Rubio's gambling money

House Speaker Marco Rubio has long opposed gambling, a stance that grew from spending six years of his childhood in Vegas. This week, the Miami Republican amplified his objection in an op-ed piece that took a subtle shot at Gov. Charlie Crist.

But a review of Rubio's recent campaign finance reports shows he has received money from the industry. During his 2006 re-election campaign, Rubio received the maximum $500 contribution from, among others, Calder Race Course, New Hollywood Greyhound Track, Palm Beach Kennel Club, and Hazel Park Harness Raceway. And the committee he formed to attain the speakership, Floridians for Conservative Leadership, got $2,500 from Calder Race Course in 2003.

Buzz asked Rubio about the disconnect. "My contributors buy into my agenda -- I don't buy into theirs," he said by way of e-mail. "I have consistently opposed gaming and they chose to contribute to my efforts nonetheless."

Comments

So the gaming industry gave money to a politician who opposes their views? That's their own stupidity. Why should Rubio turn it down?

4:58 - Why? Because he's supposed to believe in something other than getting a check. Guess he doesn't. Big surprise.

Well, Charlie took plenty of money from good conservative Republicans, and look at him.

do asd i say, not as i do ... just another hypocrital republican .... what's new

Rubio is just following the old Cuban tradition of taking money from gambling while professing opposition to it. Remember the scene in Godfather II with the Mafia in Cuba?

Speaking of Cuba, former Cuban dictator Batista would be proud of little Marco's Havana Nights fundraiser this weekend in Miami. Batista also used to make big businesses pay huge sums of money to operate in Cuba- just as Marco is doing for Florida. Maybe the telephone lobbyists will bring Marco a gold telephone too :)

And hopefully, it will pave his way to the Governor's mansion.

[Ron]

What a non-story. I gaurantee that these companies gave money to virtually every candidate running.

Godfather 2007 "HAVANA NIGHTS" featuring:
Marco Rubio as Vito Corleone
Ray Sansom as Michael Corleone
David Rivera as Luca Brasi
Dean Cannon as Tom Hagen
Ellyn Bogdanoff as Connie Corleone
Adam Hasner as Freddie Corleone

The premiere is this weekend in Miami- Tickets are only $100,000 for good seats and $50,000 for balcony.

Watch the GOP family make lobbyists offers they can't refuse.

Keep an eye on who is giving to Rep. Rivera's million dollar Miami blowout today. More than half the money is coming from gambling. Hypocrite.

Isn't Rivera on the gambling industry payroll? If this is true, I am sure that his buddy Rubio will be shocked, shocked, shocked, that Rivera is involved with gambling. Maybe Rubio will even remove Rivera from his powerful chairmanship?

Hahahahahahaha===hypocrites

Crist is the worst thing to happend to the Republican Party since Watergate. Let's not lose focus on this and make sure we conservatives do everything we can to get rid of him in 2010.

What a sorry answer - many candidates have declined contributions from entities they did not want to be associated with.

Didn't Charlie turn down FPL?

This guy really is Johnnie Byrd, and just like Byrd, I know Rubio's paid staffers will flood to his defense. But the similarities are scary.

Here is so more good "non-biased reporting" by the times. Non-Story, he took money, but still voted against sounds like he isnt on the take, which is good for us all.

Great story for Rubio. He took their money and it didn't influence him. I applaud him.

5:02, CC also took a lot of money from Trump, and it sadly didn't have the same effect.

6:35-- Didn't influence him? Does this explain why he let all the gambling bills move through committee and pass on the floor?

We also must remember that our 'anti-gambling' Speaker put one of the most pro-gambling members, Lopez Cantera, in charge of Business Regulation. Once again, he is trying to have it both ways.

6:35

the honorable thing would have been to give the money back - think of the story that could have been written instead of the one that is.

So Rubio takes money from the gambling industry, but votes against their bills and vows to block future gambling legislation, and that is a story.

Crist campaigns as the heir to Jeb Bush, but takes record numbers from the gambling industry, then he claims to oppose the expansion of gambling, but then he cowardly allows the largest expansion of gambling in a decade to become law without his signature, and that is not a story?

Crist is the worst thing to happen to the Republican Party since Watergate.

7:44, why should Rubio have given the money back? Giving it back would have been no more honorable than keeping it. They chose to support him in spite of his clear position regarding their industry. There is absolutely no argument for returning the money. Kudos to Rubio!

I can't help but notice the racial animosity that so many people are expressing against Rubio. It is clear that many liberals feel threatened by an hispanic with power. Obviously, you only like hispanics when they are "doing the jobs that Americans don't want to do." But my, oh my, how you detest them when they have the job that you want!

Batistas Grandson is the master of cerimonies..He s a conservative member of the FLORIDA SUPREME COURT.Before joining the court he haD TO WRITE a law that found torture to be constitutional..a page from Grampas book!!

What does this have to do with anything racial; sounds like a Fox-special: change the subject.

he takes their money and ensures their bills are through the process and votes against the bills. he is the ultimate politician. how many gambling bills made it to the governor when REAL conservatives were running the house?

God forgive me, but Rubio looks kinda hot in that picture.

Oh please 8:27 give the "race card" a rest...it is ABOUT TIME someone called BS on this hypocritical behavior. He uses the Bill Clinton playbook which is accuse your opponent of what you are guilty of...his top lieutitenant and best friend is on the payroll to expand gambling in Florida...so what do you think he is really trying to do?

Allowing the local VFM play bingo for money is not expanding gambling!

[Bill]

Just one word - sleeze

Just one word- hypocrisy

just one word - JEALOUS

The article fails to mention that people often give out of fear and in hopes that the relationship will not further deteriorate. It also fails to put these contibutions into context. How many millions has Rubio raised. A few checks from Gaming interests is insignificant. Charlie's guys are gonna have to do better than that. Catch him flying to Canada with Gulfstream and now you got a story. Say what u want but, comparing Rubio to Byrd is ridiculous!!! Thank god there's only one Byrd!!! Has the House put Byrd's picture back on the wall yet?

Isn't a better story why Charlie, who ran as a Jeb Bush Republican (who hates hambling) took all tht money and fundraiser after fundraiser from Donald Trump?

Oh, that's right. We expect sooo little from Charlie...

No. I think the word if FEAR.

Don't you Crist staffers have anything better to do than sit around posting on this blog?

Any word on who showed up at the Cuban Mafia (oops) GOP Havana Nights mandatory attendence fundraiser last night?

9:09, So just because he's Cuban, you assume he's in the mafia? Well, I guess when you can't debate him on the issues, the next best thing is attack his race, right?

I bet there was a lot of gambling and insurance industry checks delivered last night. Now Marco and Rivera will have to deliver- let PIP sunset in special session and have gambling proceeds fill the budget shortfall.We will all be soooo surprised when this happens.

You may not be able to buy Marco- but he is available for rent.

More money for the books, media appearances, and 100 ideas - more seats for the democrats

Which is more important to Marco 100 ideas of 100 thousand dineros? I think we now know

9:19
Cuban is a nationality not a race. (By the way, Marco was born in the US)Nice try at playing the race card though.

Charlie, get off the blog! You've got a State to run!

Rubio is so desperate to call attention to himself. He just can't stand that someone else is more powerful than him. Only 9 months to go and counting... maybe he could run for school board or dog catcher or somesing.

8:23

no argument for returning the money?! He claims to be anti-gambling. He took money from gambling interests. He could have made a huge statement in returning it. It would have made him a hero to his cause.

Instead, he makes a snide remark and cashes it in with the rest.

[Paul D. Harvill]

"But a review of Rubio's recent campaign finance reports shows he has received money from the industry...."
................................

None dare call it hypocritical?

Rubio is a featherweight. A young, ignorant fascist with his half-educated snout firmly implanted in the rectum of that horribly and fortunately ex Governor, the Connetticut bred forehead.

[Fitz]

Rubio is a puppet of the insurance industry and is working to kill PIP because he and his cronies Ellyn Bogdanoff and David Rivera are all puppets of United Auto and State Farm.

I wonder how much insurance money was delivered to Don Marco at the Havana Nights fundraiser in Miami?
If it was a lot, PIP is dead. You can BANK on it!

Rubio is going to make an excellent Governor!