Marco Rubio

Delusion In Florida

Featured image I saw an interview with Robert Cahaly, who runs the Trafalgar polling operation, the other day. (It may have been off a Power Line link.) As I recall, he said that he isn’t polling in Florida because he doesn’t think there are any serious races there. I agree. For a time, Democrats believed, or pretended to believe, that retread party-switcher Charlie Crist could seriously challenge Ron DeSantis. In my opinion, »

“Common good capitalism” vs. the free market kind

Featured image Earlier today, I wrote about an alleged ideological division in the Democratic party between the far left and the establishment. Now, I want to consider an ideological split in the Republican party about which Eliana Johnson filed this report. That gap is related to, but not the same as, the division between hardcore Trump supporters and Republicans who would like to see the Party move on from the ex-president. It’s »

Election-Eve Positivity

Featured image Here are three disparate observations, the common denominator being optimism. First: The polls are shifting in the last days before the election, just as they did in 2016. From Townhall, “If New Batch of Polls are Correct, Trump Will Soar Past 300 Electoral Votes.” Check out the polls cited there. They include Michigan (Trump 48/46), Pennsylvania (Trump 49/47), Wisconsin (Trump 50/49), Florida (Trump 49/45), and so on. We are at »

Marco Rubio named acting Senate Intelligence Committee chairman

Featured image Mitch McConnell has selected Marco Rubio to serve as acting chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Rubio replaces Richard Burr, who stepped down last week because he’s under investigation by the FBI regarding stock sales he made just before the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic caused stock values to plummet. Rubio was once best known in the Senate for his amnesty-style immigration reform bill. Now, he’s probably best known for his hardline »

Straight talk about China and corporate America

Featured image Sen. Marco Rubio is the U.S. Senator best attuned to and most focused on the problem China poses to the U.S. and the world at-large. At least that’s what I infer from his public pronouncements on the subject. In an interview with the Washington Post, Rubio maintained that a significant part of our problem with China stems from shortsighted American corporate CEO’s. He stated: If you go to China, they »

In Venezuela, the End Game Approaches

Featured image The last few days have seen an escalating crisis in socialist Venezuela. That country’s economy has virtually ceased to exist. Millions have fled rather than starve. Venezuelan currency has become worthless. The U.S. and 50 or so other nations have recognized Juan Guaido, President of the National Assembly, as interim president of Venezuela. (He has declared himself interim president, and has a colorable right to do so under Venezuela’s constitution.) »

A Good Night to Watch PBS

Featured image I wrote here about a doctor who preyed on Indian boys and young men on reservations for decades before finally being brought to justice. One of my closest childhood friends battled the bureaucracy to blow the whistle on the predator, with the result that he–my friend, not the predator–was effectively forced out of the Indian Health Service. That appalling story was reported by the Wall Street Journal and PBS Frontline. »

Anti-Semitism Breaking Out Among Congressional Democrats

Featured image Newly-elected Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib–the one who says House Democrats are going to “impeach the motherfucker,” President Trump–is in the news again. Emily Zanotti has the story: Freshman Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) is creating fresh controversy in her second week in the House of Representatives, but this time it’s over a shocking, anti-Semitic slur leveled at her Congressional colleagues for their support of a bill which would allow local, »

Alex Acosta update

Featured image Earlier this week, pedophile Jeffrey Epstein bought his way out of a lawsuit that would have given some of his victims the opportunity to testify about his predatory and criminal conduct. Victims never got that opportunity when Epstein faced criminal charges, because Alex Acosta — then the lead prosecutor, now the Secretary of Labor — let Epstein off with a ridiculously lenient sentence. Despite having committed hideous sex offenses with »

Criticism of Trump’s Saudi decision misses mark

Featured image President Trump’s decision to continue backing the Saudi regime even after it had Jamal Khashoggi murdered has brought criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. That’s to be expected. However, the criticism I’ve seen so far is superficial and, in at least one case, dishonest. Let’s begin with the dishonest criticism. The Committee to Protect Journalists said this: If you boil the White House statement down to its essence, »

Tim Scott and Marco Rubio sink stellar judicial nominee

Featured image Despite their razor-thin numerical advantage over Democrats, Senate Republicans were able to put together a long and impressive winning streak in confirming President Trump’s court of appeals nominees. That winning streak came to an ignominious end today. Not because Sen. Susan Collins or Sen. Lisa Murkowski balked at a conservative nominee. But because Sens. Tim Scott and Marco Rubio ambushed a superb conservative. Their victim, Ryan Bounds, is an Assistant »

Acosta fiddles, Rubio burns

Featured image Last month, Bloomberg’s Ben Penn wrote that Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta is “keeping a low profile in this first year in office, possibly because he has his eye on another job.” I commented that “low profile” means keeping Barack Obama’s left-wing program in place. “Another job” means a high-level federal judgeship. “Possibly” means certainly. I also noted that history was repeating itself. Acosta took the same “cautious” approach when »

Rex Tillerson comes under fire from Sen. Rubio [UPDATED] [more from Rubio]

Featured image I watched the first hour and a half of Rex Tillerson’s confirmation hearing before switching to Donald Trump’s news conference. Tillerson is an impressive witness and, I think it’s reasonable to assume, an extremely impressive man. His answers and manner of speaking stand in wonderful contrast to the man he will succeed (if confirmed) — John “Foghorn” Kerry. Tillerson is plainspoken, gives short answers when feasible, and likes to use »

Persuading Marco

Featured image The Washington Post reports that Sen. Marco Rubio is being lobbied by former vice president Dick Cheney and others who are trying to persuade him to support the nomination of Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State. Rubio has expressed displeasure with the Tillerson selection because of the Exxon-Mobil man’s ties with Vladimir Putin. If Rubio opposes Tillerson, his vote could sink the nomination in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which »

Democrat Agrees to Spanish-Language Debate, Drops Out When He Realizes Opponent Speaks Spanish

Featured image The Florida Senate race has been good for some laughs in a generally grim election season. It pits incumbent Marco Rubio against former Republican Patrick Murphy, whose main qualification is inherited wealth. The candidates agreed to debate on Univision, an important Spanish-language outlet in south Florida. Alex Conant, Rubio’s press guy, sums up what ensued in this tweet: To recap: Dem candidate agrees to Spanish-language debate. Then drops out when »

Escapism anyone? A look at 2020

Featured image Assuming that Donald Trump loses this year’s presidential race, who is likely to be the GOP nominee in 2020? The FiveThirtyEight crew takes a stab at this question (as well as the Democrats’ side of the equation). The discussion is too snarky and anti-Republican for my taste, but worthwhile nonetheless. Here (in no special order) are the six Republicans I consider most likely to be the nominee in four year: »

Marco Rubio and John McCain prevail

Featured image As expected, Marco Rubio and John McCain won their respective primaries tonight. Rubio collected 72 percent of the vote. His closest rival won only 18.5 percent. McCain faced stronger opposition in Kelli Ward, a Tea Party style candidate. However, he prevailed by a 54-36 margin. Rubio will face Rep. Patrick Murphy. He crushed the loathsome Alan Grayson 59-18. Murphy, age 33, is a pretty strong candidate, I think. He tries »