The entire Morning Joe crew had some fun at the New York Times’ expense this morning as they hooted at its front-page, above-the-fold story on Marco Rubio’s personal finances. The article attempted to portray the Florida senator as an irresponsible, nouveau riche spendthrift for squandering money on a “luxury speedboat” — but the boat turned out to be the type of fishing boat many middle class Americans own.
Yesterday, Blake Hounshell of Politico tweeted out a picture of the model provided by the Rubio campaign, which immediately drew comparisons to the current secretary of state’s luxury yacht.
This is Marco Rubio’s ‘luxury speedboat’ http://t.co/XvMaUJo02m pic.twitter.com/FIWI29pm46
— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) June 9, 2015
@Matthops82@Hadas_Gold@GayPatriot “That’s cute…” – John Kerry pic.twitter.com/7ykVS3HMnQ
— Remie (@Canb0nly1) June 9, 2015
It wasn’t long before someone on Twitter produced a “Rubio Vice” send-up to show how Miami players like Rubio roll:
@JohnEkdahl pic.twitter.com/nQLCVp1TCa
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) June 10, 2015
“Oh my God! It’s a 240-foot yacht! Oh, wait a second, it’s a 24-foot fishing boat,” host Joe Scarborough laughed on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.
Blaze TV anchor Amy Holmes said, “the New York Times are discrediting themselves with the story as people who have never gone fishing. I mean, to call that boat a luxury speedboat is absurd.”
“No fisherman in America would call that a luxury fishing boat,” Scarborough pointed out. “That’s what you get to load your family up and go out fishing if you live in a place like – I don’t know – Miami?”
He added, “anyone who’s lived in Florida and bought a boat knows that you can buy it over — like twenty years!”
“I think candidates’ finances are fair game,” said co-host Willie Geist. “We do it to all candidates. But when you read through this, it feels a little bit like a reach.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H3GE2Pw9v8
Via the American Thinker, here is the NYT’s description of Rubio’s West Miami home:
Then, by the end of 2005, the Rubios completed the purchase of a new home, twice the size of their previous one, for $550,000. The house, among the more expensive in West Miami, stood out from the aging homes nearby: It includes an in-ground pool, a handsome brick driveway, meticulously manicured shrubs and oversize windows.
Bill Sanderson compared Rubio’s Florida “mansion” to the humble abode of another former senator, the former secretary of State, now Democrat frontrunner for president:
Left: Marco Rubio’s “mansion”. Right: Hillary’s “humble abode”. @starsrule25@TeamMarco#RubioSpendingSpreepic.twitter.com/dDhdPRfF3j
— Bill Sanderson (@mrgeology) June 10, 2015
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