Jeremy W. Peters, Steve Eder and Jeremy Merrill, "Marco Rubio’s Use of Party Credit Card Reinforces a Picture of Messy Finances": Rubio Guilty of Buying Clothes at Sym's!

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Do you remember past reporting of The New York Times concerning Marco Rubio's purchase of a fishing boat, repayment of student loans, and receipt of traffic tickets, which even Jon Stewart ridiculed? And do you recall how I told you one week ago that we should expect more of the same from the Times as regards Rubio, who stands too good a chance of beating Hillary in November 2016? Well, today, in a Times article entitled (my emphasis in red) "Marco Rubio’s Use of Party Credit Card Reinforces a Picture of Messy Finances," Jeremy W. Peters, Steve Eder and Jeremy Merrill impugn Marco Rubio's finances, based upon the senator's recently released credit card statements (my emphasis in red):

"Newly released credit card statements from the years when Senator Marco Rubio was a young Florida legislator on the fast track to leadership show a pattern of falling behind on payments while mingling personal and political spending, disclosures that reinforce the image of a politician who has long struggled with messy finances, at home and in his career.

. . . .

In all, his campaign said on Saturday, Mr. Rubio spent $182,072 on the card from January 2005 through December 2008, of which 12 percent, or $22,003, was personal and was paid to American Express directly by him.

But those payments were routinely late — 21 times over the course of those four years — sometimes because he did not pay on time, and sometimes because the Republican Party fell behind. The account, which was listed under his name, was assessed delinquency charges seven times, adding up to $1,639.47.

. . . .

There were more than two dozen visits to La Carreta, a chain of Cuban diners, sometimes for amounts under $10. There were several hundred dollars in purchases at bookstores, one listed on the statements as a family bookstore and the others from trips to a Barnes & Noble in South Miami. He spent $25 at a CVS about a half-mile from his home in West Miami. There were also purchases at a Publix grocery store in Miami.

. . . .

Other charges from the newly released records that the campaign identified as personal included $599.45 for visits to a Honda dealership near Mr. Rubio’s West Miami home; $180 for a children’s activity center; and $715.28 to a Sym’s discount clothing store in New York City."

Rubio spent $25 at a CVS using his party credit card? Shame on you, Marco!

However, as acknowledged even by the authors of this article, there was nothing illegal in any of this. Moreover, where is it claimed that he did not repay the party for personal expenses charged to his party credit card? Answer: It isn't.

Thank goodness I'm not running for office. I admit it: There have been a few instances over the course of the decades when I mistakenly reached for the wrong credit card while paying a bill, although, like Rubio, the personal charges were always subsequently paid by me. Over the years, may the Lord forgive me, there were also times when I was charged for late payments. And while struggling to build my own business, my finances could also have been labelled "messy."

Which is not to say that Rubio emerges from all of this scot free: He bought clothes from Sym's, although I am not aware if they were from the Bargain Basement, which might have landed him in deep trouble with Joan Rivers's "Fashion Police," if she was still alive.

[Lo and behold, who would ever imagine: The Washington Post is now also running a lead story entitled (my emphasis in red) "Inside Marco Rubio’s messy American Express statements." "Messy" again? What a coincidence! But then there was also New York Magazine's article entitled (my emphasis in red) "A Guide to Marco Rubio’s Messy Personal Finances." A case of great minds think alike? Why is it that I have my doubts?]