Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., makes remarks during a town hall event Monday in Ottumwa, Iowa. He criticized Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., for his political leanings, comparing his ideas to socialism seen in Scandinavian countries. Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI |
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BETTENDORF, Iowa, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., commenting on Bernie Sanders' ideas about the economy, said voters would have "a very straightforward choice" if the Vermont senator garnered the Democratic presidential nomination.
At a campaign stop in Bettendorf, Iowa, on Monday, Rubio was asked what he thought of Sanders. He responded by telling the roughly 500 supporters present to research the economies of Scandinavian countries, which are perceived to be socialist. This was a reference to Sanders' self-professed democratic socialism.
Rubio called the type of government Sanders seeks to create "corporatism," where the government runs the country. Should the Democratic senator win the nomination, Rubio said he would beat Sanders in the election.
"I'm very confident in how the American people will choose," Rubio said. "Absolutely, 100 percent."
Rubio suggested Sanders should run for president of Norway instead of the United States.
Jeff Weaver, Sanders' national campaign director, told The Des Moines Register that Rubio's comments indicate he feels threatened by Sanders' rise in the polls.
"Bernie Sanders is working to create an economy that works for everybody, not just the few at the top who support candidates like Sen. Rubio. It is time to end the system of crony-capitalism that candidates like Sen. Rubio promote," Weaver said.
Sanders was not the only one to draw fire from the Florida senator. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a frequent target for Rubio and other GOP candidates, earned strong condemnation as well.
"She's disqualified from being commander in chief. Anyone who lied about Benghazi to the families of those victims cannot be the commander in chief," Rubio said, referring to the terrorist attacks on the American embassy in Benghazi, Libya, that left four people dead in 2012.
The accusation that Clinton is disqualified from being president is one that Rubio has often repeated, and even put on campaign bumper stickers.
He went on to accuse Clinton of being out of touch with average Americans.
"I want to see how Hillary Clinton is going to lecture me on student loans. I had a student loan. Like, three years ago, I had a student loan. Over a $100,000 student loan, and I paid it off," he said. "Democrats love to talk about people living paycheck to paycheck. Guess what, I grew up paycheck to paycheck."
The Dispatch-Argus reported Rubio also doubled down on attacks against President Barack Obama he made during the most recent GOP presidential debate.
"In the face of all these threats, you would think America is growing stronger to confront them. Instead, we have a president who is gutting our military," Rubio said. "When I am president of the United States, if Congress tries to cut the military, I will veto that bill in a millisecond."
According to RealClear Politics' polling averages, Rubio is in third place nationally and slipping among Republicans. Once neck-and-neck with second-place candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Rubio's national average is down to 11 percent. He leads Cruz slightly in New Hampshire, but remains in the second-place slot in Iowa.
