So begins Rubio's 100 year journey

Standing before the portrait that will hang in the House for a century, Speaker Marco Rubio displayed his charm, humor and self-styled passion for big ideas in a long, emotional farewell.

"I always wanted us to be focused on what people are taking about when they are at dinner," said the 36-year-old Miami Republican, the first Cuban-American to attain such power in the Legislature.

“I've always been motivated by the hope that I can be an advocate for what I believe is right to do. I leave here today with full peace in my heart because I know I have done my best, the best I can do, I have tried and done. I just hope it was good enough.”

But the most heartfelt moment came when Rubio told the story of his parents growing up poor in Cuba – his father sleeping on a bed made from wood crates, his mother playing with dolls fashioned from Coke bottles - and coming to America to raise a family that prospered while their own dreams went unfulfilled.

“What was that magic moment, when they decided 'You know what, it’s not going to happen for us. We’ve got to make it happen for them'? I picked up on that as a very young child.”

Rubio paused, crying.

“And to this day, to this very day, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t feel like I’m living three lives in one. Like I’m not trying to accomplish all the things they could not do. And it drives me in everything I do.

"I've been distracted almost my entire life by this obsession to do all the things they couldn’t to do. ... So if I look a little hyper or a little focused, governor,” he said look at sometimes adversary Gov. Charlie Crist in the front row, “and sometimes I drive a little too hard, I just want you to know what’s driving me. I want them to know that their lives mattered."

The houlong ceremony included speeches from some of Rubio's friends and colleagues.

Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami, recounted that how as a college student in 1996 he was visited by Rubio, who was then working on the Bob Dole campaign. "His energy and charisma were overwhelming," Lopez-Cantera said. "It was that day I decided to make politics part of my life."

Ray Sansom, the incoming speaker, noted Rubio's place in history, observing how his portrait will be hoisted onto the wall and slowly make its way around the chamber as new speakers are honored.

"It will take 100 years before Speaker Rubio ends up in the men's bathroom," Sansom joked. Shortly before pulling off the crimson-colored cloth covering the portrait, Sansom said, “I will always look up at that and I will smile because out of all the gifts you have, you have a way to make sure we have fun.”

By Alex Leary

Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio gets a hand bop from Florida Governor Charlie Crist during Rubio's  farewell speech on the floor of the House. It came after Rubio suggested lawmakers pass a bill next year mandating that every household have HDTV.  [All photos: Scott Keeler, Times]

Comments

That was an amazing speech. Obama's got nothing on this guy.

Charlie was there to take notes on how to be a leader and is right now praying to God that Rubio doesn't run against him

Rubio for Governor

Get off the blog Albert Martinez

what a great speech!!! what a great man for us to look up too.

I was in the gallary and thought it was an incredible speechl I agree w. 2:52, CC should be praying that Rubio doesn't run.
I will be the first to donate to his campaign.

I too was in the gallery. What an incedunle speech. It was better than any speech Crist has given. Why? Because it came from the heart, and was genuine. It wasn't the product of hours and hours of work by many staffers in a conference room.

Its time to start worrying, Mr. Crist. You came to the House chamber, and were made a fool of.

That should read "incredible" on the first line.

So, who was Marco's "special guest?"

[Donald Lance]

Actions speak louder than words! $265 million to a friend to run a convenience store? No vote for him anytime in the future!

I'm hoping this Rubio runs against Tanning Bed Charlie in 2010. I would be the first to volunteer on his campaign.

Wow, that WAS amazing; Rubio was able to finish the speech, run to his computer and post half a dozen times on this thread between 2:52 and 3:14

I have 100 ideas, and each one involves moving Marco's picture one step closer to the men's room.

Donald - argue the other side... that would be arguing changing the current way DOT procures the services... and tell us why and who would have benefitted had the change gone through, and which legislator has ties to that company...

you all absolutely have got to be kidding me. obama's got nothing on him? have you never *seen* obama speak? obama doesn't tend towards rambling, unnecessarily emotional (sob, sob, gasp) speeches which essentially offer oprah-esque confessions of self-deluded visions of grandeur. rubio, pruitt, along with empty-chair charlie have steered this poor state directly into the ground thanks to the morally bankrupt amendment one, this session has done nothing to remedy that, and they ought to be deeply ashamed, not happily congratulating themselves.

by the way -- nice job with the season tickets to the dolphins. rubio will be able to enjoy a little football from the box seats while regular floridian families struggle under his broken budget and shameful tax scheme.

HAHAHA. Nice to see Charlie's staff has found something to do with their time today. The more hate they post, the more scared of Marco they must be.

3:44

I assume you must not be liked enough by any of your friends to buy you a nice gift like that. From the bitter tone of your post, I can see why.

You mean Obama's eloquest speeches like the one Monday denouncing Wight. Lets see. "When I heard the comments, I was, umm, uhh, ummm, uh, uh, uh....disapointed" My mistake I forgot he was The JESUS to you libs.

u meen jeebus

[Disgusted Republican]

"Obama's newest attempt to save himself after Wright's latest poisonous performance is now declared the new final word on the subject. Therefore, any future ads linking Obama and Wright are preemptively declared out of bounds, illegitimate, indeed 'race-baiting' (a New York Times editorial, April 30). On what grounds? This 20-year association with Wright calls into question everything about Obama: his truthfulness in his serially adjusted stories of what he knew and when he knew it; his judgment in choosing as his mentor, pastor and great friend a man he just now realizes is a purveyor of racial hatred; and the central premise of his campaign, that he is the bringer of a 'new politics,' rising above the old Washington ways of expediency. It's hard to think of an act more blatantly expedient than renouncing Wright when his show, once done from the press club instead of the pulpit, could no longer be 'contextualized' as something whites could not understand and only Obama could explain in all its complexity. Turns out the Wright show was not that complex after all. Everyone understands it now. Even Obama" -- Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer.

[Donald Lance]

3:43. It's called an open bid process, whereby vendors offer to do the job for a specified amount of money. Why is it that the govt has to pay a vendor to do a job when it is the vendor who should be paying the state for the opportunity to make money? If I understand your argument, you are saying that govt should pay every business competitor to do a job that already exists. Which leads to my next point, why should the state pay anybody at all to service the toll road for gas, bottled water and fried chicken? Should those vendors not pay the state for the ability to turn a profit? When you go to a sports venue, do you think the govt gave those vendors Dollars or do you think those vendors gave money to make money? Why should the state pay the vendor when the vendor should pay the state?

Marco, you should drop in on the RPOF Hispanic Leadership Council forum next week. Greer never sent you an invite, but I'm sure it was an oversight...

Or, it could be the fact that you're a principled, real conservative and that your service and vision scares them out of their empty suits.

Donald, I don't disagree with you, but to say that Rubio gave $265 million to a friend, when in reality, the change proposed would have given a significant amount more to someone else's friend is less than honest...

yes, these folks should be paying the state for the priviledge... I know the prices they charge are more than burger king charges in the real world,...

[Donald Lance]

4:24. How do we know who the other "friends" are since it wasn't bidded out? How do we know somebody couldn't have done the job for 1/2 the amount? What's real about a process that awards people money where there is no competition? I don't know what the current vendor is raking in from the government. Maybe you could answer that question for me?

Marco's "friends" always get "special" treatment - it s the Republican way.

Donald, you bring to light the very problem with these blogs... there was a decision at some level to combine the concession and fuel contract... who and why? Most likely because someone was sold on the fact that the state could possibly save money. Hopefully there was a rational thought process applied and by the overal cost, this should have gone through the Council on Efficient Government, who would have done an indepth analysis so these questions were answered before going out to bid.

Without such an analysis, the status quo should prevail - espeecially on a contract of this size and given the requirements of review under the Council on Efficient Government. That being said... someone was trying to pull a fast one and combine the two without going through that process... now why was that process avoided? Maybe because the players already knew the answer.

Anywho, my comment was and frustration with other posters is that Rubio did this to benefit his friend... Relationships aside, Rubio was simply protecting the process set out in statute that created the Council on Efficient Government. For that simple reason, it should not be looked at as him looking out for a friend *although his friend is involved and most probably brought it to his attention*... but for him protecting the taxpayers.

Marco's "friends" always get "special" treatment - it is the Republican way.

It's great to be a good speaker, in the sense of talking well, but leading a large group of people, and not having them fall apart and fight among themselves so much, is quite a diferent thing. Charm is wonderful, but it sure isn't everything.

4:50

Could you post that again? I didn't agree the first time, but the second time almost changed my mind. Maybe third times a charm

Didn't anyone see Ralph?

What an incredible speech!

Marco Rubio has a bright, bright future ahead in the Republican Party.

Gov Crist could learn a lot from him.

He is a twit, and always will be a twit, bought and paid for by S. Florida special interests. Voters could learn a lot from him, and we will - in November.

Meanwhile -

Problem Solved!

Can't we all just get along? Does someone always have to be better than someone else? Cut the crap. Because of the debates between Marco and the Governor better legislation evolved. That's the way the process is suppossed to work. Wish there were not term limits so these small minded staff people didn't have so much power.

[Donald Lance]

4:50. "For that simple reason, it should not be looked at as him looking out for a friend *although his friend is involved and most probably brought it to his attention*... but for him protecting the taxpayers." Again, I ask, how is granting a no-bid contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars looking out for taxpayers? Again, answer the question as to how the current vendor's contract is structured if I am to believe it was not an insider award to benefit the politically connected? If you can't answer that, don't post!

7:10 Someday, after we've repealed all of the mean-spirited, heartless, destructive legislation sponsored by Jeb and GeorgeII and rammed down our throats by selfish ideologue GOP officials, this middle-class DEM will be willing to bury the hatchet. Providing they stop coming up with more of it in the meantime.

[F Bolanos]

See ya. Thanks for doing absolutely nothing for Floridians while you were in office.

Ding Dong the witch is dead. Good riddance Rubio. Yea, Rubio 2010... in the state pen!

That painting is Rubio's lasting "legacy".