GOP Rep Peter King (R-NY): Marco Rubio Is Playing Us For 'Suckers'

[Lakhota]

By Jason Linkins

When House Republican leaders yanked the Hurricane Sandy relief bill from the floor back at the beginning of January, the move didn't sit well with Republicans from the region affected by the superstorm. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), feeling sandbagged, got into a heated exchange with House Speaker John Boehner soon after the decision was made to adjourn without taking up the relief bill. Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) told reporters that he was "utterly devastated." From New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie declaimed that the House had "failed that most basic test of public service," adding, "Shame on you. ... [This] is why the American people hate Congress." (Curiously, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg greeted the news with something of a bemused shrug.)

But when it comes to unrelenting anger over the Sandy relief bill, none can hold a candle to Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), whose fury at the delay was hardly assuaged when the package finally passed at the end of January -- it merely turned on his GOP colleagues who refused to vote "yes" on the aid's passage. And, now, he's not happy about Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) making the fundraising rounds in New York City, after Rubio cast a "no" vote on the relief bill's passage.

As Politico reported Wednesday, Rubio's been working Wall Street in order to "lock down some of Wall Street’s biggest donors ahead of the 2016 presidential race." According to Ben White and Maggie Haberman, not only do "campaign finance experts" deem Rubio's efforts to be logical in the main, they're also shrewd tactically:

Rubio's aggressive early Wall Street outreach comes as yet another potential 2016 GOP hopeful, Christie, is limited in his ability to raise money from his many supporters in the financial world. Strict federal "pay-to-play" laws ban contributions from those who might seek bond underwriting and some other forms of business from New Jersey.
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But King is spitting fire at Rubio for having the chutzpah to come begging in the Big Apple. Here he is in an interview with Colin Campbell at the New York Observer's Politicker blog:

"Being from New York we're not supposed to be suckers," Mr. King told Politicker this morning. "It's bad enough that these guys voted against it, that's inexcusable enough. But to have the balls to come in and say, 'We screwed you now make us president?'"
Mr. King went on to urge Empire State donors to cut off Mr. Rubio and any other member of Congress who "threw a knife in the back in New York" by voting "no" on the bill.
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More: Peter King Lashes Out At Marco Rubio, Says He's Playing New Yorkers For 'Suckers'

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

Mr. King went on to urge Empire State donors to cut off Mr. Rubio and any other member of Congress who "threw a knife in the back in New York" by voting "no" on the bill.

Rubio’s just being a ‘fiscal conservative,’ regardless how many innocent people it hurts.

 

[OKTexas]

Imagine the incredibly short memories of the people that forget congressmen didn't support the original relief bill because of all the pork added to it. If a clean bill had been introduced it would have not been opposed, but why let facts get in the way of a great propaganda.

 

[Sarah G]

And so it begins.. The Repubs are eating their own.

 

[Lakhota]

Imagine the incredibly short memories of the people that forget congressmen didn't support the original relief bill because of all the pork added to it. If a clean bill had been introduced it would have not been opposed, but why let facts get in the way of a great propaganda.

Well, that all sounds nice - but give us some "credible" proof to back up your claim - other than Rubio's disingenuous bullshit.

 

[OKTexas]

Imagine the incredibly short memories of the people that forget congressmen didn't support the original relief bill because of all the pork added to it. If a clean bill had been introduced it would have not been opposed, but why let facts get in the way of a great propaganda.

Well, that all sounds nice - but give us some "credible" proof to back up your claim - other than Rubio's disingenuous bullshit.

A couple of examples.

The bill also provides $336 million for Amtrak (10 times President Obama’s request of $32 million), $150 million for fishery disaster relief, for which recipients in Alaska and Mississippi will be eligible, $50 million for the National Park Service’s historic preservation fund (twice its annual funding), and $50 million for employee retraining programs.

Sandy Relief Bill is a Disaster | Citizens Against Government Waste

 

[Lakhota]

Imagine the incredibly short memories of the people that forget congressmen didn't support the original relief bill because of all the pork added to it. If a clean bill had been introduced it would have not been opposed, but why let facts get in the way of a great propaganda.

Well, that all sounds nice - but give us some "credible" proof to back up your claim - other than Rubio's disingenuous bullshit.

A couple of examples.

The bill also provides $336 million for Amtrak (10 times President Obama’s request of $32 million), $150 million for fishery disaster relief, for which recipients in Alaska and Mississippi will be eligible, $50 million for the National Park Service’s historic preservation fund (twice its annual funding), and $50 million for employee retraining programs.

Sandy Relief Bill is a Disaster | Citizens Against Government Waste

Sounds like some good "stimulus" spending - which we currently need more of from the government.

 

[OKTexas]

Well, that all sounds nice - but give us some "credible" proof to back up your claim - other than Rubio's disingenuous bullshit.

A couple of examples.

The bill also provides $336 million for Amtrak (10 times President Obama’s request of $32 million), $150 million for fishery disaster relief, for which recipients in Alaska and Mississippi will be eligible, $50 million for the National Park Service’s historic preservation fund (twice its annual funding), and $50 million for employee retraining programs.

Sandy Relief Bill is a Disaster | Citizens Against Government Waste

Sounds like some good "stimulus" spending - which we currently need more of from the government.

Deflection, that the best you can do? Stimulus was not the purpose of the bill.