Florida Senator Marco Rubio was the draw for a late afternoon Romney campaign rally on the statehouse grounds in Des Moines, but he didn’t make it to Iowa. When Iowa Governor Terry Branstad broke the news, some people in the crowd gasped, others said things like, ‘Oh no!”
But Rubio did speak, via cell phone. “Well, first of all let me thank you guys for giving me the opportunity to speak to you like this. This is not the way I’d hoped to do it. I’ve had two planes today have mechanical problems and the last one was forced to land here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, so I know how to take a hint,” Rubio said to begin. Many in the crowd chuckled. Rubio spoke for about 10 minutes.
It rained while Rubio was speaking, which you can hear on the recording produced by the sound system. Rubio at one point joked about what he was hearing on his end of the line. “That sounds like either applause or fireworks,” Rubio said.
AUDIO of Rubin in the rain.
About O.Kay Henderson
Kay is a founding member of the Radio Iowa network newsroom. In 1994, she became the network’s news director. She’s a featured reporter and commentator on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press,” and the 2002 recipient of the Shelley Award.
Kay, I really appreciate your work & Kathie Obradovich’s work on Iowa Press. I think you are both very professional and ask tough questions to both those on the left and on the right. You are very sharp.