Rubio Raps Obama As Big-government Advocate

WASHINGTON — Republicans dismissed President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address as nothing more than big government spending and more tax increases. But a brief sip of water may have gotten more immediate attention than any policy ideas.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s mid-speech swig from a small Poland Spring water bottle during his GOP response generated instant reaction in social media circles and on cable television, even as Republicans offered fresh appeals on the economy and promises to rein in federal spending.

Rubio appeared to wipe away sweat during his rebuttal from the Speaker’s conference room in the U.S. Capitol. At one point he stretched out his left hand, grabbed a small plastic water bottle and took a brief swig of water. As the water break gained notice online, Rubio sent a photo of the bottle from his Twitter account.

On ABC’s “Good Morning America” Wednesday, Rubio explained: “I needed water. What are you going to do? God has a funny way of reminding us we’re human.”

In his GOP address, Rubio urged Obama to “abandon his obsession with raising taxes” and said the president had shifted the nation away from free-market economic principles that had helped middle-class families achieve prosperity.

Read More at OfficialWire . By Ken Thomas.