Rubio: Spanish Language Networks ‘Have Become All-Out Advocates For Obamacare’

FILE - In this June 13, 2013 file photo Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks in Washington. Get your face on TV and write a book: Check. Start meeting the big money people: Check. Visit Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolin... FILE - In this June 13, 2013 file photo Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks in Washington. Get your face on TV and write a book: Check. Start meeting the big money people: Check. Visit Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina _ Israel, too: Check. Deny any of this has to do with running for president: Check. For politicians planning or tempted to run for the presidency in 2016, the to-do list is formidable. What’s striking is how methodically most of them are plowing through it while they pretend nothing of the sort is going on. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File) MORE LESS
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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) expressed dismay on Wednesday at the major Spanish language outlets for their promotion of the Affordable Care Act.

Citing a study by the Media Research Center, the conservative media watchdog helmed by Brent Bozell, Rubio told right-wing radio host Hugh Hewitt that Univision and Telemundo have been “all-out advocates” for the law.

“Both of the major Spanish language networks, but Univision in particular, have basically become all-out advocates for Obamacare, trying to get people signed up,” Rubio said. “I mean, if ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, anybody were doing that, I mean, there would just be an extraordinary amount of criticism.”

The four-month study by MRC found what it described as a “clear liberal slant” in newscasts on both Telemundo and Univision. Each outlet denied the allegations of bias, and Bozell himself acknowledged that the “conservative movement needs to make a stronger effort to constructively engage with Spanish-language media.”

But a report in BuzzFeed last week detailed how Univision has engaged in a “company-wide initiative” to encourage its Latino audience to sign up for health insurance.

Rubio said the outlets have a right to do what they want, but he called it “unfortunate.”

Audio of Rubio’s interview is available at Mediaite.

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