Mistermix is fundamentally misreading the impact the Rubio investigation will have on the campaign. There will be no negative repercussions, even if it turns out he did misuse the credit cards.
Again, there is simply no greater achievement in the modern conservative movement than becoming a martyr. Accused by the OBAMA IRS and the “lamestream media” of wrongdoing? They’ll rally around him even if it turns out he was using the card to pay for gay sex with aborted fetuses in a bondage-themed club.
He doesn’t have to explain anything- all he has to do is deny it and play the victim, and let the “principled conservatives” in the wingnut wurlitzer and the blogosphere do the rest. I’m not going to do it, but someone else can listen to Rush and the others today, and I guarantee they will come out swinging at the accusers and rallying around Rubio. National Review will have ten pieces up by noon lamenting the politicization of the IRS. Mark my words.
You might as well just call Rubio the Republican nominee right now. If the wingnuts can get a good soundbite of Chris Matthews acting outraged, Rubio might manage to finagle this into a 2012 Presidential nomination.
kid bitzer
how’s that shoulder healing up, john?
i mean–you’re right about rubio and stuff. i’m just hoping that your convalescence is coming along well.
ChrisS
Yes, we saw how compensation shenanigans really affected the Palin Express. If anything, it taught her that if she really wanted dough that she should get on the wingnut welfare circuit sooner rather than later.
Lo & behold, Sweet Sarah quit her job as an accountable public official and opened the spigot on the Sarah, Inc. PAC.
Redshirt
We can now count on lies and more lies and any actual revelation of the truth can be considered shocking. Empire times!
bay of arizona
Does nobody else remember Henry Hyde and Gingrich having affairs while the decried Clinton for having one?
Republicans don’t care about any laws, rules, or traditions. I don’t understand how people are still surprised, especially after the whole stealing the election and lying us into a war (“we cannot let the smoking gun be a mushroom cloud”) thing.
Short Bus Bully
Membership has its privileges…
John Cole
@kid bitzer: Doing well.
EdTheRed
Erick Son of Erick opts to blame Crist instead of the OBAMA IRS.
I’m sure the folks at the Corner will set him straight…
Davis X. Machina
This can be generalized into a rule.
Call it Newt’s Law. Or the Hyde Principle. Or Rubio’s Constant.
To endear yourself to the median GOP primary voter, just get caught doing what that median voter wishes he was in a position to be able to do.
David
You’ve forgotten about the role that the Homosexual Agenda plays in the persecution of San Marco.
El Cid
“ANOTHER PROUD CREDIT-CARD CARRYING RIGHT WING IRS-HATED AMERICAN TERR’IST! GYUH-HUK!”
David in NY
May be a little harder to ignore if Crist, an actual Republican, can manage to bash him with it. Or maybe not, or maybe Crist won’t/can’t.
Bob L
What we moonbat libertards don’t understand is Rubio’s heart was in the right (as in to the Right) place when he embezzled that money. It wasn’t like he was advocating gays having monogamous life long relationships or presiding while black or something.
BCHS 1980
@David in NY – Nah, the GOP down here doesn’t even consider Crist one of theirs any more. What I do see coming out of this is the certainty of a Crist independent candidacy and the resulting crab-basket election (the only shot Meek has IMO).
Persia
@David in NY: But there are rumors that Crist likes boys, duh.
Punchy
Speaking of Rube-io, I really could stand to get a good Cuban sandy for lunch.
David in NY
Actually, here’s the problem with this and with relying on blogs, even a good a one as TPM, for the basic info.
The Miami Herald recounts what is not exactly an open-and-shut case:
Read more: miamiherald.com/2010/04/20/v-fullstory/1589469/feds-launch-inquiry-into-gop-credit.html#ixzz0lkQN2K4…
Paris
Didn’t Christ initiate the audit of the Fla. republican party?
So you have Christ conspiring with Barry the Muslim to torment poor Rubio because his name ends with a vowel.
Aunt Moe
From inside Florida:
Crist vetoed an ill advised bill out of the Republican legislature that would have penalized teachers for – well, for being teachers I guess. The wingers are after him for this, but . . . his veto has been wildly popular here. People hated this bill and are thrilled Crist vetoed it – and not just teachers. I haven’t met a soul who thought the bill a good idea.
The veto is seen as brave and principled, so we’ll see . . .
Pangloss
@Davis X. Machina: I think it began with Ollie North. He was the first Conservative Martyr™ to really cash in on malfeasance, misuse of funds, and general corruption.
Gunner Billy K
I miss the “rock-ribbed” Republicans. They were assholes of course, but they weren’t whiny assholes.
Aren’t these the same people that used to rail against our “victimization culture?”
Violet
You are very right. Yesterday I caught about five minutes of Limbaugh’s show. During that brief time he managed to say that Timothy McVeigh only bombed the Federal building in Oklahoma City because the government had gone too far. It was not an unexpected response to such governmental actions.
Yep. Terrorists are okay if they are white and the Democrats can be blamed. Financial shenanigans are easy to support after making that leap.
David in NY
@Pangloss:
G. Gordon Liddy?
beltane
Crist is announcing that he is running as an Independent: dailykos.com/story/2010/4/21/859356/-BREAKING:Crist-WILL-run-as-an-Independent!
Grab your popcorn folks, the Florida Senate race is guaranteed to be the best entertainment of the year.
Dino
Mr. Cole nails it. Politics has become the equivalent of a football rivalry, only with an intellectual discussion below the level of “Ohio State sucks” or “Michigan cheats.”
ChrisS
@Violet:
It was not an unexpected response to such governmental actions.
Around tax time I heard a teabagger state that “… it wasn’t a surprise that someone flew a plane into the IRS building.”
How soon people forget that one could be branded a traitor and un-american for trying to understand why people would want to flaw planes into buildings and kill innocent people.
Rick Massimo
Then we can add them to the list of American governmental institutions that Republicans say are partisan hack shops that REAL Americans don’t have to listen to or respect.
Yesterday, Orrin Hatch put the SEC on the list, so by my reckoning that’s the President, Congress, the Supreme Court, the FBI, the CIA, the SEC, the Army, the Navy and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Am I missing any? I must be.
But don’t EVER forget that Republicans are the real patriots.
demimondian
The announcement was that Rubio is a being investigated, not that he’s a target. He does have apparently good reasons for using the credit card — particularly if it’s considered legitimate to use it for personal expenses provided they’re reimbursed — and if those bear out, then he’s done nothing wrong, much less illegal.
I hate to defend Marc Rubio here, but, honestly, this sounds like there were a bunch of abuses, some of which certainly were illegal, and he’s been a target of a classic Bush-league smear campaign. Now, I wonder who might have associations with the Bush family, would want to hide his own affiliation with some of the key players in the scandal, and have an electoral interest in damaging Rubio.
(Yes, I know I sound like a certain wingnut CNN commentator. In this case, he may actually be right, as well as far, far right.)
MikeJ
@ChrisS: Not just random teabaggers, members of congress.
Steve King R-IA
Tsulagi
Pretty much a given. See Palin.
Okay, that just might be pushing the envelope. Not a certainty, but maybe.
R-bagger SOP. Principled Teabagger EE is already there. He sees the truth, it’s a vision thing. Seems Crist’s “hand picked” Florida Republican Party Chairman is the villain. Seems that dastardly bastard handed out AmEx cards to party officials including the guileless Rubio to be used for party purposes. Setting a trap fully knowing Rubio would likely innocently use the tempting card for a few personal expenses. Brilliant co-opting of future principled opponents Treachery by the not-gay gay Crist knows no bounds. Rubio is the victim
kommrade reproductive vigor
Remember the fate of Mark Foley. And Bob Allen for that matter. Oh, and how could I have forgotten “Too Dumb to Appreciate 7 of 9” Ryan? And he just wanted to have kinky sexors with his wife in a bar.
demimondian
@Tsulagi: Careful with the claims of malfeasance, Tsulagi. I don’t know what the terms of use of the AmEx’s were, and neither do you. It may well be that they were not restricted to official use only, provided personal expenses were reimbursed promptly, in which case, this may well be nothing at all.
Please, please, please wait for the facts, folks.
Ajay
I agree fully with what John said. This is actually good news for conservatives. Rubio’s popularity will only go up.
Svensker
@EdTheRed:
YOU DID NOT SAY THAT CLICKING ON THAT LINK WOULD BRING ON AN ATTACK BY RONNIE RAYGUN.
jwb
@demimondian: Are you saying Jeb’s hand is in this?
ETA: the revelation, obviously, not the possible malfeasance.
ksmiami
Another view inside FL. Crist’s veto is popular and Rubio is a Toff. I dunno I feel like Rubio is smarmy
Tim I
The key point that will take Rubio down is being overlooked here. He used his Republican Party Amex to pay for having his back waxed.
It is the back waxing that will do him in.
jwb
@beltane: It’s hard to say how entertaining this will be, since Crist and Meeks now have to fight for the sane vote, while hoping not to split it evenly to allow Rubio to sneak through. But since Crist and Meeks will both cede the winger vote to Rubio, it means the most pointed debate is likely to occur between Crist and Meeks, which might have the effect of elevating Rubio if it gets too nasty. Really, you have to hope that either Crist or Meeks makes a quick kill on the other.
PaulW
One thing to point out: it’s not only Rubio under investigation. Other GOP figures are also being looked at for the credit card abuses. There’s a possibility the state-wide organization could be in trouble here.
jwb
@Tim I: You should know that back waxing would only be a problem for a Democrat. Since Rubio is a Gooper everyone will just move on by.
geg6
There is nothing, literally nothing (well, except perhaps creative use of racist dog whistles) that GOPers admire more than stealing and avoiding income tax on the proceeds.
Pay no mind to the whole meltdown last week about how the poorest and next-poorest working Americans are not paying income taxes on their pittance wages.
Wealthy, privileged wingnuts who cheat to avoid taxes are heroes. It’s the same principle they use when in comes to corporations like Exxon paying 0 income taxes.
David in NY
@PaulW:
Raises the possibility that Rubio might wish he was the independent.
Tsulagi
@demimondian: Chill out. I really don’t give a shit what he used the party card for. This thing with Rubio just sounds like simply another minor example coming from the party of principled serious adults practicing their brand of fiscal conservatism. What, Rubio didn’t have his own CCs he could have charged personal expenses to?
WereBear (itouch)
Remember, for Republicans, there is no such thing as a financial scandal.
Money is always good. Anything someone does for money is simply pursuing the greater good. They are growing the sacred economy.
Money purifies.
Joel
Rubio will be the Republican candidate, for certain, leaving Democrats with a conundrum: Do they back their candidate, hoping to split the vote between Rubio (R) and Crist (I) or do they coalesce around Crist (I), knowing that he’ll probably be a member of the dissident Republican caucus.
Decisions, decisions.
kay
If this were Democrats, we’d be hearing about the corrupt “Democratic machine” in Florida, with all those nasty union thugs and such.
It’s Republicans, so it’s just a coupla bad apples, among an otherwise great group of small businessmen who casually get together to talk politics.
Betty Cracker
You are no doubt right about how the Repubaggers and media enablers will play it. But I’m not so sure the voters in Florida will fall for it. The FL GOP is up to its ass in scandals; even Republicans are fed up locally.
Also, although FL has its extreme wingnutty areas, it’s not a far-right state that would normally elect someone in the mold of DeMint. It would be a golden opportunity for the Dems if they weren’t running someone who probably cannot win (though I hope he does).
My guess is that the best possible outcome for us non-wingnut Floridians is that Crist runs as an independent and splits the vote with Rubio, allowing Meek to win in a squeaker. Failing that, I hope Crist wins.
ChrisB
It’s worse than that, John. When will mistermix have to apologize for the outrageous slur against Rubio’s heritage? You know, the “has some explaining to do” comment? I’m surprised it wasn’t spelled “splaining.”
False outrage is so easy once you get the hang of it.
JGabriel
John Cole:
Which he NEVER would have done if it weren’t for the liberals and 70’s!
.
Pangloss
@demimondian:
If I’m not mistaken, the amounts he charged on this card were more than his freakin’ salary.@demimondian:
jl
It’s like when Cole complains about somethihng Tunch did.
We know whose fault it really is, and wonder how Tunch puts up with it, , again, and again, and again.
JGabriel
Insider Advantage / SPR is reporting that Crist is running as an independent. Matt Towry:
Shorter Crist Draft:
.
Jules
This means nothing, nothing because he is a Republican.
Of course if Rubio was a Democrat…
someguy
Funny, I didn’t see an anti-gay slur in that comment…
tenkindsofgrumpy
I hope you are wrong, John, but I’m not going to bet money against you.
Pangloss
As of 2007, Florida legislators made $31932. So between 2008-2010 Rubio charged nearly $40,000 more than he made as a legislator on the Republican Party credit card.
Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle
@David in NY: I don’t buy Rubio’s story. Especially given that it was at a political function. The valet company would have(or at least should have) taken care of it. Given Rubio’s status(I assume he was still the Speaker of the Florida House at the time), if he didn’t get the valet company to take care of his van, he’s even dumber than I thought.
feebog
Despite John’s doom and gloom attitude, this can’t be a good thing for Rubio. OK, some of the purchases may have been legitimate, and he may have re-imbursed some personal expenses, but it sure sounds like Rubio was using this card like his own personal cash cow. I’m willing to bet that there are thousands of dollars he charged for personal expenses that he did not reimburse, and that he did not report as income. Crist and Meeks need to beat the corruption drum incessantly with this.
Mike in NC
It falls under the category of “American Ingenuity”.
demimondian
@Pangloss: Over two years? Hardly, dude.
georgia pig
@feebog: Agree. This will smell like bullshit, even to a lot of Republicans. No one uses a company card like this, i.e., this level of chickenshit, because it’s a pain in the ass to do the expense reporting and a nightmare for the accountant. You only do this if you think you will get away with not reimbursing the organization. Anyone with a company card will get that.
Nylund
In the modern GOP, the worse you do, the dumber you are, the more you fail, steal, and lie…all it does is offer a bountiful supply of “proof” that the evil liberals are out to tarnish your good name.
This is a political party that not only condones terribly behavior, but actively encourages it.
asiangrrlMN
If he is guilty (qualifier), then the only thing that will deter his fan base is if he’s actually arrested (not likely) and put in jail (double not likely), and then, he would be their martyr. He wouldn’t be their candidate, but he would be their martyr.
Bruce Webb
@David in NY: Nope not Liddy.
news.google.com/newspapers?nid=348&dat=19870521&id=ok8vAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OjYDAAAAIBAJ…
North buys snow tires with Funds. (Meant for the Contras)
You want the definitive takedown of that blowhard? David Hackworth, maybe the most decorated soldier in US history (9 Silver Stars for starters) takes him down here, hard:
airborne-ranger.com/ranger/wannabees/OllieNorth.html
Liar and thief. By reports North hadn’t worn his uniform in years prior to testifying to Congress under those TV lights. Plus he had a lot tighter business relationship with Hezbollah in 1985 (two years after they blew up his fellow Marines in Beirut) than some people serving life sentences today.
binzinerator
@David in NY:
The family minivan? Used for a political function? One with valet parking? What. Fucking. Bullshit.
Where’s the proof this actually happened where he said it happened, when it happened, and to the vehicle in question?
How about an accident report, damage estimates with dates, work order from the body shop, the name, place and nature of this function, the valet stub, the name of the valet service and the name of the valet who damaged said vehicle? How about names of any witnesses who saw him at this function or saw the accident? Get a copy of his calendar that shows his appointment for the same.
He’s gotta show something, fer fuck’s sake.
If he can’t back it up then fuck him on getting reimbursed. And he gets to explain why that wasn’t an attempt to defraud the government, which as this dumbass seems to forget, is the people he supposedly represents.
binzinerator
@David in NY:
And where the fuck is the outrage over that? Like this is supposed to somehow make it legit? It’s a personal slush fund.
This guy does not get to use a government credit card to make loans to himself. You do that on a credit card and that’s what that $16,000 is. A personal loan. Free of interest.
I know I’d be fired the instant it was discovered I’d been using a company credit card to make loans to my self.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@Nylund:
Failing Upwards and Intelligent Falling are a match made in heaven – it’s all part of God’s plan.
litbrit
Here’s the thing I’m not reading too often (if at all): the bills for those Amex cards are paid for by donors.
I don’t know what Rubio charged on his card, only what the news tells me, and I don’t know if he only paid it back when he got caught, either–only what the news tells me. But the bills are paid for by donors. BIG donors. BIG donors who are constrained by law from donating more than a small amount to any individual candidate.
It’s easy to see how a credit card that’s ostensibly meant to be used for party business could be abused for personal charges, ones that would’ve been perfectly okay with the donors/bill-payers as long as no-one found out.
Or, to put it another way, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (for example) would not be allowed to pay for Mrs. Rubio’s minivan repairs. But if the Rubios were to claim that the van was harmed during some sort of Republican party meeting and the repairs were charged to the card, which in turn was paid by BCBSFL, that would be okay.
Where the charges get rather egregiously self-serving is with Sansom’s card. Oh, ha ha.
Finally, Charlie Crist will run as an independent because as with the Republican party in several states, ours has swung so far into the nether regions of teabaggery, moderates are seen as traitors. In this case, our moderate and pretty well-liked governor had the sense and morals to veto the odious JEB!-created education bill that would have done away with contracts, essentially, and put our state’s teachers in a horrible position. Everyone I know, from my teacher sister to my Republican Mum to friends of all political stripes was against this bill, and while I don’t recognize the Charlie Crist I read about in the blogs, the one we know in St. Pete continues to be viewed as courageous for vetoing that piece of rubbish bill that was, to use a favored teabagger term, shoved down everyone’s throats without even going through the traditional amendatory process in the FL legistlature.
My deepest hope for Gov. Crist is that he runs as an Indie and caucuses with the Democrats as a moderate, you know, kind of like Joe Lieberman only Crist will be well-liked. Because he is.
JSD
@ John Cole,
I didn’t see much difference between what you said and what Mr. Mix said:
Mnemosyne
OT, but there’s a state senator in New York who’s accused of
. The FBI and IRS showed up today.
Reading the story, I have a sneaky feeling that our New York juicers have some very strong feelings about Sen. Espada:
WTF is wrong with the New York Democratic Party that they not only take the guy back after he stages a coup against them, they make him majority leader?