Senator Marco Rubio continued his dogmatic adherence to ideological talking points and dogma with his vote Wednesday against a bi-partisan bill that would secure millions of dollars for Everglades restoration and other water projects in the state. In joining only 12 other Senators in his “no” vote Rubio offered several amendments including one related to the burgeoning IRS scandal and used his time on the floor to lob some pretty weighty accusations towards the administration.

Rubio has begun articulating a narrative that says Obama’s administration is pushing a culture of “intimidation.” It is ironic since Rubio and his henchmen used intimidation to great impact while House Speaker, even harassing activists and volunteers who dared stand before House committees and question the Speaker’s agenda, particularly on education and taxation issues. By comparison, the Obama Administration regardless of what is being alleged by partisan motivated attack dogs is tame.

The continued desire of Florida’s first-term Junior Senator to put national interests above Florida, and specifically the national interests of the most reactionary portions of the GOP electorate leaves our state without adequate representation in the nation’s capital. Even when voting like conservative Republicans Senators Connie Mack and Mel Martinez were closely attuned to local issues and interests. Rubio on the other hand continues to prove that he is not.

In March, I wrote that the challenge for Rubio was to somehow keep the Republican Party desperate for him while continuing to play his cards correctly with BOTH national Republican power brokers/media elites AND the fundamentalist Iowa caucus goers. Rubio had the conservative activists where he wanted but recently his immigration reform proposals have caused a backlash with those who appeared to be his base for a potential Presidential campaign. So as a reaction, Rubio has begun overcompensating for his immigration stand.

But Rubio the astute pol, mixing below the belt attacks on the President with a reactionary voting record could keep both the GOP establishment and  Tea Party clamoring for him with this combination of rhetoric and votes. Time will tell whether or not this formula will continue to work.