In a much-anticipated exchange during the third Republican Presidential debate, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush sparred about Rubio's poor Senate attendance and voting record since he became a presidential candidate.
The dispute was started when Rubio was asked about an editorial in the Florida Sun-Sentinel suggesting he should resign from his post in order to focus on his campaign. In response, Rubio attacked the mainstream media, calling the article "another example of the double standard that exists in this country between the mainstream media and the conservative movement."
Without prompting from the moderators, Bush cut off the loud applause for Rubio's answer.
"Can I bring something up here?" he said. "Because I'm a constituent of the senator and I helped him and I expected that he would do constituent service, which means that he shows up to work," Bush said.
"He's a gifted politician," Bush continued, looking directly at Rubio. "But Marco, when you signed up for this, this was a six-year term. And you should be showing up to work. I mean, literally, the Senate — what is it, like a French work week? You get like three days where you have to show up?" Over some laughter from the audience, Bush told Rubio that he should either "campaign or just resign and let someone else take the job."
"I get to respond right?" Rubio asked the moderators. They consented.
"You know how many votes John McCain missed when he carrying out that furious comeback that you're now modeling [your campaign] after?" He began. "Let me tell you, I don't remember you ever complaining about John McCain's vote record."
The only reason that Bush was giving him grief for his attendance in this debate, Rubio continued, "is because we're running for the same position and someone has convinced you that attacking me is going to help you."
Later on in the debate, Cruz defended Rubio, and joined him in attacking "the mainstream media" and what he considered the moderators' "bating" questions.