Marco Rubio Takes the High Road After Getting the Best of Jeb Bush in Debate
“This is a long process," the Florida senator says.
— -- The tension between Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio had been building up for weeks now, but when Bush finally came after his former protégé at Wednesday night’s GOP debate, the Florida senator was prepared.
“The only reason you're [attacking me] now is because we're running for the same position,” Rubio told the former Florida governor. “Someone convinced you attacking me is going to help you. Here’s the bottom line: My campaign is going to be about the future of America. It’s not going to be about attacking anyone else on this stage.”
Over the course of his campaign, Rubio has refused to bash other Republican candidates. Asked on today's “Good Morning America” about his fiery exchange with Bush, Rubio stuck to the high road.
"If other candidates have decided that the way they’re going to win is by attacking me, then they’re going to pursue that line,” Rubio told George Stephanopoulos. "It’s not going to be the way I run my campaign."
"I’m not going to change my campaign because of some changes someone else has made because they’ve allowed themselves to be convinced that attacking me is the way forward."
“I’m not going to change how I feel about governor Bush,” he added. “Jeb is my friend. I have admiration for him. I’m not running against him. I’m running for president.”
Rubio, 44, also addressed his missed Senate votes, which were at the source of his heated exchange with Bush at the debate. Rubio has missed 34 percent of Senate votes this year, more than any other senator.
“He’s a gifted politician. But Marco, when you signed up for this, this is a six-year term. You should be showing up to term. Literally, the Senate, what is it like a French work week? You get three days where you have to show up. You can campaign. Just resign and let somebody else take the job,” Bush, 62, told Rubio at the debate.
Rubio told “GMA” today, "I don’t like missing votes. But what I'd hate even more than missing votes is the idea that November 2016 I wake up to Hillary Clinton being the next president."
Rubio’s performance at the third Republican debate had many calling him the clear “winner" of the night, but Rubio refused to get caught up in the hype.
“I don’t want to overstate it. It was a debate, there’s another one coming up in another 14 days and if we don’t do well there, none of this will matter,” he said. “This is a long process.”
The next Republican debate will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Nov. 10.