Marco Rubio isn’t officially running for president — yet — but the Democratic National Committee is already attacking the Republican senator from Florida as he steps into the role as de-facto leader of the GOP this week.
The lawmaker, whom Time magazine last week called “The Republican Savior,” has been tapped to give the official GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union address.
Ahead of Rubio’s speech, the DNC on Monday is trotting out top surrogates to hold a conference call with reporters to discuss “the truth about the policies Senator Marco Rubio and the Republican Party are likely to offer as a response to President Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.” DNC chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Maryland Rep. Chris Van Hollen will participate in the call.
In a press release about the conference call, the Democrats say they will attempt to tie Rubio to the 2012 presidential ticket.
“Senator Marco Rubio is likely to endorse the same extreme budget priorities which were enshrined in the last two budgets offered by U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and which Republicans ran on last fall – priorities which include ending Medicare as we know it to protect tax breaks and loopholes for millionaires and billionaires,” the release states.
Added the Democrats: “What we are unlikely to hear from Senator Rubio are new ideas, solutions or a willingness to work with Democrats and the President to find a balanced approach to strengthening our economy and getting our fiscal house in order.”