Rubio Delivers First Senate Speech
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – Florida freshman Senator Marco Rubio has been in office since January, but will finally make his first speech on the Senate floor where he will say that "a new American century is within our reach," according to Politico.com.
"Indeed, we do stand now at a turning point in our history. One where there are only two ways forward for us. We will either bring on another American century, or we are doomed to witness America's decline," Rubio said.
Rubio's speech is said to be "heavy on religious undertones and historical references," Rubio said. Rubio will be the last of the newly elected Senators to give a first official speech on the Senate floor.
Rubio invokes Luke 12:48 in a part of the speech talking about the expectations given to a world power and to support his American exceptionalism them throughout his speech.
Rubio claims the "broken government is keeping us from doing what we have done better than anyone in the world for over a century: Create jobs," Florida's junior senator said.
"If we here in Washington could just find agreement on a plan to start getting our debt under control. If we could just make our tax code simpler and more predictable. And if we could just get the government to ease up on some of these onerous regulations, the American people will take care of the rest," Rubio said. "If this government will do its part, this generation of Americans is ready to theirs. They will give us a prosperous, upwardly mobile economy. One where our children will invent, build and sell things to a world where more people than ever before can afford to buy them."
The speech could be Rubio's launching point to a bid for the vice-presidency. Rubio is young, a solid speaker, Hispanic, and could help carry the state of Florida. Between carrying Florida and appealing to Hispanic voters, the GOP couldn't find a better candidate.
Rubio has denied interest in running for president, but with a weak GOP class on the stump right now; the Republican leadership may target Rubio as a 2012 version of President Barack Obama.
