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Subscribe to RSSFreshman GOP Sen. Marco Rubio -- a rising star in the Republican Party -- has often invoked the story about his parents fleeing the Castro regime in Cuba.
But an investigative piece in the Washington Post notes that Rubio's parents came to the United States (and gained residency here) more than 2 1/2 years before Castro came to power in Cuba.
[A] review of documents - including naturalization papers and other official records - reveals that Rubio's dramatic account of his family saga embellishes the facts. The documents show that Rubio's parents came to the United States and were admitted for permanent residence more than 2½ years before Castro's forces overthrew the Cuban government and took power on New Year's Day 1959.
The Post adds:
Rubio’s office on Thursday confirmed that his parents arrived in the United States in 1956 but noted that “while they were prepared to live here permanently, they always held out the hope and the option of returning to Cuba if things improved.” They returned to Cuba several times after Castro came to power to “assess the situation with the hope of eventually moving back,” the office said in a statement.
Here are two TV ads (here and here) that Rubio aired during his 2010 Senate run highlighting that he was the son of exiles.
*** UPDATE *** Rubio has released this statement:
“To suggest my family’s story is embellished for political gain is outrageous. The dates I have given regarding my family’s history have always been based on my parents’ recollections of events that occurred over 55 years ago and which were relayed to me by them more than two decades after they happened. I was not made aware of the exact dates until very recently.
“What’s important is that the essential facts of my family’s story are completely accurate. My parents are from Cuba. After arriving in the United States, they had always hoped to one day return to Cuba if things improved and traveled there several times. In 1961, my mother and older siblings did in fact return to Cuba while my father stayed behind wrapping up the family’s matters in the U.S. After just a few weeks living there, she fully realized the true nature of the direction Castro was taking Cuba and returned to the United States one month later, never to return.
“They were exiled from the home country they tried to return to because they did not want to live under communism. That is an undisputed fact and to suggest otherwise is outrageous.”
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Who is surprised that a Tea bagger is not telling the truth! Integrity what is that a new pasta?
If the GOPs are really serious about nurturing minority superstars, they should get more people like Condi, who's beloved by world leaders like Gadaffi, Powell, whose UN speech inspired the Coalition of the Willing to help us rid of Saddam, Jindall, who inspired the entire nation with his rebuttal speech, C. Thomas, who behaved perfectly during years of court arguments, etc., then we might not have this kind of embarrassing situations. And I was hoping to see the slogan "Cain and Rubio, minority candidates for president and VP, perfect together".
Where is D. Trump when you need him?
I am a Florida voter and voted for Charley Christ. There is a large number of voters here that know what a sleaze Rubio really is. Right now he is angling for VP. He is a classic lying sack of crap politician.
I guess a Charlie Christ voter would know what sleaze is.
Same here. Nothing sleazy about Charlie - he's moderate and level headed. He's able to hold two separate viewpoints in his head at once without becoming confused. He's able to compromise and he's able to adjust his policies in accordance with the needs of Florida. He's responsive and flexible. He uses common sense.
Rubio is another right-wing teaparty tool that can do nothing more than spout party line and then lie about its acceptability to our citizens.
My only problem with Charlie is that he decided not to rerun for governor and left us under the incompetent thumb of the known fraud and confidence trickster, Batboy Rick Scott.
I guess we all underestimated the stupidity of Floridians.
Republicans are dishonest. It has been proven over and over. The Iraq war was a lie, andthey have continued since.
Marco - you got some 'splainin' to do. Did your parents know that their buddy Batista was heading downhill and that they got away while the getting was good?
Rubio is an embellishment. Give this man an enema and he weighs one pound.
With his parents making return trips to Cuba, Rubio sounds like an "anchor baby to me."
Where I come from, "embellishment" of this kind is regarded as "lying".
Does this really surprise anyone??? Marco is a living example of embellishment (he is a phony), and a blemish to humanity. Resign senator before you are voted out for the fraud you and your kind are.
It's like all of the dummies who fell for Bush's ranch story...bought it one year before the election...took lots of expensive trips to crawford and as soon as he left office bought a condo...ho conned the cons just like rube-eo...by the way where is his birth certificate?
Just another lying teapug politician. They seem to think that people won't investigate their claims.Ask any of those Cubans living here if they'd want to relocate to Cuba permanently. You won't see one raised hand. Enough of this nonsense from the Cuban community in S. Florida. Rubio will no doubt be caught in more lies before this is over.
This makes the news here, but dead silence when Obama, pushing his marxist healthcare plan, lied and said his dying mother didn't have health insurance when, in fact, she did. MessNBC is pathetic. No doubt Plouffe gives the go ahead on every piece here before it gets printed.
Marxist ? Man are you stupid.
Ho hum, another Washington Post hit piece on a major GOP figure.
Where's the follow up on the attack piece on Rick Perry's camp? What, no picture of the rock ?
The "drive by media" is a good description. Attack, and move on, facts be damned.
Just another case of the Left-wing media trying to dig up trash on possible opponents of their King Obama. Surprise me with an investigative story on a Democrat once in a while other than the obvious fools like Weinerman.
Would a story of Joe Lieberman's mental capacities for switch hitting with the GOPricks help you get over your angst with the "lame stream media" help your bruised sensitivity?
Note number 5....
ex·ile
[eg-zahyl, ek-sahyl] Show IPA noun, verb, -iled, -il·ing.
noun
1.
expulsion from one's native land by authoritative decree.
2.
the fact or state of such expulsion: to live in exile.
3.
a person banished from his or her native land.
4.
prolonged separation from one's country or home, as by force of circumstances: wartime exile.
5.
anyone separated from his or her country or home voluntarily or by force of circumstances.
Thanks for the definition....4 & 5 confirm Rubio's claims.........
Wrong!!!
You people have no idea what you're talking about including the guests on the show this morning....
In the discussion early today with Karen Finney she seems to also be embellishing and enjoying this Marco Rubio issue. It's almost as if she and others are thinking "Wow"..we really got something here to bring him down..
Cuban immigrants are to one extent or another "EXILED"...most that came prior to 1959 was because they saw what was coming (and by the way, there was already a dictator there) and decided to leave prior to that....Whether someone left before 1959 or after is IRRELEVANT. At some point you couldn't go back and if you did you were going to pay for it specially if you did not agree with CASTRO..
So this anti Rubio argument is not going to go anywhere and it amounts to "Yellow Journalism"......
This is a desperate attack by Democrats to try and tarnish someone that may very well be our president in the future......
Batista was aligned with the US.
Karlmax...(What a name!)........so what he was still a dictator......The point is that no matter what they try to dig up, his parents were exiles.......Who cares if they came before 1959...when they did try to go back they ended up having to leave the Country anyway..........
In the long wrong, this story will actually help Rubio and will backfire on whichever candidate will try to use it against him
RUBY JUST LIED - end of story spin-men
Lies!!! Bautista was aided and abetted by the U.S. When Castro took over Bautista fled to the U.S. himself.
More Left-wing BS funneled through one of its distributors (MSNBC).
I say lets vote all the Republicans OUT OF OFFICE, get rid of them once and for all then we can get something done for this country and for the 99%.
I say we VOTE ALL THE REPUBLICANS OUT OF OFFICE once and for all, then this Country can move on and get something done for the American People.
As a Floridian, I am less upset that he embellished his family history (who doesn't) than I am upset that he refuses to take up policies that are in accordance with his constituents desires. I sent him an email recently asking him to help pass the Jobs Act, and his rather long responses is that the majority of Americans don't want to raise taxes on the wealthy. So far, not in any poll I've read.
I'm also more upset that this blind, deaf and inexperienced young man ended up replacing Charlie Crist on the GOP ticket. Charlie was a moderate and long-serving clear mind and level head in Florida politics. Unfortunately, moderate and level-headed wasn't in fashion that year.
I do agree with you that instead of this family history business, people should focus on whether or not they think his policies have helped or not helped Florida........
I do agree that "Moderation" on both sides has disappeared......On the Right if you're moderate your labeled "A Leftist", on the Left if you're moderate you're labeled a "Neocon"......What both of these parties forget is that the 10-15% of independent moderate voters are the ones that determine elections.....
So then TheProfesr1 we all anxiously await the response from your fellow even keeled, peaceful, non- vitriolic, sensible comrades to NEVER mention a Democrats family business since you have decreed that it is wrong. Thank you for so bravely agreeing to stop the nonsensical trash talk that the Kock brothers pay you all.
Now when "Mr. Rubio" is making a speech, any speech, the audience should take a page form the GOP playbook and it's stooge Congressman Wilson and standup and yell "Liar"...Rubio, what a pompous lying ass, let's see how the GOP talking heads spin this one???....
As I have said many times - Any politition that comes out of Florida is either a liar, a crook or both! Watch him closely - he's not what he says he is!
yes!! he is a big fat liar. I did'nt know, give me a break. I want to see how did they get their MONEY,& are they collecting,social security,how much in FOOD STAMPS did they get. Rubio & West are two of a kind ,CRAP.
Someone throw a shoe at RUBY & WEST
Why did Mr Rubio bring his (inconsistent) personal story into his poltical campaigning? Doesn't that make you question his judgement?
The one thing that is good about this story is that it takes away media time from the Occupy Wallstreet activits...Between the brawl between Romney and Perry, the Kadhafi demise,and now this Rubio thing...I have not heard or seen anything on the OWS in a few days.......