Television host Joe Scarborough says his criticism of GOP presidential contender Sen. Marco Rubio is neither personal — nor sparked by a "long-buried" grudge.
"I have never met Rubio," the former Florida lawmaker and MSNBC host writes in a
commentary for Politico.
"We were both in Congress, but I left Washington nearly a decade before Rubio arrived. We never crossed paths politically, professionally, or socially. And I know nothing of him personally other than what I read in newspapers."
In the wake of an embarrassing interview on Scarborough's "Morning Joe" show of GOP presidential dropout Rick Santorum, who
struggled to name any congressional accomplishments of Rubio, Scarborough said the Rubio campaign may be trying to deflect criticism by floating a grudge theory.
"Several reporters have called this afternoon saying the Rubio camp is shopping this story again with increased intensity because of my interview with Rick Santorum," Scarborough wrote.
"I had the temerity to ask Santorum to list one accomplishment of Rubio," he continued. "He couldn't, but the campaign is trying to limit damage by suggesting there is some hidden back story. There isn't."
"If I am wrong [about Rubio's White House chances], it is not because of some long-buried personal grudge between Rubio and myself," he writes.
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