The Marco Rubio Gay Smear: Coming Soon To SC

IS IT TRUE? DOES IT MATTER? WHO IS PUSHING IT?

In early December, this website caused a furor when it reported on rumors regarding the imminent detonation of a “mistress bomb” involving U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida.

Multiple national media outlets chased this report – which reportedly revolved around a “lobbyist whose alleged proximity to Rubio was discovered during a deep dive into the candidate’s disastrous personal finances.”

A funny thing happened next, though …

Nothing.

Seriously … not a peep.

So … what happened?

According to an operative familiar with the planned detonation, it never took place because “the Rubio problem (was) taking care of itself at the moment.”

At the time the “mistress bomb” was being assembled for detonation, Rubio was steadily climbing in the polls – rising from nine percent to nearly 15 percent in the span of a little over a month, according to aggregate national polling data from RealClearPolitics.  That’s hardly meteoric, but this workmanlike gain occurred at a time when Jeb Bush and other favorites of the “Republican” establishment were seeing their support continue to erode.

In an environment dominated by Donald Trump and anti-establishment populism, Rubio was bucking the trend – at least among the portion of the electorate he was (is) competing for – and he seemed likely to gain additional traction.

Or not …

Just as the “mistress bomb” rumors were beginning to circulate, Rubio’s mojo started to fade.  It wasn’t because of the rumors – which never broke in wide circulation – it was just the end of that particular stretch of momentum for the candidate.  In early December Rubio’s numbers ticked down – and then stalled.  He didn’t collapse in the style of Ben Carson – the retired neurosurgeon who was punked hard earlier this week in Iowa – he just leveled off.

From his 14.8 percent early December peak, Rubio slid slowly to 10 percent by the end of January in the same aggregate national polls.  As a result, a decision was apparently made – somewhere, by someone – not to leak specific confirmation related to the “mistress” bomb.

Until now …

On the heels of Rubio’s better-than-expected showing in early-voting Iowa, the “mistress bomb” rumors are back – with a vengeance.  And with a rough-and-tumble “First in the South” presidential primary – a knife fight disguised as an election – looming on the horizon, we don’t see any situation in which the dirt doesn’t get dished this time.

Especially if Bush – whose South Carolina minions have a well-established reputation for savagery – stays in the race (and all indications are that he will).

But while the national press corps braces for the “mistress bomb” – for real this time – a far less sophisticated, but far more salacious, leak is taking shape.

We’re referring to the numerous “Rubio is Gay” reports that have been circulating on various political websites in recent days (one example of which you can read about here).  These reports rely heavily on a story published by The Washington Post two weeks ago … one recalling Rubio’s May 1990 arrest (at the age of 18) in a “crime-plagued public park” in Miami.

The Post described this “previously unreported misdemeanor” at a park noted for “gang warfare, gunfire, prostitution (straight and gay), drug dealing and muggings” in some detail …

A full account of what led to Rubio’s arrest and the dismissal of the charge are not included in available public records. The court file has been destroyed, according to Miami-Dade County court clerk’s records.

According to the Miami police incident report, a police officer arrived at the park at 9:47 p.m., 10 minutes after being dispatched. The report notes that Rubio and two other teenagers were inside the park after hours. In a recent interview, Angel Barrios — one of the men arrested with Rubio — said they were sitting in a car when they were approached by an officer.

“We were there just hanging out,” said Barrios, who owns several coin-operated laundries in the Miami area.

Barrios said he could not recall why they went to the park that night.

“We never even used to go to that area,” he said. “That might have been the first time I went there.”

Barrios was one year behind Rubio at South Miami High School. When they were in school together, Barrios said, Rubio and his other friends “were just messing around and partying …”

If you read the various “Rubio is Gay” links, this is where the editors cut the quote.  Worth noting, though?  Angel Barrios‘ full quote to the Post said that in addition to “messing around and partying” he and Rubio were “trying to get pretty girls.”

So … who is Barrios?

That leads us to the next curios component of the “Rubio is Gay” rumor …

The Washington Post neglected to include in its report that a company owned by Barrios was sued for housing a gay pornography studio in one of its properties.  Was this just a convenient omission?  Or something more sinister?

We know some D.C. establishment media outlets are in the tank for Rubio … is the Post one of them?

Last week, The Miami New Times added more detail on this lawsuit – apparently in an effort to debunk the “Rubio is Gay” rumors (and pin the blame for them on Trump supporters).

From their report (published a week after the Post story ran) …

Decades after his legal run-in with Rubio, Barrios was associated with perhaps the most notorious gay porn ring in Miami history, an Edgewater house full of models with names like “Khali Kreme” and “Sincere Luv” who had sex all day in front of dozens of webcams. Couple that with the fact that the park where Rubio was arrested was a well-known gay cruising spot and lurid rumors – with no basis in documented fact – have blown up all this week on the internet, eagerly stoked by Donald Trump supporters casting Rubio as a closeted homosexual.

Interesting …

The paper also included this quote from Barrios himself …

“I have nothing against gay people, but this is just so far from the truth,” says Barrios, who laughs out loud at the idea of having had a sexual relationship with Rubio. “I have kids, and now they’re reading all this garbage online. It’s insane.”

Finally, the “Rubio is Gay” rumor relies on an image depicting a man alleged to be Rubio attending a 1995 “foam party” in the Warsaw Ballroom – a gay night club located in South Beach, Florida.

Take a look …

“Marco Rubio was, as a high school and college student, known to be a very extroverted homosexual in both South Beach in Miami, a popular gay area, and at college in Gainesville, Florida,” reported Wayne Madsen, citing “Republican insiders.”

Obviously the face in this image is so obscured, it could be anybody … but if you have any doubt as to the extent to which this image is being spread in support of the narrative, Google “Rubio Foam Party.”

It’s everywhere …

Okay … now that we’ve seen the “evidence” (high-heeled men’s booties notwithstanding) let’s turn to the many, many questions raised by these rumors.

Among them … is Rubio gay? Did he have affairs (gay or straight)?  Can any of those alleged affairs be proven?  And how would proof (or something close enough to it) impact the 2016 race?  

Also, from a purely “First in the South” Palmetto presidential perspective, how would this state’s GOP electorate respond to the claims?  Especially in light of past affair allegations (including those involving the founding editor of this website).

And finally, perhaps the biggest question of them all: Cui Bono? 

Who stands to gain from Rubio’s 2016 campaign being destroyed  – or hobbled?

In our original treatment of the Rubio mistress rumors, we noted that “the overt hostility directed toward Rubio by (Bush’s) campaign provide(d) the perfect cover for other candidates looking to take him out.”

That hostility clearly still persists – and with Bush backers telling us there is “zero chance” their candidate drops out of the race in the next two weeks, there is no telling how dirty the Palmetto State’s notoriously rough-and-tumble primary is going to get.

Rubio has been aggressively touting his Christian faith on the campaign trail, and so it goes without saying any affair allegation against him – gay or straight – has the potential to do serious damage (even if it isn’t conclusively proven).  If it is true, though, Rubio would be branded as perhaps the worst sort of political hypocrite and his campaign – which is currently on the upswing nationally and in early-voting states – would be over.

Another unsettling prospect for Rubio?  The possibility that these rumors could be strung out over the coming weeks – allowed to linger in the background – ultimately undercutting his claim to be the most “electable” GOP candidate.

To be clear: This website does not support Rubio.  Or any other GOP “establishment” candidate.

Why not?

Well, we disagree with Rubio’s support of crony capitalism, his conflicted views on amnesty, his contempt for liberty, his support for energy tax hikes, his mindless imperialism, his casting of the deciding vote for Barack Obama‘s trade bill … for starters.

In other words all of our objections to Rubio’s candidacy involve real issues – not his personal life.

Still, this is South Carolina … where knives get plunged, twisted and turned … and expecting the merits of these issues to be discussed in the final two weeks of a presidential primary is probably wishful thinking.

Which Marco Rubio – and those who have knives out for him – are about to learn.

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