Marco Rubio is using his skill at avoiding showing up to work, honed in the Senate, to his campaign. He's pulled out of a debate on Univision, and the network cancelled. Democrat Patrick Murphy's campaign disputes that, saying he's still willing to debate as long as Rubio gives up on his one, unprecedented condition—that the debate be in Spanish. Murphy campaign manager Josh Wolf emails this statement:
"Our campaign is continuing to work with Univision to make this debate happen, and for Senator Rubio to throw these kinds of misleading accusations around exposes his real goal: to avoid debates," said Murphy campaign manager Josh Wolf. "The goal of a debate is to allow the voters the opportunity to see a vibrant exchange of ideas between the candidates, but that will not be possible if the candidates are not speaking the same language.
"In 2010, Marco Rubio agreed to the exact parameters we are requesting, debating Charlie Crist and Kendrick Meek in English on Univision, so we were shocked that he no longer thinks that arrangement is reasonable. Whether it's a reaction to Marco Rubio's weak debate performance in Orlando or a decision to hide from his record of turning his back on Hispanic voters, it is clear his campaign does not want this debate to happen."
For the record, the 2010 debate was definitely in English. One of the ongoing themes of the Rubio campaign has been Murphy's refusal to agree to as many debates as Rubio wanted. This kind of blows that argument to hell. And it bolsters a blistering attack on Rubio from Murphy's stellar surrogate, President Obama, delivered Thursday in Miami.
"That is the sign of someone who will say anything, do anything, pretend to be anybody just to get elected," said Mr. Obama, as he praised Representative Patrick Murphy, who is waging an uphill battle to unseat Mr. Rubio. "If you're willing to be anybody just to be somebody, man, you don’t have the leadership that Florida needs in the United States Senate."
That attack was focused on Rubio's ongoing support for Donald Trump, who Rubio called "a con man" and much worse. But it applies to pretty much everything Little Marco does.
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