March 12, 2010 Politico article: Rubio was a globalist on big issues until he started to run for US Senate when he
knew he had to lie to the rubes to win: "He's become your typical
candidate in terms of playing to his primary election base."
3/12/2010, "Rubio foes nail him for makeover," Politico, David Catanese
"Marco Rubio’s meteoric rise from long-shot Republican Senate candidate to national conservative celebrity has left some in Florida’s political establishment scratching their heads.
The glittery national image he’s cultivated as an ideological purebred is a striking departure from the more nuanced and pragmatic record he built in the state House over eight years, according to interviews with Florida lobbyists, lawmakers and longtime party hands.
On issues ranging from spending to immigration and from gun rights to cap and trade, numerous Tallahassee observers say the man who recently graced the cover of the flagship conservative magazine National Review is not the same guy they knew as state House speaker....
So far, his approach has been wildly successful. He’s vaulted far ahead of Gov. Charlie Crist — who was once considered unbeatable — in the Senate primary....
Spending isn’t the only area where Rubio’s record departs from conservative orthodoxy.
Natural Resources Defense Council lobbyist Susan Glickman recalls sitting in Rubio’s office during the start of the 2008 legislative session, where she says he spoke eloquently about clean technologies that would help cut emissions.
“He talked about the need to cap carbon emissions. I was very impressed with him, with his open-mindedness, his forward thinking,” said Glickman....
In a speech in the House chamber in 2007, Rubio said that global warming and capitalism had created an economic opportunity for Florida and declared that “this nation — and ultimately the world — is headed towards emission caps.”
But last month (Feb. 2010), in an interview with The Tampa Tribune, he said he didn’t think “there’s the scientific evidence” to justify the warming phenomenon and questioned whether it could be man-made.
“What we’re seeing now is hypocritical posturing,” said Glickman.
When it comes to Second Amendment gun rights, storied National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer accused Rubio of working against the group on one of the most important priorities of her career.
“Speaker Rubio talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk,” said Hammer, the NRA’s first female president and a 35-year Tallahassee veteran....
“He has not been a friend to gun owners. He tried to cover himself by voting for it after doing everything he could to work against it. He plays to an audience. We will make sure our members know,” she said.
A leader for a progressive group that used to heap praise on Rubio says there’s been a clear change in his approach to complex issues. Arturo Vargas, the executive director for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, said Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles born in Miami, blocked “scorched-earth” legislation that sought to clamp down on illegal immigration.
“He, as speaker, kept many of those from coming up to a vote,” Vargas said. “We were very proud of his work as speaker of the House.”
In 2006, Rubio even voted for a bill that would have allowed the children of illegal immigrants to pay the same tuition rates at Florida colleges as residents.
Vargas now says Rubio, the candidate, takes a more pointed, less nuanced tone as he stresses border enforcement and his opposition to amnesty.
“He’s become your typical candidate in terms of playing to his primary election base,” Vargas said, acknowledging he’s more disappointed than surprised.
The question of Rubio’s conservative credentials is no small matter in the Senate GOP primary. His ideology is central to his appeal against Crist, whose own supporters acknowledge that the governor is no red-meat conservative."...
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3/12/2010, "Rubio foes nail him for makeover," Politico, David Catanese
"Marco Rubio’s meteoric rise from long-shot Republican Senate candidate to national conservative celebrity has left some in Florida’s political establishment scratching their heads.
The glittery national image he’s cultivated as an ideological purebred is a striking departure from the more nuanced and pragmatic record he built in the state House over eight years, according to interviews with Florida lobbyists, lawmakers and longtime party hands.
On issues ranging from spending to immigration and from gun rights to cap and trade, numerous Tallahassee observers say the man who recently graced the cover of the flagship conservative magazine National Review is not the same guy they knew as state House speaker....
So far, his approach has been wildly successful. He’s vaulted far ahead of Gov. Charlie Crist — who was once considered unbeatable — in the Senate primary....
Spending isn’t the only area where Rubio’s record departs from conservative orthodoxy.
Natural Resources Defense Council lobbyist Susan Glickman recalls sitting in Rubio’s office during the start of the 2008 legislative session, where she says he spoke eloquently about clean technologies that would help cut emissions.
“He talked about the need to cap carbon emissions. I was very impressed with him, with his open-mindedness, his forward thinking,” said Glickman....
In a speech in the House chamber in 2007, Rubio said that global warming and capitalism had created an economic opportunity for Florida and declared that “this nation — and ultimately the world — is headed towards emission caps.”
But last month (Feb. 2010), in an interview with The Tampa Tribune, he said he didn’t think “there’s the scientific evidence” to justify the warming phenomenon and questioned whether it could be man-made.
“What we’re seeing now is hypocritical posturing,” said Glickman.
When it comes to Second Amendment gun rights, storied National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer accused Rubio of working against the group on one of the most important priorities of her career.
“Speaker Rubio talked the talk but didn’t walk the walk,” said Hammer, the NRA’s first female president and a 35-year Tallahassee veteran....
“He has not been a friend to gun owners. He tried to cover himself by voting for it after doing everything he could to work against it. He plays to an audience. We will make sure our members know,” she said.
A leader for a progressive group that used to heap praise on Rubio says there’s been a clear change in his approach to complex issues. Arturo Vargas, the executive director for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, said Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles born in Miami, blocked “scorched-earth” legislation that sought to clamp down on illegal immigration.
“He, as speaker, kept many of those from coming up to a vote,” Vargas said. “We were very proud of his work as speaker of the House.”
In 2006, Rubio even voted for a bill that would have allowed the children of illegal immigrants to pay the same tuition rates at Florida colleges as residents.
Vargas now says Rubio, the candidate, takes a more pointed, less nuanced tone as he stresses border enforcement and his opposition to amnesty.
“He’s become your typical candidate in terms of playing to his primary election base,” Vargas said, acknowledging he’s more disappointed than surprised.
The question of Rubio’s conservative credentials is no small matter in the Senate GOP primary. His ideology is central to his appeal against Crist, whose own supporters acknowledge that the governor is no red-meat conservative."...
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