Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, on Mitt Romney’s short list for vice president, said Thursday that he is concerned about how much time politics robs from his family, especially his four young children. “I worry about it,” he said.
Rubio, whose star has risen quickly from state politics to the presidential stage, is now on a book tour promoting his autobiography, which is similar to the time demands of a presidential campaign, and he told reporters that it’s killing him not to be home enough with his wife and children.
“I worried about my kids,” he said.
At a media breakfast organized by the Christian Science Monitor, the issue came up because he revealed his concerns in his book, “An American Son,” and because of reports he was snubbed by Romney who has invited others on the GOP veep list to a Utah fundraiser this weekend.
Rubio said that “it’s not accurate, I was invited to go.” But he turned Romney down to spend time with his children. “If I had gone to Utah I wouldn’t have seen my kids for 15 days and so I had a choice to make and I chose my kids,” he said, after detailing his grueling media and political schedule.
“I know that in 30 years none of us will remember that report (about missing Romney’s fundraiser), but my kids will never forget that I was home on Saturday.”
It’s a tug-of-war politicians with families always feel when coming to Washington and one that Rubio said senior Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., helped him with. After a few months in the Senate, he told reporters, Leahy approached the 41-year-old Floridian and asked how he was adjusting to Washington. When he revealed his angst, Leahy’s expression changed and he offered some advice.
Rubio, in a story he tells with less detail in his book, said Leahy recalled that former President Ford once invited him to an event but it conflicted with the schedule of his children. He picked his kids. “His kids will never forget the day that he chose them over the president,” said Rubio.
But when a reporter asked at the end of the breakfast if he meant by not attending the Romney fundraiser if he would choose his kids over the vice presidency, Rubio said, “No I said Utah, I said Utah.”
