Moving up in the polls after launching his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., focused his fire this week on former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the heavy favorite for the Democratic nomination in 2016.
Appearing on Fox News Sunday this week, Rubio went after Clintons ethics, a line of attack other Republicans are using as they get ready for 2016.
Both under her husbands presidency, her time in the Department of State, her campaign for the president last time and even now there seems to be this cloud of constant scandal and things that distract us from the core issues of the moment, Rubio said about Clinton.
Rubio also looked to tie Clinton to her old boss President Barack Obama.
At the end of the day, what she is promising to do, to the extent we know, because shes not talking to the media, is to continue much of the presidents policies, Rubio said. This is not a time for status quo. We need reforms that will make us more globally competitive, that will equip our people with 21st century skills and that will strengthen Americas role in the world and assume the mantle of leadership again.
On Tuesday, Rubios team doubled down on their attacks on Clinton, stressing the idea that the Democrat, now 67, represents the past while the senator from Florida, who turns 44 next week, represents the future -- a theme Bill Clinton used successfully against then-President George H.W. Bush in the 1992 presidential election.
The next presidential election will be a generational choice about what sort of country we want to leave to our children and grandchildren, Rubios team emailed supporters on Tuesday.
Marco is the only candidate running that has a detailed plan for a New American Century. Hillary Clinton wants to take us back to yesterday. But as Marco said at his announcement: yesterday is over, and its not coming back.
America cant afford another eight years of the Clintons in the White House. And when voters compare Marco and Hillary Clinton side by side, we know theyll see that Marco is the best leader for the 21st century, Rubios team continued. Clinton wont talk about her record. Shes avoiding the media and their questions. In fact, on Sunday, Marco answered more questions in one interview than she has this entire campaign.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has been firing away at Rubio in recent days, trying to turn the argument around, insisting his foreign policy is a return to the past, specifically to when President George W. Bush sat in the White House.
While Rubio may try to paint himself as the foreign policy candidate with new ideas, at every turn hes either wrong on the facts or stuck in the past, the DNC insisted on Friday.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
