Well, Of Course He Denies It: Marco Rubio Says I ‘Made It Up Out of Thin Air’

Posted on | October 14, 2011 | 57 Comments

My exclusive yesterday — sources telling me that Marco Rubio’s pro-Romney chief of staff Cesar Conda worked behind-the-scenes to persuade GOP leaders in Florida to move their primary to January — gets an official denial via Javier Manjarres at The Shark Tank:

“Don’t you think if something like that had happened, you would have heard something? 100% fiction, they just made it up out of thin air . . . Ok, BTW, if this were true, it means you got scooped in you own state!!!! Hahaha”

He’s a joker, that Marco. But as to me scooping Javier, this story just “fell in my lap,” as they say. The various and overlapping alliances that define Florida GOP politics — nearly as Byzantine nowadays as South Carolina — make it difficult to prove stuff like this, especially when the sources could lose their jobs if it were known they were talking to reporters.

So Rubio’s denial is a fact, just as the statements by my sources are facts. I report both and, as Allahpundit said, “R.S. McCain reports, you decide.”

UPDATE: Allahpundit likewise got a denial:

A source close to Rubio e-mailed us to note that Florida’s primary date is chosen by committee. He emphatically denies that either Cesar Conda or Rubio himself influenced the process.

Just got off the phone with various sources and will add some helpful background in a few minutes. But as I said to one source, “This is why I didn’t bother to give Rubio’s office a call yesterday — of course they’ll deny it. I knew that, and I wasn’t alleging anything criminal. There’s no law against people in politics exercising influence, and the question of motive is always a matter of speculation in stuff like this.”

UPDATE II: When a politician publicly accuses me of making up a story “out of thin air,” additional reporting is required. And inevitably, my need to protect sources makes it difficult to explain how sources know what they know, because to invoke the credibility of the source — well, a good reporter never burns his sources, you see.

Let’s be clear about two things:

Marco Rubio has been an outspoken advocate of an early date for the Florida primary since at least 2007. Floridians have complained for years that they have become an afterthought in the primary schedule. Florida’s influence was once decisive, as in 1972 when George Wallace’s stomping of Ed Muskie in the Democratic primary pretty much put an end to Muskie’s front-runner status.
Nearly everybody in the Florida GOP agrees with Rubio. As I said in my American Spectator column this morning, “The early-primary madness gripping Florida Republicans has been well-nigh universal for months.”

One of my Florida sources first became suspicious about the early-primary madness after seeing a Politico article about it in February. The ostensible motive for the move to the Jan. 31 date — the exoteric rationale, as it were — has always been about “making Florida count.” But once you examine that pretext in the cold light of logic, it’s doesn’t make sense. Florida would have counted as much or more if they’d held their primary in March as they will byh having it in January, and they’ll be penalized half their delegates to the national convention for violating RNC rules.

If the exoteric rational does not pass the smell test, deductive logic suggests the existence of an esoteric motive — a hidden agenda, as it were — known only to insiders. As one source put it, the basic idea of having an early Florida primary involved the notion that, by forcing an early decision in the GOP presidential campaign, there would be more time to unite the party behind the eventual nominee, and thus have a big group hug at the Tampa convention in August. All the bruises would be healed, money would be pouring in, and then, Onward to Victory in November!

Maybe you buy into that argument — which has been made often by Cesar Conda, my sources tell me — and you can believe that without regard to any suspicion of a sinister conspiracy to anoint Mitt Romney. But Conda’s known support for Romney permits such a suspicion, and then there is the “Question the Timing” issue.

If the special committee that decide Florida would violate RNC rules was determined to do so — and this intent was being reported as early as eight months ago — why was the decision delayed until after the state GOP straw poll Sept. 24 in Orlando? And why would a very credible source have named Cesar Conda specifically as a behind-the-scenes advocate of that move?

As I say, this wasn’t a story I had to dig up. It just fell in my lap. I accept the official denial, but I don’t blame my sources for being suspicious.

Do you?

UPDATE III: The February story in Politico:

Rubio backs early Florida primary

By Alexander Burns
Defenders of Florida’s early primary date have a new ally with some serious clout: Marco Rubio.
The freshman GOP senator told The Palm Beach Post that Florida shouldn’t move its primary from January to later in the presidential election season, despite entreaties from national Republicans to abide by the RNC-mandated schedule.
“If the Republican Party wants to pay for the elections in Florida, they can have them any day they want,” Rubio said. “But as long as the voters of Florida are going to pay for this election, it should be on the most meaningful day possible. An election in late January costs the same as an election in April, but it’s a lot more meaningful.”
Rubio, who’s viewed as a potential candidate for national office down the line, was careful to say that Florida didn’t intend to leapfrog traditional early states like Iowa and New Hampshire — even though Florida’s primary date as currently scheduled would do exactly that.
“Those are established states and I don’t think Florida desires to get ahead of any of them,” Rubio said. . . .

Read the whole thing. But why did Rubio present the choice as being between January and April, when the actual RNC-approved guidelines would have permitted Florida to hold its primary March 6?

UPDATE IV: Reporting Rubio’s denial at The American Spectator:

One of the problems with quoting anonymous sources is that they’re anonymous for a reason. If your story is challenged, and your source could get fired if their identity were known, the requirements of confidentially prevent you from saying, “Well, here’s who says it’s true,” with the source’s reputation as evidence of credibility. So I’m on the hook, and Rubio’s denial is a matter of record, and I’m sure we’ll all be laughing and having beers together at the Republican convention in Florida in August.

As I said to Javier Manjarres on Twitter:

Which means (a) it’s more essential than ever that we rally the conservative movement behind Herman Cain, and (b) I’ll need enough travel money to keep me on the campaign trail all the way to the convention in Tampa, so I can collect my free beer from Marco.

Category: Election 2012, Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney

Comments

57 Responses to “Well, Of Course He Denies It: Marco Rubio Says I ‘Made It Up Out of Thin Air’”

BigGator5
October 14th, 2011 @ 2:53 pm

I’m going to take Rubio’s word for now (unless something changes). Still, the bigger story in his denial is the fact that Marco Rubio started this back in 2007. I’m annoyed by that fact.
Richard Mcenroe
October 14th, 2011 @ 2:56 pm

Sadly, the first thought that crosses my mind is, there’s no reason to expect the truth from the Republican Party.

Chuck Devore, a lifelong and inspiring leading member of the California GOP who was pushed aside so the RNC could try to shove Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina down our throats, is being forced by money problems to take a job in Texas. Texas’ profound gain but a loss we can’t afford out here.
Jimmie
October 14th, 2011 @ 2:56 pm

So Senator Rubio answered him in text-speak? If not, the 2011 CPAC Blogger of the Year needs to write like a grown adult.
CalMark
October 14th, 2011 @ 2:59 pm

Why didn’t Rubio make the denial directly to RSM?

I would think he’d issue such a denial to the source of a potentially damaging story. Maybe even offer an interview.

But going to a friendly blogger and making weird comments (“Hahahaha” from an alleged future Presidential contender?) makes me wonder about Rubio even more.

This makes me even more glad than ever that I didn’t hop on the “Rubio for President” bandwagon in 2009.
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 3:01 pm

Marco Rubio needs to fire anyone connected to Romney. And he needs to remember that the TEA Party doesn’t like being played!
Richard Mcenroe
October 14th, 2011 @ 3:10 pm

I noticed that Rubio didn’t acknowledge that much of his staff worked for Romney at one time or another. McCain wrong or Rubio misleading?
Zilla of the Resistance
October 14th, 2011 @ 3:15 pm

Stacy has no reason to lie. Screw Rubio, just another self proclaimed Conservative drunk off the RINO koolaid once he gets into office. He also publicly sided with genocidal jihadis who have been brutalizing and murdering Christian Serbs for islam. Screw him.
Joe
October 14th, 2011 @ 3:17 pm

Hot Air Update:

A source close to Rubio e-mailed us to note that Florida’s primary date is chosen by committee. He emphatically denies that either Cesar Conda or Rubio himself influenced the process.

Okay. You get contacted by a source saying this is true. Rubio denies. Your source may have made this up. It is possible. It is also possible that Rubio is either lying or being misled and his staffer did have a hand in the change of primary dates.

This seems like something that can be verified. Changing the state primary is not a minor thing. If Rubio’s staffers were involved, how can they hide that. If they were not involved, then that should be apparent.
Joe
October 14th, 2011 @ 3:30 pm

At this point I am giving RSM (well actually RSM’s tipster) the benefit of doubt and I am giving Marco Rubio the benefit of doubt. But I am looking long and hard at Cesar Conda and expecting him to back up his denials.
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 3:33 pm

Just got off the phone with sources. Will be updating.
Joe
October 14th, 2011 @ 4:04 pm

Stacy is definitely not lying.

It is possible Stacy’s source may be lying. But it is equally possible Rubio or his staffer are lying. We will eventaully find out.
ThePaganTemple
October 14th, 2011 @ 4:08 pm

Linked-

Blinded By The Light
Richard Mcenroe
October 14th, 2011 @ 4:20 pm

Rubio is not behaving like an honest man. He’s acting like a politician trying to bury a problem.
McGehee
October 14th, 2011 @ 4:28 pm

I didn’t read the post as Rubio going to a friendly blogger. Rather, the friendly blogger went to Rubio.

Stacy says he didn’t ask Rubio because he expected a denial. If Manjarres is a Rubio-friendly blogger, he asked Rubio for the same reason Stacy didn’t.
Richard Mcenroe
October 14th, 2011 @ 4:30 pm

I’ve had people who were dirty in one thing or another do this. Instead of going to the person they wronged and resolving it, they came to me to try to get me to muddy the waters for them.
Joe
October 14th, 2011 @ 4:35 pm

Update II is interesting: Rubio’s Cesar must be above suspicion…but all roads lead to Cesar.
Joe
October 14th, 2011 @ 4:36 pm

My apologies to Julius Ceasar.
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 4:41 pm

Isn’t it possible that both propositions are true: A). that Conda and friends pushed for a procedural change; B). that such a procedural change has to be supported by other parties who have influence on the process and must ultimately be approved by a committee?

Btw, if I stop eating the “3 Foods Never to Eat!” does that mean that my (male) breasts will look as if they have been surgically enhanced?
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 4:42 pm

Michigan’s GOP has been pushing for earlier primaries, too.

I can sympathize. We’re all tired of Iowa and New Hampshire giving us a squirrely “Front Runner”. The entire process needs tweaking.

Having wrote that, we would be screwing ourselves to a fare-thee-well if we let Florida, Michigan, Illinois, and California jump in too early and force the machine candidate down our throats.
Adjoran
October 14th, 2011 @ 4:43 pm

What a bunch of hooey!

Even if the source is telling the truth about the aide’s actions in supporting the moving up of the primary, it is no big story. Even Stacy admits there was no need for any machinations to move up the primary, most if not all of the Florida GOP movers and shakers were in favor of it, and they did it the last cycle.

The only possible lie is about the motive, which was speculation anyway.

It’s just paranoid to see a conspiracy and nefarious motives in Florida Republicans doing exactly the same thing they did in 2007-08 cycle.

Wonder why conservatives can’t seem to control the GOP? Start with our inability to control the nuts and flakes within our own ranks. Too many of our grassroots conservatives refuse even to pretend they have any sense.

When everything that goes against you is a conspiracy by “the Establishment” and anybody who disagrees with you is labelled an enemy and a “RINO,” is it any wonder that the rank and file Republican voters run away like citizens moving away from a crazed bum screaming Armageddon on the street?
ThePaganTemple
October 14th, 2011 @ 4:54 pm

Why is it so hard to believe? It’s not like it isn’t obvious that there’s a divide in the Republican ranks between the Tea Party and the establishment. As you might have gathered, the Tea Party isn’t the Qumbaya singing type, and you can be pretty sure the establishment wing isn’t just going to roll over for them. Refusing to see all this is refusing to deal with reality. And this is coming from somebody that doesn’t agree with the Tea Party over the establishment all the time.

By the way, I’m really glad Marco “caught” Mrs. Reagan that night she “slipped” at the Reagan Library.
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 5:00 pm

Please don’t assume that everyone knows what you know about this. Sorry, R. S. M., I ought to visit this site more often. Just know that I respect and value your relentless request for the truth and giving the truth a home here.

BigGator5,
Do you have a link, (even if you found it here), to “the fact that Marco Rubio started this back in 2007.” Or, is this a rumor that is being spread around?
You haven’t provided a good link that can convincingly back up your statement. So, it is just a rumor that ought not be repeated until this accusation can be brought out into the public forum with proof to corroborate it.

We really do need someone looking into the ‘whole story’ on this.I want a clear picture of how all this came into being.

R.S.M. I love the way you use the ‘backtrack method’ of
investigation to track and pin the facts of your articles down. You’re no lazy blogger hack when it comes to getting a story found and out. You’ve been of great value in the alternative media arena.

R. S. M.,
HAVE YOU STOPPED SMOKING?
Think about being a healthier warrior for the continued ability to effectively impale people’s hearts with the truth. May the weight of that mighty sword that you pick up every day always be light.
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 5:04 pm

That’s a two-edged sword, though:

Sure, some of the more strident anti-establisment activists skew a bit into “nuts and flakes” territory, gratuitously tossing out conspiracy theories and RINO accusations.

On the other hand, the insiders are only too happy to use those nuts and flakes, both positively and negatively – either as foot soldiers to support their approved candates, or as bogeymen to keep more serious conservatives-libertarian challenges at bay.

And, ultimately, the insider/establishment pseudo-conservatives might be cultured, well educated, smooth talking, emotionally restrained, reasonable, superficially logical and rational, and mentally stable – but they are generally dead wrong on the most important philosophical questions of this pivotal age.
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 5:08 pm

Good article over at AS. It is also gratifying to know that supporting Charlie Crist is defined as corruption by Florida statute.
Whether or not Rubio is behind, or aware of his staff being behind efforts to skew the primary towards Romney to me is beside the point. It’s not surprising that perennial political insiders see backing Romney as the safest bet to evict Obama. The conventional wisdom would seem to say that the safe bet is Romney. The conventional wisdom was that Charlie Crist was the safest bet to hold that senate seat. Maybe Marco Rubio didn’t know what the conventional wisdom was at the time.
CalMark
October 14th, 2011 @ 5:09 pm

Mitt’s father was a longtime governor of Michigan. In 2008, winning the Michigan primary helped Romney stay afloat for awhile longer than he would have otherwise.

This is probably another convenient fabrication.

As for the whole “this has been in the works for eight months” explanation, I don’t buy it. Romney has been running for President a lot longer than that. Politicians, especially Republican politicians, are crafty if not very smart. This dirty little scheme was probably hatched to help Romney as much as possible, and was sprung when the Rove-ians judged it was most beneficial to their anointed one.

I hate Republican politicians almost as much as I hate Democrat politicians. What scum these people are!
CalMark
October 14th, 2011 @ 5:10 pm

Mitt’s father was a longtime governor of Michigan. In 2008, winning the
Michigan primary helped Romney stay afloat for awhile longer than he
would have otherwise.

This is probably another convenient fabrication.

As
for the whole “this has been in the works for eight months”
explanation, I don’t buy it. Romney has been running for President a
lot longer than that. Politicians, especially Republican politicians,
are crafty if not very smart. This dirty little scheme was probably
hatched to help Romney as much as possible, and was sprung when the
Rove-ians judged it was most beneficial to their anointed one.

I hate Republican politicians almost as much as I hate Democrat politicians. What scum these people are!
CalMark
October 14th, 2011 @ 5:10 pm

Whooooops. Sorry about the double post.
CalMark
October 14th, 2011 @ 5:12 pm

“Wonder why conservatives can’t seem to control the GOP? Start with our
inability to control the nuts and flakes within our own ranks. Too many
of our grassroots conservatives refuse even to pretend they have any
sense.”

Wow. NASTY! What are you doing here, anyway?
Richard Mcenroe
October 14th, 2011 @ 5:15 pm

Not a lot of reason to believe (or believe in) Marco Rubio here….
CCR
October 14th, 2011 @ 5:28 pm

Think of it as revealing the value of being chosen CPAC’s blogger of the year. Apparently the vetting process is rivaled solely by whichever committee chooses recipients for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Marco Rubio Directly Denies Stacy McCain Report: Made-Up Out of Thin Air | Maggie's Notebook
October 14th, 2011 @ 5:41 pm

[…] couple of points and then you must read what Stacy has to say about this because…”When a politician publicly accuses me of making up a story “out […]
The American Spectator : The Spectacle Blog : Marco Rubio Denies His Office Influenced Florida Primary Date
October 14th, 2011 @ 5:49 pm

[…] explained in a follow-up at my blog today, "Well, of course he denies it," which is why I didn't bother calling yesterday to ask Rubio's […]
Bob Belvedere
October 14th, 2011 @ 6:21 pm

Let us not forget that Mr. Rubio was Speaker of the Florida House.

You don’t get to be a Speaker without being able to play complex political games. That he rose to such a position has always made me suspicious of the guy.
Bob Belvedere
October 14th, 2011 @ 6:28 pm

Those are Denise Milani’s breasts and I believe they’re real.
Richard Mcenroe
October 14th, 2011 @ 6:32 pm

Of course now the FUNNY part would be if Cain slaps this circle jerk apart and WINS Florida…
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 6:33 pm

If they are going to be in politics they have to be able to play the game, and I’m certainly not going babble about it’s not whether you win or lose it’s all about winning. The problem is who is and how is winning being defined. Jumping on the Romney bandwagon because that’s the safe bet, isn’t winning.

Who did Romney back in that senate primary?
Paula
October 14th, 2011 @ 7:11 pm

Okay. Taking his word for it, for now. IMHO Jury is still out on whether he’s a Conservative or RINO <–i hate that term.) I like Marco Rubio, I just wonder where his loyalties lie. He was a Tea Party Candidate, I'd hate to think we misread his message and were fooled by another Scott Brown/ChrisChristie type of Republican. sigh.
CalMark
October 14th, 2011 @ 7:31 pm

Don’t forget, he declined to align himself with the Capital Hill Tea Party contingent.

It’s like high school: the “not ‘in’ crowd” kid (Tea Party) might mistakenly believe that one of the “in-” or “almost-in” crowd kid (Rubio) is his best friend, when the latter barely knows the former exists.

Keeping a close eye on this guy. Primed and ready for disappointment.
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 9:13 pm

Admit it, Bob: You’re gullible.
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 10:10 pm

There is almost nothing more pointless than pestering smoker about quiting.
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 10:19 pm

Believe it or not I think he likes us.
I’m sure calling some of the folks here Nuts and Flakes is meant in the nicest possible way.
Anonymous
October 14th, 2011 @ 10:29 pm

I don’t think alot of us had high expectations for Scott Brown. He used us and we used him taking the seat held by “The Lion of the Senate” from the SDs was it’s own reward.
ThePaganTemple
October 14th, 2011 @ 11:51 pm

Yeah there’s one thing that might be as bad. Pestering a commenter on a blog about links.
ThePaganTemple
October 14th, 2011 @ 11:53 pm

Plus if Stacy had went to him before he posted the story it might have given Rubio time to come up with a better answer, one that didn’t end in “Hahaha”
ThePaganTemple
October 14th, 2011 @ 11:55 pm

That always pisses me off too, Zilla. I’ve known people from the region that can tell you all about the Muslims there, who are all basically Albanians who migrate into areas and take over by making them practically uninhabitable for anybody else. Before anybody takes sides in that conflict they owe it to everyone involved to research the true history of the region.
Anonymous
October 15th, 2011 @ 1:31 am

Giving a good link to back up a statement makes it less likely that the comment is a rumor that someone is trying to push. It is just like using anonymous sources. It is all hearsay that can’t be counted as anything more than hot air.
Point me to something more akin to hard facts.
Anything less is just frikin annoying and a waste of time.
Anonymous
October 15th, 2011 @ 2:12 am

Rubio stated that it was back in 2007 that he suggested that the date be moved.
Also, it was a committe that chose the dates and that at least 2 committee members have endorsed Rick Perry. They defiantly aren’t supporting Romney, so who were they trying to help? If not Rick Perry, then who, or what and why?
You can read all this and more in the link that R. S. M. provided above at “The Shark Tank”
http://shark-tank.net/2011/10/14/20562/
The last line reads, “Lots of rumors and conspiratorial talk is floating around out there- don’t believe it until you can verify it.”
Adjoran
October 15th, 2011 @ 5:01 am

The “divide” is real enough, but Rubio is on the Tea Party side. He just hasn’t repudiated the “establishment” side because – even as young as he is – he was part of that as Speaker of the House in Florida before running for Senate.

Like most Republicans, his beliefs may tend more towards one group’s than the others, but he doesn’t see it as an us-vs-them deal. Sure, there are a few elitists who disdain the Tea Party and conservatives, just as there is a segment of TP/conservatives who can’t stand establishment types. Most of us don’t look at it that way.

Turning on Marco Rubio on such flimsy evidence – an unnamed source’s opinion about a third party’s motives, and then someone along the way offering the conclusion that Rubio is the Evil Mastermind behind the primary move, and for the expressed purpose of aiding Romney over Perry and Cain.

A serious charge with exactly ZILCH to back it up, based on anonymous hearsay and mind-reading, and supposition founded on imaginings. But, heck, throw Marco under the bus – if he’s innocent, he’ll float, right?
Adjoran
October 15th, 2011 @ 5:05 am

Absolutely. But people ready to turn on a budding conservative hero like Rubio based on nothing aren’t helping the cause.
Adjoran
October 15th, 2011 @ 5:59 am

Am I to understand that on the basis of an unnamed source’s account about the actions of Cesar and speculation about his motives and further speculation that since he works for Rubio he is doing his bidding and further speculation that Cesar’s “influence” was in any way needed to induce Florida Republicans to do the same stupid thing with their primary four years ago, some are prepared to declare Marco Rubio a RINO traitor?

Add a “-ski” or “-vich” or “-in” to the names, and it could be a report from Stalin’s time.