Major Florida newspaper accuses Marco Rubio of defrauding voters, demands he resign

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) lets down former supporters
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

After recently coming under fire for holding the worst attendance record in the Senate, Sen. Marco Rubio is now facing blistering criticism from the very newspaper that endorsed him for the seat five years ago. The Sun Sentinel, a major Florida paper in the southern part of the state, accused the Republican presidential hopeful of "ripping us off" in a scathing editorial, The New York Times reports.

Rubio has missed more votes than any other senator this year. His seat is regularly empty for floor votes, committee meetings, and intelligence briefings. He says he's MIA from his J-O-B because he finds it frustrating and wants to be president, instead."I'm not missing votes because I'm on vacation," he told CNN on Sunday. "I'm running for president so that the votes they take in the Senate are actually meaningful again."Sorry, senator, but Floridians sent you to Washington to do a job. We've got serious problems with clogged highways, eroding beaches, flat Social Security checks, and people who want to shut down the government.If you hate your job, senator, follow the honorable lead of House Speaker John Boehner and resign it. [The Sun Sentinel]

Rubio has missed a third of his votes this year, a fact that has not escaped his enemies on the campaign trail. In defense, Rubio has responded that, "When I miss a vote, it's not because I'm out playing golf. We're out campaigning for the future of America, where I believe I can make more of a difference as president than I could as a senator."

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.