First published on www.politicker.com
Rising Republican star and Florida Senator Marco Rubio might have made up a dramatic story about his family immigrating to the U.S. to flee Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Documents indicate Mr. Rubio fabricated a compelling personal narrative to go with the other unique qualities that have earned him status as a top potential White House contender and prime Vice Presidential pick..
Documents obtained by the Washington Post show Mr. Rubio’s parents arrived in the United States on May 27, 1956. At the time, Mr. Castro was in Mexico plotting his revolutionary return to Cuba. Mr. Rubio has always said his parents arrived here after escaping Mr. Castro’s Communist revolution that took place in 1959. As the Washington Post notes, “the second sentence of the official biography on his Senate Web site … says that Mario and Oriales Rubio ‘came to America following Fidel Castro’s takeover.’” Mr. Rubio has often referred to the story of his parent’s departure from Cuba in speeches.
When the Washington Post asked Mr. Rubio about the documents, which included “naturalization papers and other official records,” his office modified his story to say the Rubios moved away from Cuba prior to Mr. Castro’s rise “with the intention of remaining permanently,” but after a trip home in 1961 it was “clear that Cuba was headed full speed toward Communism and they decided to return to the U.S.”
Since he won his Senate seat in 2010, Mr. Rubio’s name has regularly been thrown into the ring as a potential future Presidential nominee and an ideal Vice Presidential pick for this year’s race. At the Washington Ideas Forum last Wednesday, Mr. Rubio said he didn’t want to run for Vice President.
““I am not going to be the Vice Presidential nominee. … The answer is going to be no,” Mr. Rubio said.
These new revelations may keep Mr. Rubio permanently sidelined in the national political arena. With his youth, good looks, charisma, Hispanic heritage and conservative street cred, Mr. Rubio has been dubbed a “Republican Obama” by many observers.