Senator Rubio appears to be doing that. Allow him the opportunity to do what is right. The socialist in this country do enough of tearing into our representatives already. We do not need to do that before the man has had a chance to prove himself.
Yes. Whether or not he will make a good president, his comments show that he wants to be a fiscally conservative Congressman. Give him credit for that, and time to prove his metal.
Regarding Federal student aid or pell grants: It reads as though this Tea Party opinion piece want to discourage those who are economically challenged from seeking hight education, for if you are going to say that Federal student aid or Government grants are bad policy then you are also saying that those who do not qualify for private student loans should not be going to college in the first place… well gee wiz Tea Party people, all you are doing is promoting social darwinism bases on an applicants credit history or lack of credit history.
It makes sense for Tea Partiers though for it seems apparent to me that the general zeitgeist of the Tea Party spirit is basically against education anyway. All one has to do is read any Tea Party comment thread for evidence.
Hey kid, you are obviously against quality education, and sound suspiciously like the drones a federal education system spits out. Wander why you don’t have a job? Federal aid is destructive in every way, it may feel good for those who receives it, but what is it doing to everyone else? You think you have a right to education. Then you think you have a right to a job, and it goes on and on. Try to prove yourself, then receive what you deserve. This nation is in dire straits, and you talk about your imaginary entitlements.
See folks, this is the narrow minded morons a federal education system adds to society.
Hey Stig, one of the objectives of education is to produce graduates who can spell. So I’m assuming that the “kid” you’re chewing on, who believes in higher education will end up with enough quality education to do better than yourself. Guys like you have only one answer to everything; one constipated view of government that says everything it does is wrong while you live out your sad excuse of a life enjoying what it has done right. And who are you, for God’s sake, to call anyone a moron?
Richard,
While your comment is not the usual school yard affront to the wisdom and patriotism one can find amongst “Tea Party people”, it is little more than a pre-school slight.
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
Henry David Thoreau
Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.
Albert Einstein
The foundation of the Tea Party is that government be fiscally responsible and stick to those areas of responsibility that are clearly enumerated in the constitution. As I used to say to liberal friends, just because something is a good idea doesn’t mean the government should be doing it. Marco could not touch on everything but I can tell his values are in the right place. Same with Rand Paul.
I cannot believe that Rand Paul’s SOTU address was not advertised here, or even listed (until now) – We need to get better, how can I help?
http://www.randpacusa.com/sotu.aspx?pid=0213b
Stig – just like the Republican party, the Tea Party is fragmented. Between the TP Patriots, TP Express, TP Nation, etc… There is no unity because everyone has their own agenda.
I just hope Marco Rubio and Rand Paul aren’t RINOs in the long run.
Indeed Hellfire, but the TP grassroots are about promoting our vision, thus our reps. – right? Fragmentation yes, but we need to rally around our core principles. I believe we are fairly united, we don’t have to agree on everything but we must agree on what’s important
I THINK HE DID A GREAT JOB , NOWING GET GOT A DIRNK WOW MSNBC,CBS,NBC,ABC, CNN THEN CAN AO GO TO ,YOU NO WERE, FOR PERZ .RUBIO ,
The fact he took a drink from a bottle instead of the nice gasses and crystal pitchers normally seen on professional politicians podiums says a lot to me, good job that.
Now, as to the substance of the speech, he is trying to moderate an entirely flawed approach to government, the entire idea that any leader can promise anything beyond their tenure is false.
Reagan took promise after promise from the Democrats, they broke them all.
An attitude that is common on every kitchen table is required, if you don’t have it, you don’t spend it. And you apply the expenditures to the objective, not to a pot, then delve into the pot and hope you have enough, just the intelligence of the common folk is all we need, with this bunch, that has been missing a long time.
Gulp? What was that all about? Thought he had run for office and knew how to handle himself before a camera. Guess not.
Dale cook–what language do you speak? I have no problem with a speaker making a speech and getting a drink. Have it in front of him would make sense, not looking like the idiot he made himself to be.
if you want to get a look at illegals voting, it happened this election No Amnesty! and happens over and over again in Calif, LaRaza encouraged them to vote.what will stop it from happening next election, now that they all know they can cheat.
all Rubio needs is the Cubin vote for the electorial votes, the Mexicans will never vote Repub and they are the fastest growing! just dont let them settle in your hoods, it grows like wild fire, and will change your demographics, took 18 years for a massive growth in Calif, and now we cant get a repub in and never will except in the conservative areas