Senator Marco Rubio is coming to New York on a Wall Street fund-raising trip after voting against the Hurricane Sandy aid bill, and U.S. Rep. Peter King is so offended by his “balls” that he’s now on a crusade to get potential donors to stop giving money to the fellow Republican. In the first of a series of interviews with various media Wednesday, King told The Observer’s Politicker: “It’s bad enough that these guys voted against it, that’s inexcusable enough. But to have the balls to come in and say, ‘We screwed you now make us president?’” He got more heated from there.
The Long Island representative, who had harsh words for his own party after a vote on the aid bill lagged in the House, also sent out an e-mail to his supporters, sharing a line with his Politicker interview: “Being from New York we’re not supposed to be suckers.” In an interview with the Daily News, he repeated his call to cut off funding to Republicans who voted against the aid bill, including Rubio: “They cast their vote against us, so I think we should vote no on them,” King told the paper. “Don’t give them a nickel!”
We all know King has a hell of a temper. But after John Boehner finally scheduled the House vote in January, he seemed relatively conciliatory. After a conversation with John Boehner, who he had originally blamed for delaying the vote, King said: “Whether we agree or disagree, obviously we made our position clear,” he said. “That’s in the past.” But for people who wound up voting against the aid bill, including Rubio, the grudge is still very present.
