Author Topic: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?  (Read 776 times)

Dos Equis

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Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« on: October 30, 2015, 03:53:22 PM »
Yes.

Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
Published October 30, 2015
FoxNews.com

Marco Rubio is cranking up his case that critics of his Senate absenteeism are holding him to a double-standard, pointing out those scolding him for playing hooky never complained about Barack Obama and other Democrats missing votes while running for president.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid was the latest to call for the Republican Florida senator’s resignation.

“Why should the taxpayers of this country and people of Florida put up with having only one senator? Doesn’t seem fair to me,” Reid told Politico.

Rubio spokesman Alex Conant shot back: “I must have forgotten Harry Reid similarly calling on Barack Obama to resign the Senate when he missed even more votes to run for president.”

And Rubio sent out a fundraising email on Friday calling Reid’s comments “utter hypocrisy.”

“When senators run for office, sometimes they miss some votes – this has been true of plenty of Senator Reid's fellow Democrats. Have you ever heard Senator Reid ask a single one of them to resign? I haven't,” he said.

Indeed, the record shows while Rubio has had the worst Senate absentee rate this year among presidential candidates, former Democratic candidates were even bigger offenders.

A breakdown by GovTrack shows Rubio missed 34 percent of Senate votes this year.

But then-Sen. Obama missed 37.6 percent of his votes in 2007, and over 64 percent in 2008, according to the same source.

Then-Sen. John Kerry, also a Democrat, missed 64 percent in 2003, and nearly 90 percent in 2004, when he was engaged in a grueling campaign against then-President George W. Bush.

PolitiFact cited these numbers in rating Rubio’s remarks on the matter at Wednesday’s GOP debate as true. At the debate, Rubio was forced to address his voting record when asked about a Florida newspaper calling on him to go to work or resign.

“Look, a lot us are frustrated by our jobs and office politics. But we still show up for work every day to earn a paycheck,” the Sun Sentinel’s editorial board wrote. "Either do your job, Sen. Rubio, or resign it.”

Rubio called this “bias,” noting that Obama and Kerry missed a lot of votes during their White House campaigns, and yet the newspaper endorsed both (though the same newspaper did not endorse Obama in 2012).

Rosemary O’Hara, the paper’s editorial page editor, defended the criticism of Rubio in an interview with Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor.”   

“When did it become okay for politicians to not do their jobs because they want to do another job?” she asked. “He’s not at the committee meetings, not at intelligence briefings -- well some, but he sends his staff,” she said.

As for why the newspaper called out Rubio but not Democrats, she told PolitiFact that not only is Rubio their home-state senator, but Democratic senators who ran didn’t complain about their job.

She was referring to a Washington Post article that described Rubio’s frustrations with the Senate. The article quoted an anonymous “friend” saying “he hates it.” Rubio said he doesn’t know if “hate” is the right word but acknowledged, “I’m frustrated.”

Reid, speaking with Politico, seemed to reference the same article. “For Marco Rubio here to dump on the Senate, this institution established by our founding fathers, he should be ashamed of himself,” Reid said, adding that Obama “never lost interest in the Senate” while seeking the White House – though he missed votes.

Democrats aren’t the only ones who have criticized Rubio for skipping votes. Fellow Floridian Jeb Bush, the former governor who is looking to arrest Rubio’s rise in the polls, also suggested Rubio resign during Wednesday’s debate. Rubio was seen as getting the better of him by accusing Bush of attacking him because advisers told him to.

Bush stood by his criticism in an interview Thursday with Fox News.

“A lot of people are frustrated with their jobs all across this country but continue to show up to work," Bush told Fox News.

Rubio told Fox News earlier this week that he doesn’t “like” missing votes in Washington, “but I'm not there because I'm fighting for the future of America.”

The New York Times also took a shot at several GOP candidates in an editorial on Thursday. The editorial called on New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to pack in his campaign and return to governing the Garden State, while accusing other Republican candidates of ignoring their states.

“Since when does shortchanging your home state — looking at you, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Bobby Jindal — qualify a public servant to be president?” the editorial said.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/10/30/rubio-facing-double-standard-on-senate-voting-record/?intcmp=hpbt1

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2015, 04:36:12 PM »
Rubio defense "dems do it too" is weak


tonymctones

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #2 on: October 30, 2015, 04:39:22 PM »
Rubio defense "dems do it too" is weak


agreed, but it works for democrats so...

iwantmass

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #3 on: October 30, 2015, 04:52:29 PM »
Rubio defense "dems do it too" is weak



At least he has a defense.  You let other men slap you in the face and walk away

Leatherneck

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #4 on: October 30, 2015, 05:34:01 PM »
Bush actually had a great opportunity to make this a big deal. He failed  it will fade away unless he wins the nomination. If he does win the nomination it will be brought up by Clinton.

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2015, 11:39:19 PM »
At least he has a defense.  You let other men slap you in the face and walk away

But I went to the Ben Carson School of Heroics.

LurkerNoMore

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #6 on: October 31, 2015, 05:47:50 AM »
Quote
“Look, a lot us are frustrated by our jobs and office politics. But we still show up for work every day to earn a paycheck,” the Sun Sentinel’s editorial board wrote. "Either do your job, Sen. Rubio, or resign it.”

Rubio called this “bias,” noting that Obama and Kerry missed a lot of votes during their White House campaigns, and yet the newspaper endorsed both (though the same newspaper did not endorse Obama in 2012).

Bias?  No.  Just excuses on Rubio's part.  Last time I checked neither Obama nor Kerry were Senators of the state where the Sun Sentinel is located.  They are completely justified in calling out their home state Senator for having the worst attendance record around. 

Dos Equis

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #7 on: November 02, 2015, 09:06:53 AM »
Report: Rubio Not Alone in Missing Senate Votes

Image: Report: Rubio Not Alone in Missing Senate Votes (Getty Images)
By Sandy Fitzgerald     
Monday, 02 Nov 2015

Jeb Bush attacked Marco Rubio in the last primary debate for missing several Senate votes while he runs his campaign, but there have been several other Senators  — both Democrats and Republicans   —  who have also missed many votes while seeking higher office, a new report says.

On the Democratic side, both Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden missed between 75 and 85 percent of the floor votes on the Senate floor when they were about a year away from the general election in 2008, reports Vox.com, and then-Sen. Barack Obama missed almost 90 percent. He missed just 37 percent the following quarter, however.

During the debate, Rubio called out Sen. John McCain while answering Bush's complaints, as records show the Arizona Republican missed almost all the votes in the last seven months of the 2008 campaign.

When Biden and Clinton were no longer in the 2008 campaign, though, their voting records improved drastically, with Biden missing just 4.7 percent in the quarter after he dropped out and Clinton missing just 14.9 percent.

Other currently sitting Senators have missed votes, reports Politifact, but not as many as Rubio, between Jan. 1 and Oct. 28:

Rubio, 99 votes missed;
Lindsey Graham, 79;
Ted Cruz, 70;
Rand Paul, 14;
Bernie Sanders, 10;

Rubio missed 18 of 20 votes in October, drawing the ire of not only Bush, but a large newspaper in Florida, The Sun-Sentinel, which last week called on him to resign his Senate seat.

http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Senate-Votes-Marco-Rubio-florida-Senator/2015/11/02/id/700093/#ixzz3qM3RF0Kh

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2015, 10:09:48 AM »
Rubio and obama brought us amnesty.

What else is there, besides that?   Anything else to talk about?

TuHolmes

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #9 on: November 02, 2015, 10:36:56 AM »
I have often wondered what the "average" senator or representative's day actually entails in regards to them voting and doing their actual job.

Anyone have numbers on them as a whole?

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #10 on: November 02, 2015, 11:24:26 AM »
today on Rush... Rubio yelling the attacks on republicans need to stop.

he doesn't say this until trump and jeb are attacking him.

he was A-okay with it when it was everyone shitting on his florida nemesis, jeb?   ;)

LurkerNoMore

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #11 on: November 02, 2015, 12:59:19 PM »
today on Rush... Rubio yelling the attacks on republicans need to stop.

he doesn't say this until trump and jeb are attacking him.

he was A-okay with it when it was everyone shitting on his florida nemesis, jeb?   ;)

Poor baby.

whork

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #12 on: November 02, 2015, 02:17:13 PM »
Rubio, 99 votes missed;
Lindsey Graham, 79;
Ted Cruz, 70;
Rand Paul, 14;
Bernie Sanders, 10;


Wow Rubio and Cruz should be fired on the spot. They are a disgrace.

Rand and Bernie on the other hand..

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #13 on: November 02, 2015, 02:46:40 PM »
Rubio, 99 votes missed;
Lindsey Graham, 79;
Ted Cruz, 70;
Rand Paul, 14;
Bernie Sanders, 10;


Wow Rubio and Cruz should be fired on the spot. They are a disgrace.

Rand and Bernie on the other hand..

but but but Rubio suddenly feels repubs shouldn't be mean to each other.

he really does have a shit record there.  He's always been lazy, loose with numbers.  Kept "accidentally" paying his bills with campaign money, had a little "overlap" when working as a lobbyist and his actual govt job.

Rubio is phil heath in this race.  Generation selfie.

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #14 on: November 02, 2015, 04:26:50 PM »
but but but Rubio suddenly feels repubs shouldn't be mean to each other.

he really does have a shit record there.  He's always been lazy, loose with numbers.  Kept "accidentally" paying his bills with campaign money, had a little "overlap" when working as a lobbyist and his actual govt job.

Rubio is phil heath in this race.  Generation selfie.

Yup.

This guy is the definition government spending. Collecting his check from tax payers and doesnt even bother showing up for work. What a lazy POS.

TuHolmes

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #15 on: November 02, 2015, 04:31:58 PM »
What about Cruz though? He's not fairing well in this instance.

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #16 on: November 02, 2015, 05:59:34 PM »
What about Cruz though? He's not fairing well in this instance.


Cruz shut down the whole freakin country to stop irresponsible democrat spending. 

Rubio has one crowning achievement - Co-writing DREAM/Amnesty with Obama ;)

Rubio has run for president, and pandered to illegals - THAT is all he has done in office. 

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #17 on: November 03, 2015, 05:32:39 AM »
Cruz shut down the whole freakin country to stop irresponsible democrat spending. 

Rubio has one crowning achievement - Co-writing DREAM/Amnesty with Obama ;)

Rubio has run for president, and pandered to illegals - THAT is all he has done in office. 

But his supporters refuse to see facts and just want to believe he is a little darling with a bright future ahead of him.

TuHolmes

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #18 on: November 03, 2015, 09:26:13 AM »
Cruz shut down the whole freakin country to stop irresponsible democrat spending. 

Rubio has one crowning achievement - Co-writing DREAM/Amnesty with Obama ;)

Rubio has run for president, and pandered to illegals - THAT is all he has done in office. 

Just talking about the number of votes.

He's not a whole lot better than Rubio here.

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Re: Rubio facing double-standard on Senate voting record?
« Reply #19 on: November 03, 2015, 09:36:23 AM »
Just talking about the number of votes.

He's not a whole lot better than Rubio here.

Cruz actually got into DC and made a serious mark in a short time.  Govt shutdown showed balls.

Rubio had ONE achievement - get in bed with obama on DREAM/amnesty.  That's it.