Marco Rubio under fire at GOP debate
Rubio appeared seriously rattled by the exchanges Saturday night at the final Republican presidential debate before the primary. The senator tried to fend off Christie -- without much effect -- by shifting the focus to President Barack Obama and the Democrats.
But Christie was relentless, blasting Rubio as someone who delivers soaring speeches but has never made a consequential decision in his political life and isn't fit to be president.
"Marco, the thing is this," Christie said at the ABC debate at St. Anselm's College in New Hampshire. "When you're president of the United States, when you're a governor of a state, the memorized 30-second speech where you talk about how great America is at the end of it doesn't solve one problem for one person," Christie said.
Christie also slammed Rubio's poor attendance record in the Senate.
"That's not leadership, that's truancy," Christie said.
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Rubio tried to blunt Christie's attack by saying the governor had not wanted to leave the campaign trail to return to New Jersey before a major snow storm last week. The senator then spoke of the aspirations of the American people.
But Christie had none of it, refusing to let Rubio wriggle out of his assault, playing on a narrative advanced by Rubio's opponents that he has simply learned a soaring stump speech and deploys it every time he appears in public, be it at a campaign event or a debate.
"There it is, the memorized 20 second speech," Christie told the crowd.
Rubio is under scrutiny following his stronger-than-expected third place finish in the Iowa caucuses. A CNN/WMUR poll released on Friday, meanwhile, found Rubio in second place in New Hampshire.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush added to the Rubio criticism, saying that Americans shouldn't gamble on a candidate who doesn't have executive experience.
"Marco Rubio is a gifted politician and he may have the skills to be president of the United States," Bush said.
News Courtesy: www.cnn.com
