Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said the Obama administration was incompetent and unable to separate politics from actual crises that affect Americans.
"This is a campaign that was very good at messaging, but they have no competence in terms of governing," Rubio said during an appearance on "The O'Reilly Factor" on Fox News.
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The Obama White House has a "systemic problem of governing" and a visceral reaction to "circle the wagons to protect their people" as opposed to holding them accountable for poor management, Rubio told host Bill O'Reilly.
The administration is "more concerned about what they’re going to say than what they’re going to do," said Rubio, a possible 2016 GOP candidate for president. "For them, it’s an opportunity to message as opposed to an opportunity to solve it."
Administration officials, he said, interpret any criticism as "partisan politics" instead of legitimate concerns.
The senator, elected in 2010, said he has fielded a "significant" number of constituent complaints about the Veterans Administration. Yet, Rubio said, when when they were brought to the White House’s attention, he was accused of playing politics to "embarrass" Democrats.
The administration is currently being criticized for a scandal where veterans have allegedly died while waiting indefinitely for care at VA hospitals across the country. A whistleblower revealed that the VA kept a secret waiting list of patients in an effort to deceive Washington that timely care is being provided.
"This is a very valid and legitimate complaint that people have, a very serious crisis," Rubio said.
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