(Sioux Center) — Republican presidential candidate and Florida Senator Marco Rubio brought his campaign to northwest Iowa on a cold January Saturday evening. The reception he received was much warmer than the temperatures outside. Several times during the 20 minute address, the crowd of nearly 400 people applauded Rubio for his comments referencing family values, and the need to return to family values. Rubio informed the republican supporters that 2016 will be a “turning point” in America. He continued by saying President Obama has nearly destroyed everything that this nation believed in when the founding fathers created the Constitution. The young Florida Senator says President Obama has ignored the Constitution, undermines religious liberties, views the United States as an arrogant empire, which he has to constantly apologize for its actions. Rubio continued to say President Obama has cut the military to dangerous levels. Rubio says the federal government really has only one job, and “that is to protect its people and keep us safe from our enemies”.
Rubio reminded the Saturday evening gathering that in less than five years during Obama’s administration, the United States has the smallest army since World War II, the smallest Navy, and the smallest Air Force. Rubio pledged he would re-build our military forces. Rubio also said, if elected to president, he would take care of our veterans. “They took care of us and placed themselves on the front lines for this great nation, it is time we take better care of them”.
The 44 year old presidential candidate asked the crowd “are we going to stay on this road, or, choose another path?” The descendant of Cuban immigrants reminded the crowd that he was raised in a modest family as the son of a bar tender, and he knows what it is like to live from paycheck to paycheck. He asked the crowd, “how can Hillary (Hillary Rodham Clinton) lecture me?” The Florida Senator informed the gathering that when he is elected to president, on day one, he would repeal all of President Obama’s illegal executive orders, cancel the Iranian nuclear deal, and form a “Convention of States”. Rubio reassured the people that he wouldn’t go near the First or Second, or the Fifth Amendment. But he would advocate a balanced budget amendment. The Republican presidential candidate says he would ask the people to adopt a plan to have term limits for all elected officials, including House of Representatives and Senators. He also says the nation needs to place term limits for our judges. Rubio says he want to “fix our tax code”. Rubio reminded the people that all of the other Republican presidential candidates talk about repealing the Affordable Healthcare Act, known better as “Obamacare”, he is the only candidate that has successfully did something against “Obamacare”. Rubio says he was able to dismiss the “bailout fund” that was to help insurance companies that was a part of the Affordable Healthcare Act.
During his address, Rubio says he favors more vocational schools and suggests many people look at vocational schools as a viable option for training for career opportunities. Rubio says the cure to poverty is a good paying job, and he says there are many vocational careers that offer good paying jobs.
The Floridian says that he is the only republican candidate that can defeat Hillary Clinton. Rubio says she lied to America about her emails, she lied to America about the Libyan massacre on our ambassador and U-S troops.
When members of the audience had the opportunity to ask questions of the presidential candidate, the first question dealt with what is Rubio’s thoughts on the new policy with Cuba. Rubio’s parents were Cuban refugees when they fled the country when Fidel Castro obtained power in the Caribbean island nation. Rubio informed the crowd that the Cuban agreement was much like any other agreement President Obama and his administration have negotiated. He says “Cuba gets everything, and we (the United States) got nothing”. He told of how many billions of dollars were given to Cuba, but the Castro brothers refused to allow political prisoners to obtain their freedom and allow them to come to the United States. A second audience member seemed to challenge Rubio on his position regarding Edward Snowden. Rubio referred to Snowden as a traitor of the United States. Rubio was also asked about his likely appointments to the Supreme Court, if he is elected to be president. The Florida Senator was also asked about the wave of police brutality that is happening across the nation at many urban cities. Rubio responded by saying, there perhaps a few police officers that have crossed the line, but he was quick to stand up for the men and women of blue showing his support, saying the nation needs to thank our police officers for the thankless job they do each and every day.
Prior to Marco Rubio addressing the crowd, two of his supporters spoke to the gathering. South Dakota Republican Congresswoman Kristie Noem and Republican Colorado Senator Cory Gardner both explained why they have chosen to endorse Rubio for president.
