Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) on Wednesday slammed a deal that released captive USAID contractor Alan Gross in exchange for three Cubans jailed in the United States for spying, branding President Barack Obama as potentially the “worst negotiator” in the history of the nation.
“At a minimum, I would say this. Barack Obama is the worst negotiator that we’ve had as President since at least Jimmy Carter, and maybe in the history of this country,” he said on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.”
Rubio, whose parents emigrated to the U.S. from Cuba, said he was glad Gross would be reunited with his family. But he added that the prisoner exchange would set a “very dangerous precedent.”
“It puts a price on every American abroad,” he said. “Governments now know that if they take an American hostage, they can get very significant concessions from the U.S.”
The Florida Republican also criticized Obama’s reported move to normalize relations with Cuba, arguing that opening up commerce and trade on the communist island wouldn’t bring democracy to its people.
“It’s absurd, and it’s part of a long record of coddling dictators and tyrants that this administration has established,” he said.
Rubio said Congress would not support lifting the embargo against Cuba.
Didn’t Jimmy Carter negitiate a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt? I was pretty young back then, but i’ve always thought Carter was a pretty damned good negotiator.
Hey Water Boy, you’re not president, you’re not going to be president, leave foreign policy to the grown-ups.
Unless Rubio is referring to the fact that Obama doesn’t allow any BS to enter into his negotiations, then Rubio may have justification for his one-sided claim. Obama doesn’t negotiate down at the same level as Republicans.
marco may not want to get too far out front on this… apparently the pope was involved in the negotiations… lol
Remember when Trent Lott and the GOP collectively said that the country needs to speak with one voice re: foreign policy and anything less is treason. Of course they meant it does not apply when the president is black.