ICYMI: The Miami Herald Endorses Marco Rubio

“Yet his persistence in taking on a popular governor 18 months ago to run for the U.S. Senate says something about Mr. Rubio’s passion to fix what’s wrong in Washington. At this critical juncture in the nation’s economy, Mr. Rubio offers a welcome dose of fiscal restraint. … For U.S. Senate, The Miami Herald recommends MARCO RUBIO.”

“For U.S. Senate, The Miami Herald Recommends Marco Rubio”
Editorial
The Miami Herald
October 24, 2010

In one of the most unusual and hard-fought Senate races in many years, Florida voters have a choice among three capable candidates with distinctly different views on how to fix what’s wrong with the economy and the country.

Don’t look for a “local favorite’’ in this race. U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek and former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio are native sons of South Florida. Gov. Charlie Crist is well known to local voters and now has a part-time home on Fisher Island.

Don’t look for an “outsider,” either. All three have impressive records of public service. In a year when career politicians are everyone’s whipping boy, these three candidates understand how government works and what ‘‘constituent service’’ means.

What sets them apart from each other are sharp differences on issues and distinctively different claims for the allegiance of the electorate.

Mr. Meek, 44, is an unabashed Democratic standard-bearer, a dependable supporter of the Obama administration whose message is aimed squarely at everyday voters who fear the erosion of their living standards. Mr. Meek’s involvement with indicted developer Dennis Stackhouse is a stain on an otherwise good record, but it raises fair questions about his judgment and management of his staff.

Gov. Crist, 54, a lifelong Republican turned independent, says he will refuse to toe anyone’s party line. Mr. Crist’s political pragmatism is sometimes too elastic, and his loyalty to former Republican Party of Florida chief Jim Greer, who is battling fraud charges, raises questions about Mr. Crist’s judgment, even when GOP donors pleaded with him to take action.

Mr. Crist is running as an independent because he was elbowed out of the GOP primary by Mr. Rubio, who has captured many Florida voters’ attention with his straight talk about attacking the stratospheric federal budget deficit. An articulate defender of belt-tightening, Mr. Rubio’s energetic campaign and insurgent candidacy capitalized on voters’ anti-Washington mood and changed the race’s political dynamics.

His lead in the polls rests in part on a decidedly conservative agenda — anti-choice, anti-taxes. His life story as a son of Cuban exiles strikes a sympathetic chord with many voters.

Mr. Rubio is not a flawless candidate. He has refused to release all records involving a Republican Party credit card, which he used at times for personal expenses when he was House leader.

Nevertheless, at 39, Mr. Rubio has the potential to be the kind of statesman Floridians can be proud to call a native son — much like another conservative, former Sen. Connie Mack, who became a defender of Haitian immigrants’ rights and led bipartisan initiatives that doubled federal spending on bio-medical research.

Like a lot of voters, we’ve struggled with the choices in this race, and our pick may surprise some readers. We do not agree with many of Mr. Rubio’s positions — certainly not the far-right stance he has taken on immigration or his position against healthcare reform.

Yet his persistence in taking on a popular governor 18 months ago to run for the U.S. Senate says something about Mr. Rubio’s passion to fix what’s wrong in Washington. At this critical juncture in the nation’s economy, Mr. Rubio offers a welcome dose of fiscal restraint. He has exhibited common sense on Social Security, where he proposes raising the retirement age as a way of keeping the program solvent. Neither Mr. Crist nor Mr. Meek has dared to make take such a clear stand.

Mr. Rubio has been the driving force in this race. His leadership skills were evident as House Speaker, but in Washington he will need to work across the aisle — a virtue not abundant in Tallahassee. Smart and committed, Mr. Rubio can grow into a consensus-seeker in the Senate, benefiting all Floridians.

For U.S. Senate, The Miami Herald recommends MARCO RUBIO.

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