Marco Rubio Tangles with Harry Reid Over Libya

Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubios call for the removal of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Wednesday led to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reids, D-Nev., office to reject the suggestion on Thursday,

According to the Washington Post, a spokesman for Reid said the Florida Republican seems oblivious to the troops lives his plan would put on the line and added Rubio seems to have forgotten that the Libyan people have made it clear they dont want foreign boots on the ground.

Rubio fired back in a letter to Reid sent out late Thursday.

Last night, I sent you a letter expressing my support for a bipartisan effort to authorize the actions President Obama has taken with Libya. I was surprised by your reaction to my offer of bipartisan cooperation on a matter of national security, wrote Rubio. Your office stated that I seem oblivious to the troops lives [my] plan would put on the line. My concern for the well-being of our troops is no less than yours. I am saddened you would suggest otherwise.

Furthermore, the resolution I am suggesting would authorize the military actions President Obama has already decided to take. As you should recall, Secretary Clinton has said the administration would welcome such support, continued Rubio. Your office then suggested that my rash suggestions could commit our troops irrevocably to a regime change and nation-building effort that could take months or years and cost billions of taxpayer dollars. But my position is consistent with Senator Levins announcement earlier this week that he would try to build bipartisan support for a resolution authorizing U.S. participation in an allied military action.

Finally, your office suggests that, The Obama administration rightly recognized that a broad international coalition with limited goals would not only lend legitimacy to an intervention in Libya, but also improve our chances of success and limit the burden on U.S. taxpayers,continued Rubio. In fact, what you describe as the limited goal of the coalition was to prevent the massacre of innocent civilians, a goal that is impossible to achieve so long as Gadhafi remains in power in Libya.

I understand that reflexively attacking the ideas proposed by another member of the opposing party has sadly become the way of the modern Senate. It nonetheless remains my hope that the Senate will endeavor to at least make an exception when it comes to issues of national security, wrote Rubio. The reality is that the U.S. has attacked a brutal dictator with a long history of brazen support for terrorism against Americans. We have attacked someone who less than a decade ago was on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons. If he survives this international effort against him and remains in power, he will be emboldened and angry, and he will once again act against Americas interests.

I hope you will reconsider your opposition to a bipartisan resolution to authorize the president to finish the job he has started, noted Rubio in closing.