On Monday, the Daily Beast reported that Rubio will be speaking on Sept. 17 to the John Hay Initiative, a new group of Republicans working on foreign policy.
The group was launched by former Romney aides after he lost to President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election. It supports a vigorous foreign policy and is named after John Hay, a politician and diplomat from the Gilded Age who rose from being Abraham Lincolns personal secretary to serve as secretary of state under William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. Romney and other prominent Republicans -- including former Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn., and former U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn.-- are affiliated with the group.
On Sunday, Rubio looked to put some distance between himself and two of his leading rivals for the Republican presidential nomination on foreign policy. Appearing on Face the Nation on CBS this past weekend, Rubio was asked by Bob Schieffer about his support for airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) forces in Syria and where the likes of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., stood on the matter.
Do you see also this changing, the outlook of those in your party?" Schieffer asked. I mean, we had Rand Paul, who seemed very reluctant, almost isolationist about his response, but then last week he said, "'If I had been in President Obama's shoes, I would have acted more decisively and strongly. I would have called Congress back into session, even during recess. We should have asked for authorization for military action. He would, no doubt, have received it. You also have Ted Cruz this morning saying, He should have reacted strongly and hit them hard in the very beginning. Are Republicans also kind of changing their outlook over this past week or so?
I hope so, Rubio answered. Reality in the real world has a way of doing that. And I think my biggest problem with this notion that we should disengage is it's never worked anywhere it's ever been tried. In fact it's been deeply counterproductive.
At the root of that argument, by the way, is the belief that all of these problems are created because of American engagement, Rubio added. "Now since my earliest days in the Senate and certainly with regard to IS for weeks now, I've been arguing that if we don't deal with them now, we are going to have to deal with them later anyway. And it's going to be harder to deal with them.
So the fact that there are now more voices actually echoing that, albeit weeks later, I think it's a positive development and certainly an example of how reality has set in when it comes to foreign policy and our national security, Rubio insisted.
Asked by Schieffer about his plans for 2016, Rubio said he would put off a decision until after the November elections.
You've been thinking obviously about whether to run for the Republican nomination in 2016, Schieffer said. Are you anywhere close to making a decision on that?
Well, you know, I'll have to make a decision in 2016 either way, because I'm up for re-election in the Senate and for me it's not going to be about the position, Rubio answered. It's going to be about where can I best advocate for a 21st century reform agenda that allows us to usher in another American century.
The decision I have to make is can I best do that as a senator or can I best do that as running and hopefully winning the presidency, Rubio added. And that is a question I'll have more clarity on after this midterm, because I can promise you this: the one place where I will not be able to do that from is a Senate that is still run by Harry Reid, that allows no votes on anything of substance or importance.
One reason the John Hay Initiative could be looking at Rubio is Romney backing away from a third bid for the presidency in 2016. Despite leaving the door slightly open before, Romney inched away from a third bid when he appeared on Fox News Sunday" this past weekend.
"Im not running, and Im not planning on running, Romney said.
Asked by host Chris Wallace if things could change, Romney didnt budge.
"Im not going to add to the story, Romney said. Ive had nothing new for you.
My time has come and gone, Romney added.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
