Rubio’s Not So Compelling Family History

-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger

It’s time once again for a history lesson, coming to you courtesy of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida). The questions are: when did Fidel Castro come to power and when did Rubio’s parents come to America? According to Rubio’s official bio, his parents “came to America following Fidel Castro’s takeover” of Cuba. Rubio used that compelling story to shape his political persona. Rubio would tell audiences that he was the “son of exiles” who fled their beloved homeland after “a thug” took power.

Documents, including naturalization papers and other official records, show that Rubio’s parents arrived in the United States on May 27, 1956, more than two-and-a-half years before Castro came to power in early January, 1959.

What does a politician do when his carefully crafted political persona is in jeopardy? He throws his parents under the bus by claiming that he’s “going off the oral history of my family.” It was his family members that misled him. However true, it’s not a classy way to treat your parents.

It now appears that Rubio’s parents choose to immigrate to the United States for a better life, not because they were fleeing persecution or tyranny. Boring!

Here’s the ironic part: Rubio was born in 1971, but his parents didn’t become citizens until 1975. According to birthers, Rubio is not a natural born citizen and not qualified to be President or Vice President. It has been argued that:

A natural born Citizen of the United States is one born in the United States to two U.S. Citizens who were Citizens of the United States either by birth or naturalization at the time of the birth of the child.

According to birther logic, Rubio was born with dual allegiances. Has the responsible gene for that affliction been found?

H/T: Kevin Drum, Stephanie Mencimer, Steve Benen, Steve Benen, WaPo.