While Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has already ruled out a 2012 Presidential bid, the additions to his staff as well as his new committee assignments hint at what could be down the road for the rising conservative star. The Weekly Standard reports Rubio has hired Cesar Conda as his chief of staff. Conda served as a top policy adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney early in the Bush Administration and advised the 2008 campaign of Gov. Mitt Romney. Conda joins Sally Canfield, Joe Pounder, and Alex Burgos as top Romney campaign veterans who have signed on with Rubio. Whether this implies a potential ticket for 2012 has yet to be determined.
Sen. Rubio was assigned to the Senate Commerce, Small Business, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence Committees. While the field in 2012 may lack a frontrunner for President, it’s quickly becoming clear that Florida’s junior senator will be at the top of many short lists for Vice President.
January 28th, 2011 at 11:23 am
Could these moves imply a dialog between the Romney and Rubio camps? One thing Romney is known for is behind the scenes support of rising stars.
January 28th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
Bobinator,
Romney campaigned with Marco, but it still surprised me when he brought Pounder, Burgos, and Canfield into his inner circle. But naming Conda as his Chief of Staff is somewhat mindboggling. Conda was a major piece of Romney’s last campaign and they are very close.
Why would Marco recruit that many Romney loyalists to his team? One thing’s for sure: He wouldn’t do it if he was planning on opposing Mitt in the Florida Primary.
January 28th, 2011 at 12:22 pm
One more thought on this: We know that Rubio rose through the ranks as a protege of Jeb, and we know that Jeb encouraged members of his staff to go to work for Mitt back in 2007. Can’t help wondering if Jeb played any part in these recruitments.
January 28th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
This is an interesting development. Of course, it could easily all be coincidence. I have always thought that Rubio would support Huckabee because of Huckabee’s early support of Rubio.
January 28th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
I would not read more into this than is really there. Rubio has clearly sought a competent, solid and skilled staff. Remember, he has been around the block himself and I believe that he understands that to be effective and taken seriously in the Senate and in Washington requires a capable staff that carry some gravity.
January 28th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
Idle speculation alert!
Could Romney have already had veep conversations with rubio should he need one?
January 28th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
guys guys guys. This means…….absolutely nothing. Rubio is looking around for high value talent and first rate staff. The folks hired have a stable job and dont have to wait for the 2012 candidate to “maybe” like them. In addition they can contribute to the most respected freshman republican senator to come down the pike in a ***long*** time.
January 29th, 2011 at 6:41 am
Conda joins Sally Canfield, Joe Pounder, and Alex Burgos as top Romney campaign veterans who have signed on with Rubio.
Alex Burgos has been with Rubio since the early days of the campaign in Florida, when Crist was still a Republican and Rubio was polling at 18%. Your statement implies that the hiring came after Rubio won and while sitting in DC putting together a team for higher office.