Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
The Washington Post is known for its hard-hitting journalism against Democratic politicians. Who could forget, for instance, its first story on the Jeremiah Wright scandal, headlined "Congregation Defends Obama's Ex-Pastor; Criticism Seen as Attempt to Silence Voice of Black Church"? By comparison, the Post seems almost afraid to even talk about Republicans, as evidenced by the paltry 30-odd stories it ran when Virginia gubernatorial candidate George Allen invented a word that the Post just knew must be racist ... somehow.
And now, this. Post slugger Manuel Roig-Franzia has a story alleging that Florida junior Senator Marco Rubio has “embellished” the story of how his family left Cuba upon the dawn of Castro’s regime. You remember all those hard-hitting stories about Illinois' junior senator back in 2001, right? Right?
In any case, the story has already been debunked by the Miami Herald's Tallahassee bureau chief. He says that the Post fails to back up its assertions of embellishment with any facts:
But the top of the story suggests Rubio himself has given this "dramatic account:" that "he was the son of exiles, he told audiences, Cuban Americans forced off their beloved island after 'a thug,' Fidel Castro, took power."
However, the story doesn't cite one speech where Rubio actually said that.
To back up the lead, the Washington Post excerpts from a 2006 address in the Florida House where Rubio said “in January of 1959 a thug named Fidel Castro took power in Cuba and countless Cubans were forced to flee... Today your children and grandchildren are the secretary of commerce of the United States and multiple members of Congress...and soon, even speaker of the Florida House.”
The catch: If you listen to the speech, Rubio isn't just talking about those who specifically fled Cuba after Castro took power. He doesn't say that his parents fled Cuba. Instead, he was talking about "a community of exiles." That is: He was talking about all the Cubans who live in Miami.
But other than that, the story was accurate, I guess. And it's good to know that folks are very, very scared of Rubio, eh?
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Jun '10
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
Is there a recognition in the Post that all the refugee traffic between Cuba and the United States is one way?
Edited on October 21, 2011 at 4:39pmSep '10
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio is probably going to be the first non Black, minority President of the Unites States of America.
And he is an eloquent spokesman for conservatism. Maybe the best since Reagan.
And that scares the daylights out of the left.
Aug '11
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
What made me love Sarah Palin was seeing the worldwide press revile against her, before I even ever heard a word she said. This time I feel like I'm getting in on it early.
I liked Rubio before it was cool.
¡Viva Cuba libre!
Edited on October 21, 2011 at 5:00pmOct '10
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
What midnightgolfer said. I don't know all that much about Marco Rubio, but what little I've learned about him in the past has left me with a favorable impression. A proper Washington Post hit job makes me like him all that much more.
Dec '10
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
The only way to not like Rubio is to be a left wing hack. The guy is the complete package. He needs to be our VP this go round. The ship of state turns slowly, so if we can get the trajectory corrected over the next eight years Rubio will be primed to order full speed ahead once we're on the right course.
Jul '10
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
On the plus side, the Post's newspaper operations are losing money hand over fist and the circulation is in serious decline, if still averaging a bit over half a million. Jennifer Rubin is about the only plus I see over there.
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
So Pravda-on-the-Potomac is vying with Pravda-on-the-Hudson for prize that Ricochet should award each year to the newspaper that publishes the most dishonest story.
Jul '11
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
Sisyphus largely nails it. There's also Charles Krauthammer, the Sports page, and the TV Guide that comes on Sundays. Otherwise, be wary of the reporting.
Given the number of times the story used the word "macaca," it must have been required by the style manual. Once on the first page of the section, and once on the carryover page at least.
Sep '10
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
I hope the story was set in Times New Roman.
Dec '10
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
When will these yellow press hacks feel the pain of their prevarications?
Our Constitution puts forth a theory of power that the way to restrain its excesses consists of pitting the branches of government in competition against each other. The supplement to those first three articles is the Bill of Rights, but which of the Amendments forming it can compete with the 1st?
The scoundrel among our Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton, paid for his “journalistic defamation of Burr's character during the 1804 New York gubernatorial race in which Burr was a candidate.”
Before his own martyrdom, the legendary young Whig elected to the Illinois legislature published an inflammatory letter in a Springfield, Illinois, newspaper, and got the expected response.
Washington Post “Style” writer Manuel Roig-Franzia hides behind the same impunity that leads to Pulitzers like Duranty’s, for which burying the corpses of millions of victims of communism in silence is the pittance paid to truth in every ambitious professional hacks' journey to join fellow traveler useful idiots.
Whom is Manuel Roig-Franzia intimating he wants to befriend? He clearly states his preference to be in the dual company of Castro and Chávez than in Rubio’s.
Edited on October 21, 2011 at 6:33pmMar '11
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
You knew that the Dems were terrified of Rubio's becoming a national leader when they abandoned his Democratic opponent to support Charlie Crist in the 2010 Senate race. It was similar to what they did to Miguel Estrada, except it didn't work.
Jun '10
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
...and John Kerry's daughters no doubt told people that their father "earned," rather than "recieved" three Purple Hearts. They were mislead about the details too. It's not their fault.
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
~Paules: Is there a recognition in the Post that all the refugee traffic between Cuba and the United States is one way? · Oct 21 at 7:39am
Edited on Oct 21 at 07:39 am
In one sentence, Paules said everything that needs to be said. Brilliant.
Sep '10
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
Peter Robinson
~Paules: Is there a recognition in the Post that all the refugee traffic between Cuba and the United States is one way? · Oct 21 at 7:39am
Edited on Oct 21 at 07:39 am
In one sentence, Paules said everything that needs to be said. Brilliant. · Oct 21 at 10:29am
I'm shocked and appalled that you would give so little credit to the Dem's gift that keeps on giving -- Janet Reno -- for doing all she could to redress the imbalance.
May '10
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
Let's hope it ticks off Rubio enough to take the Veep slot after all.
Mar '11
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
In 2001, the junior Illinois Senator was Peter Fitzgerald(R). But, yeah, our esteemed media only seems interested in vetting one side.
They have to do something about Marco, because he's scaring them.
Aug '11
Re: Washington Post Invents Story about Marco Rubio
I sometimes wonder... if they haven't seemed to have felt it already, what with their huge losses, that they always blame on the internet, and never on their dishonesty or laziness... will they ever? The web and the recession actually seem to provide them with perpetual cover ¿Or are they only fooling themselves? (And maybe a hold-out advertiser or two.)
It would be interesting to see the amount of money spent on ads, by a company like GE, with its sweetheart tax deals, and cronies inside the beltway, and massive profits.