Rubio's Double-Cross of Jeb Bush

 Good for Rubio, Bad for America
Sharply updated: Saturday, October 31st

      There was a vote in the U. S. Senate yesterday -- Friday, October 30th -- and Senator Marco Rubio actually showed up and voted!! His hometown newspaper -- The South Florida Sun-Sentinel -- had chastised him for "ripping off" his Miami constituents and suggested he should "resign." Rubio didn't plan to vote Friday because he was too busy campaigning for President and fund-raising. But he changed his mind and actually flew to Washington to vote, which is his highly paid job! Letters-to-the-Editors in the Sun-Sentinel, Miami News, and the Miami Herald have berated Rubio for such things as "favoring Israel over the people who sent you to the Senate!" A Rubio as President, many feel, would "rip off" the United States and not just Miami.

       The fawning U. S. media is claiming that Rubio's canned verbal assault on his mentor, Jeb Bush, in this week's Republican debate in Colorado will catapult the first-term Senator from Miami into the White House. Uhhh, maybe. But...maybe not!

     Jeb Bush has shocked the political establishment by relinquishing his once taken-for-granted dominance of the Republican presidential campaign. He now seems unable to fathom what he, his powerful family, and the top echelon of the Republican party consider Marco Rubio's double-cross. The media might be right; it might propel Rubio to the White House. But it also might be Rubio's biggest mistake. A longtime key Jeb supporter, a Cuban-American in Miami, this weekend stated: "When the media smoke from Colorado clears, Rubio will be back begging for Jeb's help. Marco was a very poor high school student. He wasn't much better in college. At age 26, and you can look it up, he decided to use his Cubanism to get into politics in Miami and Florida. The very first cash donation he got was a $50 dollar check from Jeb Bush. Marco still shows off a copy of that check. What he forgot in Colorado this week was this: the Bush family still dominates the Republican Party and Marco is a Republican. As a Cuban-American, Marco should remember first off that he is an American. He flies off to Israel with his biggest money-backers. Just two Jewish billionaires -- Norman Braman and Sheldon Adelson -- are worth over $40 billion and they alone say they can put Marco in the White House. Marco says the first trip he will take on Air Force One is to Israel. It should be to Miami, where Jeb and others gave him his start and where there are a lot of people who need both help and representation. As Commander-in-Chief it appears Marco's first task would be to recapture Cuba while, maybe, he should admit that most Cuban-Americans in Miami disapprove of his Cuban vitriol, which mostly harms innocent Cubans. Maybe, as the newsmen are saying, Jeb doesn't want the presidency bad enough. But it is for sure that Marco wants it too much. That, even from a Miami perspective, is dangerous for the future of America."

        Meanwhile, Rubio and his staff this weekend are bragging about a fresh tsunami of donated cash and about the suspected boost in the polls. He has the powerful support of Tea Party zealots, a cluster of Jewish billionaires, most of the mainstream media, the influential Fox News operation, and even the support of my favorite sister-in-law who likes "his looks." I asked her if she knew where he was from? She replied, "Uh, Minnesota...I think." I didn't ask her anything else. Rubio, in addition to these aforementioned assets, has a scripted stump speech and scripted, memorized retorts to tough questions, such as his disdain for the Senate and his highly questionable financial background. But he is not nearly as smart at Ted Cruz, the other first-term Cuban-American Republican Senator running for president. Also, Cruz, unlike Rubio, is a brilliant debater and extemporaneous speaker...although Cruz is too far to the right to win the Republican nomination that would be available to a better-directed and better-intentioned, and less vain, Rubio. However, if Rubio can win the Republican nomination for President while going to war with the Bush dynasty, then going to war against ISIS, Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, China, etc. -- once he reaches the White House -- should be a veritable piece of cake!! Yikes!!!     

               On October 22nd, the New York Times had a pertinent article regarding U. S. diplomat Roberta Jacobson that explained how a couple of Cuban-Americans politicians...Senators, actually...from Miami and New Jersey can harm America without any fear of ever being held accountable. {Photo courtesy: Cliff Owen/Associated Press}. The Editorial began with these three paragraphs that Americans should heed:

               "Washington's relationship with Mexico is one of its most important and at the moment one of its thorniest. Yet, the American diplomat who was nominated to serve as ambassador to Mexico in June has yet to be confirmed by the Senate to take up the post.
                 "The reasons for that have nothing to do with the qualifications of the nominee, Roberta Jacobson, a veteran State Department official who runs the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
                "Ms. Jacobson played a leading role in re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. This has greatly annoyed two influential Cuban-American senators, Marco Rubio of Florida and Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who want to keep America's policy toward Cuba stuck in a Cold War mentality. And under the Senate's opaque confirmation process, all it takes to sink the nomination of a qualified public servant is one or two people with a grievance."

       Senator Marco Rubio from Miami and Senator Robert Menendez from New Jersey have a free reign in the U. S. Congress to stuff their Cuban bias down the throats of Americans without fear of being held accountable by pusillanimous or passive American voters and taxpayers. Each October in a UN vote the nations of the world, as they did yet again on Tuesday of this week, resoundingly denounce such behavior but propagandized Americans have been properly schooled to dismiss it. The aforementioned New York Times editorial on October 22nd dealt with "the pettiness" of Rubio and Menendez in blocking the confirmation of the brilliant U. S. diplomat, Roberta Jacobson, and keeping her from taking up her important assignment as Ambassador to Mexico. WHY? Because Jacobson brilliantly and decently represented the U. S. in the diplomatic sessions that helped ease the punitive U. S. relations with Cuba, so punitive and illegal under international law that all 191 nations, including America's best friends in the world, powerfully voted to support Cuba and denounce the U. S. in the UN this week. {The vote was 191-to-2 with only dependent Israel siding with the U. S.}. So, in addition to stuffing their Cuban vendettas down the throats of Americans, Senators Rubio and Menendez seem to care not a bit that their Cuban bias, in the eyes of the world, makes the U. S. more resemble a cruel Banana Republic than a decent democracy.

      This photo shows Senators Rubio and Menendez flanking Yoani Sanchez, Cuba's most famed dissident. This image points out two things: {1} Cuba is trying real hard to get past the Cold War animosity that has shaped U.S.-Cuban relations since the U. S. teamed with the Mafia to support the brutal Batista dictatorship in Cuba in 1952; after the Cuban Revolution overthrew the Batista dictatorship in 1959, Cuba did not expect the Batistianos to quickly reconstitute their regime on U. S. soil, not even in the two Mafia-havens of Miami and New Jersey. One indication that Cuba is looking to a more peaceful future is the fact that it allows its most famous dissident, Yoani Sanchez, to fly to Miami, Washington, etc., to gain sustenance, or whatever, and then return to Cuba where her anti-Castro literary endeavors become better funded and better promoted for her worldwide anti-Castro market. In Cuba as well as the U.S. the lush Castro Industry thrives. In Miami and Washington especially, Sanchez is treated like a superstar as well as the Queen and First Lady of Cuba. Meanwhile, {2} Cuban-American members of Congress insist on punishing 11 million Cubans on the island with such abominations as the embargo that was begun way back in 1962 for the stated purpose of starving and depriving Cubans to induce them to rise up and overthrow the now 89-year-old and un-thrown Fidel Castro. Additionally, everyday Americans are unconscionably punished by not having the freedom to visit one place on this planet -- Cuba. That, apparently, is so Cuban-Americans like Rubio and Menendez can control the Cuban narrative in the U. S. and, if Americans could freely visit the nearby island, they...heavens forbid!!...might form their own opinions. That, if it became a reality, might cut sharply into the wealth and power of America's very lucrative Castro Industry, which is powered by a handful of Cuban-Americans and enabled/legalized by the malleable, lobbyist-infested United States Congress.

        The New York Times editorial excoriating Senators Marco Rubio and Robert Mendendez for blocking the badly needed Ambassadorship to Mexico of the highly qualified Roberta Jacobson was dated October 22, 2015, in case you missed it. It is one of the endless stream of anti-American ploys perpetrated by Cuban-American members of the U. S. Congress from Miami and New Jersey to shove their Cuban bias down the throats of Americans, democracy, and America's best friends all around the world.

        The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is the best and most respected newspaper in South Florida. On October 23rd -- the day after the NY Times editorial slammed Rubio and Menendez -- the Sun-Sentinel published a long, scathing editorial expressing its frustration about the "criminal" activity of Cuban-American politicians in South Florida, nefarious efforts that adversely affect not only the citizens of South Florida but also sharply impacts all Americans. The Sun-Sentinel editorial seemed mostly intent on castigating South Florida's contemptuous contributions to the U. S. Congress. For example, it deeply excoriated what it called {exact words}: "A revolving-door criminal pipeline enabled by our nation's unique immigration policy for Cubans." Later, in another even more graphic editorial, the Sun-Sentinel -- on Marco Rubio's home soil -- strongly suggested that "Marco Rubio should resign" and "and stop ripping us off."

      Yes, the The South Florida Sun-Sentinel was talking about this Marco Rubio. The powerful paper in his own backyard wants him to "resign" from the U. S. Senate because the paper's Editorial Board believes he is "ripping us off." Rubio reached the hallowed halls of the U. S. Senate four years ago because {1} he is a Cuban-American from Miami; {2} he latched onto the coattails of Jeb Bush and the entire Bush dynasty; and {3} he latched onto the right-wing coattails of the Tea Party. Except for vowing to shutdown the U. S. government if he didn't get his way, and vowing to block or turn back every positive overture President Obama makes regarding Cuba, Rubio has accomplished nothing in the Senate. His main venture was sponsorship of an immigration bill that famously tanked. By his own admission, Rubio finds his highly lucrative and powerful position in the U. S. Senate boring. He hit the Senate running breathlessly for President of the U. S. Of the 100 Senators, he has by far the worst record for even showing up to vote. He's too busy campaigning for President and begging America's Jewish, right-wing, and conservative billionaires for money to fill his campaign coffers and Super-PACs. Meanwhile, even perfunctory research reveals an astonishing history of financial irregularities associated with Rubio -- credit cards, personal use of campaign funds, real estate deals including the purchase of houses with no down payments and the weird purchase of a house in Tallahassee with a controversial politician as his partner, etc. The NY Times devoted a famous article delineating some of Rubio's questionable financial dealings. The next morning one of his acolytes -- MSNBC anchor Joe Scarborough on his politically influential "Morning Joe" program -- held up that NY Times and loudly proclaimed, "This will get Rubio elected President!"  Scarborough, a multi-million-dollar anchor and former conservative Republican member of the U. S. Congress from Florida, is typical of the Teflon-coated treatment Rubio gets and will continue to get in the media. He made it all the way to the U. S. Senate with his bio claiming his parents escaped the Castro tyranny in Cuba for the freedom of Miami. That obligatory lie prevailed till...uh...it was pointed out that Rubio's parents escaped the Batista tyranny in Cuba long before Castro took over. Rubio's primary stump speech and campaign retorts stress his "rags to riches story." He never fails to point out that his Cuban father in Miami was a barkeeper and his Cuban mother in Miami was a hotel maid. Of course, what he conveniently fails to mention is the sheer fact that being Cuban or Cuban-American in Miami affords him privileges that non-Cubans or non-Cuban-Americans do not have. That has resulted from startling anti-democratic laws in the U. S. Congress designed to enrich and empower Cubans, and only Cubans, who touch or have touched U. S. soil. When his hometown newspaper, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, suggested that Rubio "resign" from the Senate and "stop ripping off" his constituents in South Florida, the paper's editorial correctly mentioned the "revolving-door criminal pipeline" from Miami-to-Washington and then from Washington-back-to-Miami. Of course, there is now a legion of volatile and highly paid Rubio pundits/propagandists who will successfully make lemonade out of Rubio's lemons, and Americans will be expected to drink every drop of it.

          In 1989 Jeb Bush put a very lucrative halo around the head of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. She was one of Miami's most visceral Cuban-born anti-Castro zealots. Jeb was her Campaign Manager. He and the Bush dynasty put Ros-Lehtinen in the U. S. Congress in 1989...where she remains entrenched to this day. It was Jeb's way of laying down his political roots in Florida, leading to his two terms as Florida's Governor. Since 1989 every Miami Cuban-American who has made it to the U. S. Congress has been attached to the Bush dynasty. That includes Ros-Lehtinen, the Diaz-Balart brothers Lincoln and Mario {whose father was a key Minister in the Batista dictatorship}, and...Marco Rubio, the man who is double-crossing Jeb Bush.

         Marco Rubio was hand-picked for the U. S. Senate by his dear friend and mentor Jeb Bush. Jeb, because of the immense financial clout of the Bush dynasty in a money-crazed political system, was the presumptive easy victor in the Republican presidential sweepstakes. As President, Jeb would have given Rubio whatever position he wanted -- Secretary of Defense or State, etc. And after Jeb's one or two terms as President, the Bush machine would have promoted a still-young Rubio as President. But things have changed drastically. The young, ambitious, and vain Rubio has roundly double-crossed his mentor, Jeb.

           This is now the photo that best depicts the Marco Rubio-Jeb Bush relationship. They are enemies, estranged, etc., regardless of what their high-priced publicists say. Jeb is flummoxed and unforgiving over the betrayal of being double-crossed by Rubio. Having said all this, if you bear with me, I will herewith tell you how the Jeb-Rubio spat will evolve and, moreover, I'll tell you who will end up as the Republican presidential candidate in 2016. And, oh yes, I will even divulge HOW I know IF you keep it a secret.

        Josefina Vidal is Cuba's Minister of North American Affairs. Readers of this Cubaninsider blog may recall that many months ago I published an essay in which I revealed that Vidal had told close friends visiting Cuba from Spain: "I am working hard as I can, with the concurrence of Presidents Castro and Obama, to normalize relations with Cuba. We can and will attain a lot but only because of Obama and even with him Congress can block most of it, and roll back much of what we achieve. We are, as you may know, making a lot of changes in order to keep Cuba as safe as possible and as sovereign as possible. Normalization of relations with the U. S. is best for Cuba and will occupy me forever. But I am also focused on post-Obama...what will follow him as U. S. President and, just as important to us, the U. S. Commander-in-Chief. In that regard, I am preparing for what will be the Marco Rubio presidency in the United States beginning in January of 2017. That's how it will be. If we are not prepared for that eventuality, Rubio, our demise will be our fault."

         When Josefina Vidal had that visit from her Spanish friends, Rubio's poll numbers were at a dismal 4%. If, at the time, any human other than Vidal had predicted a Rubio presidency in 2017 I would have laughed out loud. But not at Vidal. Not when the topic is the United States. So, you may recall, months ago when I got that inside info from a reliable source, I wrote a long essay about it on Cubaninsider explaining my belief in Vidal's prediction. Vidal's knowledge of U.S-Cuban relations is nonpareil. The ubiquitous pundits on cable television in the U. S. are not even close. Since the year 2000 her uncanny assessment of the U. S. government and U. S. politics has been Cuba's greatest asset. Cuba survived the George H. W. Bush one-term Presidency because of sheer luck. Cuba survived the George W. Bush two-term Presidency because of Josefina Vidal. Going forward past President Obama, if Cuba is to survive and sustain its sovereignty, it will be because of Josefina Vidal. If Cuba is allowed to prosper in the next decade, it will be because of her. She is that unique. That special. That talented. And, mostly, she is pure Cuban!

         The United States has a plethora of advantages over Cuba. But it does not have a diplomat or a politician that can either out-smart or out-maneuver Josefina Vidal. So, in the ongoing David vs. Goliath tussle, she makes it sort of even. When she said months ago that she was "preparing for" Rubio to be the next U. S. president, no one really believed her. Some do now. More will later. Speaking in Spanish or English, either on Cuban soil or U. S. soil, Vidal never backs down when it comes to defending Cuba. No one intimidates her. Months ago, her Spanish friends had never heard of Marco Rubio. She explained who he was/is. One of her Spanish friends then marveled, "We over in Spain think about the moneybags, Bush or Clinton. But Rubio? What would that mean?" Quickly and sternly, Vidal retorted, "It would mean that the Batistianos had captured the U. S. government BEFORE they recaptured the Cuban government!"

America and Jeb Bush may not be ready for a Rubio presidency,

But.........

Josefina Vidal is!!

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