October 21, 2011--Florida Dreaming 2: Marco Rubio

And now one of my wintertime Florida U.S. Senators, Marco Rubio, has been caught in a whopper of a lie.

Recall who he is--

With the passionate embrace of the Tea Party, young and inexperienced as he was, he was elected to the Senate a year ago and became an instant Fox News and GOP darling. He was thought to be a Cuban-American Dan Quayle, a perfect vice presidential candidate to put on the Republican ticket in 2012. This, even before he had spent one day in Congress.

The political gleam in GOP eyes was from the belief that putting the first Hispanic on a national ticket would stop the flow of Latinos from loyalty to the Republican to the Democratic Party. This has been seen to be imperative since more than anything else, Obama was elected by increasing the Dems share of Hispanic voters.

But who needs experience when one has a full head of hair, a winning smile, the support of the Tea Party, and a compelling personal story? Especially that, a compelling family rags-to-riches family history. How his parents escaped from Cuba after Castro took over, eventually became citizens (not illegals), and comfortably middle class.

But there is one problem--his compelling personal story is an out-and-out lie.

Here's the truth from the Washington Post. A truth not disputed by Rubio:

During his rise to political prominence, Sen. Marco Rubio frequently repeated a compelling version of his family’s history that had special resonance in South Florida. He was the “son of exiles,” he told audiences, Cuban Americans forced off their beloved island after “a thug,” Fidel Castro, took power.

But a review of documents — including naturalization papers and other official records — reveals that the Florida Republican’s account embellishes the facts. The documents show that Rubio’s parents came to the United States and were admitted for permanent residence more than 2.5 years before Castro’s forces overthrew the Cuban government and took power on New Year’s Day 1959.

Rubio's rejoinder is not a denial but a confirmation--that his parents didn't tell him the truth about their personal history. That since they left Cuba so long ago--55 years ago--they forgot exactly when it was. Before Castro came to power or after? And that they passed along to him the story that it was after Fidel took over while in fact it was before and that they were economic, not political refugees.

So not only are presidential candidates dropping by the wayside but now also potential vice presidents.

Maybe it is time to get the house insulated. But, then again, isn't my summertime senator Olympia Snowe dancing with the Tea Party as she scrambles to get reelected? Perhaps we should move to Libya now that Gaddafi's gone.