Last night, the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel – a paper in Marco Rubio’s home state that endorsed him in 2010, called for Rubio’s resignation from the Senate following a report that Rubio “hates” the Senate. This is not the first time Rubio’s disdain for the Senate has been noted; even his Republican colleagues have found his absenteeism and hypocrisy troubling.
Ironically, despite this, Rubio was able to squeeze in a speech on the Senate floor where berated federal workers at the VA for not doing their jobs and then stated, “there is really no other job in the country where if you don’t do your job, you don’t get fired.”
If Rubio truly hates his job and fails to complete his responsibilities, why doesn’t he follow his own advice and resign from the Senate so he can concentrate on the job he actually wants – President of the United States?
TV: CNN: Sun Sentinel editor comments on Rubio story
Sun-Sentinel’s O’Hara: “We’re very disappointed. You know, he convinced us that he wanted to work for us. And now he doesn’t want to do it. He doesn’t like his job, so he wants another job. I get that. But like most of us, if we want another job, we don’t get to continue getting paid while we’re looking for another one full time. “
Rubio ‘hates’ the Senate
Washington Post: Rubio gives up on Senate: ‘He hates it’
“’I don’t know that ‘hate’ is the right word,’ Rubio said in an interview. ‘I’m frustrated.’
FL paper calls for Rubio’s resignation from Senate
South Florida Sun Sentinel: Editorial: Marco Rubio should resign, not rip us off
“By choosing to stay in the Senate and get the publicity, perks and pay that go with the position — without doing the work — you are taking advantage of us. […] Either do your job, Sen. Rubio, or resign it.”
MSNBC: Marco Rubio faces pressure to resign
“Keep in mind, the editorial board of the Sun-Sentinel endorsed Rubio’s election in 2010. No one can accuse the paper of having some kind of reflexive bias against the no-show senator.”
CNN: Florida newspaper: Marco Rubio should resign
“The Sun Sentinel said Rubio is being paid $174,000 with taxpayer money to do a job he is not doing — while he is criticizing others for doing the same thing.”
Salon: Marco Rubio “hates” the Senate — but just wait until he’s president
“[Subtitle] Frustrated in the Senate, Rubio wants to upgrade to the presidency, a famously frustration-free government job.”
POLITICO: Major Florida newspaper editorial board: Marco Rubio should resign
“’It is unpersuasive — and incredible, really — that you say your vote doesn’t matter,’ the editorial said.
Roll Call: Florida Newspaper to Rubio: Do Your Job or Resign
“One of the highest-circulation newspapers in Florida is calling on Sen. Marco Rubio to resign because he’s missed many votes while seeking the GOP presidential nomination.”
Washington Post: The Fix: ‘You are ripping us off’: A Florida paper calls for Marco Rubio’s resignation
“The Sun-Sentinel also bashed Rubio for appearing in the Senate to criticize federal workers that weren’t doing their jobs, something we noted last week. ‘You said, ‘there is really no other job in the country where if you don’t do your job, you don’t get fired,'” the editorial board wrote. ‘With the exception of your job, right?’”
New York Times: First Draft: Florida Newspaper Calls on Marco Rubio to Resign for Missing Senate Votes
“In a blistering editorial published on Tuesday evening, The Sun Sentinel, which covers southern Florida, accused Mr. Rubio, in effect, of defrauding voters for collecting a paycheck while he spends most of his time campaigning for president.”
TV: KNTV-SF San Francisco: Sun-Sentinel calls for Rubio resignation
TV: CW Denver: Newspaper calls for Sen. Rubio to resign
MSNBC: Rubio struggles in Senate, but wants a promotion
“The result is an unfortunate situation in which Rubio is burdened by the worst of both worlds: he’s a career politician with no real accomplishments to his name.”
Rubio introduces Senate bill to crack down on employees who fail to do their jobs
MSNBC: No-Show Rubio presses his luck
“But the Floridian prefers a different tack: he intends to remain a senator, continue to pick up a paycheck, largely ignore his day-to-day Senate duties, but show up when he has a chance to pander to anti-immigrant activists with a symbolic vote with no practical value.”
Associated Press: Capitol Hill Buzz: Rubio misses votes, targets job slackers
“After missing almost a third of Senate votes this year, Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio made a rare appearance in the Senate Tuesday — to try and pass a bill that would crack down on federal employees who fail to do their jobs.
VICE News: In a Rare Work Appearance, Marco Rubio Says Government Employees Who Don’t Do Their Jobs Should Be Fired
“He added, ‘there is really no other job in the country where if you don’t do your job you don’t get fired.’”
The Fiscal Times: Should Marco Rubio Be Fired? By His Own Standards, Maybe
“Tuesday afternoon’s speech suggests a standard for government workers, including senators, closer to one Rubio articulated earlier this year. ‘If you don’t want to vote on things, don’t run for the Senate. If you don’t want to vote on things, don’t run for office,’ he said.
Even his GOP Senate colleagues call him out
NBC News: Why Marco Rubio’s Missed Votes Could Matter
“The second potentially troubling issue for Rubio is when his rivals begin pointing out specific votes he missed — like TODAY’S Senate vote on the National Defense Authorization Act.”
CNN: Marco Rubio leaves light footprint on Capitol Hill
“Few lawmakers seem willing, at this point, to support Rubio’s campaign. The dearth of endorsements speaks to the unsettled nature of the unruly GOP race, but also underscores a reality of Rubio’s tenure in the Senate.”
New York Times: First Draft: Jeb Bush’s Son Takes a Shot at Marco Rubio’s Missed Senate Votes
“‘As a Floridian, I’m a little disappointed, because he’s missing, like, 35 percent of his votes,’ Jeb Bush Jr. said at an event hosted by the New York University College Republicans. ‘And it’s just, kind of, like, dude, you know, either drop out or do something, but we’re paying you to do something, it ain’t run for president.’”
Associated Press: Republican presidential candidates juggle day jobs, campaign
“‘If congressmen and women are elected to serve, they should actually show up and vote,’ Bush said in Iowa the day after Rubio missed a vote on a military funding bill. ‘They should be going to committee hearings and challenging the executive to do their oversight responsibilities. They should vote when there’s a reauthorization of the defense bill when we’re gutting the military.’”
Rubio is a strong proponent of defunding Planned parenthood, but…
Des Moines Register: Will Rubio’s missed votes on Planned Parenthood hurt him in Iowa?
“’It’s suggests the person is putting self interest above public interest,’ Larimer said Thursday. ‘They were elected to make decisions on our behalf and if they’re abrogating their most fundamental duty, that’s a problem.’
Rubio tries (and fails) to explain his absenteeism
Huffington Post: Marco Rubio Explains His Absenteeism In The Senate
“’No, in fact the majority of the job of being a senator is not walking on to the Senate floor and lifting your finger on a noncontroversial issue and seeing which way you’re going to vote,’ he said. ‘The majority of the work of a senator is the constituent service to committee work, that continues forward unabated.’
Furthermore, Rubio’s point about committee work is a bit odd given his absence from the Senate Foreign Relations full committee and subcommittee on which he serves. According to a Politico review of his record from 2011 to 2014,Rubio missed 52 of 106 hearings on both panels.”
CNN: Marco Rubio misses vote on defense spending bill to campaign in New Hampshire
“Rubio was not present for the Senate’s vote on the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which passed 73 to 26. The vote was expected to be close.
Rubio has said that he will ‘do everything possible to be’ present for any vote ‘where my vote is going to make a difference or an issue of major national significance or importance.’”
Salon: Marco Rubio just created a spectacular mess for himself: Why his no-show Senate record is becoming a big problem
“Again, absenteeism isn’t really an issue on its own, but it starts becoming an issue when you claim that you’re still doing the work that you’re not actually doing.”