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Friday

Feb182011

Rubio keynotes Lincoln Day, represents GOP’s best bet

Friday, February 18, 2011 at 1:50PM

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) will keynote the annual Lincoln Day dinner on Sat., March 19, in Jacksonville, home of the Duval County Republican Party. The 2011 dinner is actually a combined celebration to benefit GOP local parties in Duval, Nassau, Baker, Clay and St. John’s Counties.

In a press release, Duval GOP chairman Lenny Curry said, “Republicans are demanding a sweeping victory in 2012 and working together with our donors and grassroots machine, the NE Florida party chairmen intend to provide it.”

Rubio could well be key to a "sweeping victory in 2012."

In his quest for the US Senate seat, Rubio enjoyed strong support early on in NE Florida even as then Gov. Charlie Crist had high approval ratings. At the time Crist still claimed he was a Republican but later switched to No Party Affiliate status because it was obvious Rubio would win the GOP nomination.

Rubio is a talented speaker, and this gathering should be informative because the senator is most definitely on the front lines doing something most unusual. He’s working to keep promises made during his campaign.

Rubio also brings a dimension to the office heretofore unseen. One example was Rubio’s grilling of a state dept. official during a hearing held by the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Global Narcotics. Assistant sec. of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela was questioned by Rubio.

Rubio succeeded in getting Valenzuela to admit that Americans are at risk when they travel to Cuba. At present US AID worker Alan Gross is imprisoned after being charged with acts against Cuba. Politics Daily said Gross was distributing satellite phones and computer equipment to Jewish people so they could communicate with Jewish people in other countries. President Barack Obama’s administration has failed to secure Gross’ release despite pushing official policies that benefit Cuba.

Rubio brought to light one specific benefit--$4 billion in revenue to the Castro regime.

During the committee hearing, Rubio said,

“What I’m trying to get at is that you have to get a Cuban passport, which is money directly to the Cuban government, a source of revenue. Then you got to get a ticket to a charter company, which is the business partner of the Castro government, revenue to the Cuban government. Then when you land, you get hit with an entry fee, which is direct revenue to the Cuban government. Then, they make you change your currency, which they take 20% of, revenue to the Cuban government. Estimates are that about $4 billion a year flow directly to the Cuban government from remittances and travel by Cuban Americans, which is perhaps the single largest source of revenue to the most repressive government in the region.”

Rubio directly addressed the Obama administration in a formal statement. He said, "I call on the Obama administration to halt the planned implementation of their new Cuba policies that liberalize travel and expand allowable remittances to Cuba. This unilateral gift to the Castro brothers by the Obama administration is totally unwarranted, especially in light of Mr. Gross’s case.”

Aside from committee work, Rubio has held the line on spending, budget cuts and small government policies.

I probably shouldn’t say this—I’m sure it will annoy some Republicans especially those who support a declared candidate for the GOP Primary ahead of the 2012 general election.

The GOP should urge Rubio to run for president. He has every quality we need in a leader at the moment. He is a talented speaker who can respond articulately to tough questions. He is bi-lingual (he may be multi, but I am certain he speaks two languages), he is grassroots American and above all, he is not a product of the political parasite class.

Above all that, I actually trust him to do what’s best for our country, and we will need someone like that if Democrats hang onto the Senate. At the moment this country needs conservatives to get us back on track. Liberals have grown government to a size and shape detrimental to personal liberty and personal wealth.

Rubio represents the only candidate I’ve seen who, in my opinion, could beat Obama in 2012. If the GOP wants that "sweeping victory," this senator could deliver it.

There, I said it.

Video: Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), facing a serious challenge in the 2010 midterms, asked why any Hispanic would be a Republican. Obviously Reid is deficient in American political history as well as being deficient in any quality necessary for statesmanship.