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Crists slams Rubio again: “Back-waxing”? Rubio: It’s “bizarre”

Posted Mar 9, 2010 by William March

Updated Mar 9, 2010 at 12:29 PM

Gov. Charlie Crist slammed Marco Rubio—again—over his use of a Republican Party credit card Monday night on national television, suggesting Rubio used the card for a “back wax,” didn’t repay personal expenses on the card “until after he got caught,” and hinting that Rubio had some undeclared source of income.

Rubio called the attack “disastrously bizarre.”

You can check out the Crist’s Fox New interview here, but here’s a rundown on the accusations and Rubio’s responses:

—First, a $134 charge Rubio incurred at a hair salon near his home while he had the party credit card. When the charges were revealed, Rubio’s critics used it to mock him on the assumption that he got a $134 haircut; Rubio says the purchase was items for a silent auction on party business.
Ignoring that explanation, Crist suggested in the interview, apparently half seriously, that Rubio got a back wax at the salon. When interviewer Greta Van Susteren called him on it, Crist said, “I don’t know what he got.”

—Crist then suggested Rubio didn’t repay the party for the charges “until after he got caught.” But Rubio says he repaid the charges as the bills came in from 2005-08, and the issue didn’t become public until last year.
Asked for clarification, Crist’s campaign said his accusation referred to $3,000 worth of airline tickets that Rubio acknowledged recently he had inadvertently double-billed, both to the party and the state. When reporters questioned it, he said the flights were legitimate state government business, and reimbursed the party.

—Finally, Crist hinted that Rubio couldn’t have repaid $19,000 in personal charges on the credit card as he said, while his declared net worth on his most recent financial disclusure form, covering 2008, was only $8,351.
Clearly, any individual’s net worth is a separate issue from income and expenses; asked for clarification, Crist’s campaign replied, “The Governor was simply raising the fact that these issues point to more questions regarding Speaker Rubio and his finances,” considering Rubio earned substantial income as a legislator, lawyer and lobbyist in Miami, but ended up with large debts and a small net worth.

Rubio’s campaign called the Crist charges “falsehoods” and “disastrously bizarre.” The campaign responded in a news release statement: “Last night, Charlie Crist gave an 11-minute nationally televised interview in which he made multiple references to back waxing, but not a single mention of fighting the liberal Obama agenda. This speaks volumes about what his priorities are.”

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