Congressional Memo
New Senators’ Goals May Be Shaped by Their Styles
Drew Angerer/The New York Times
Senator Marco Rubio, being sworn in last month, is keeping a low profile and focusing on his constituents, a spokesman said.
By CARL HULSE
Published: February 25, 2011
WASHINGTON — After another quiet appearance on the Senate floor, Senator Marco Rubio, the heralded freshman Republican from Florida, quickly made his way back to his office, avoiding eye contact with a phalanx of reporters in the Capitol basement.
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The sharp contrast between the styles of two conservatives who became national figures in last year’s campaigns — and the varied approaches of others in the Senate’s freshmen class — show that political goals, ambition, experience and personality are as crucial as tradition in shaping a Congressional entrance strategy.
Some, like Mr. Paul and Senator Mark Steven Kirk, Republican of Illinois, seem to view the old Senate rituals of biding one’s time and deferring to senior members as passé. They joined the fray on the Senate floor almost as soon as they took their hands off the Bible after being sworn in.
“It might be somewhat my style to hit things on the head and not be too bashful about it,” said Mr. Paul, who gave his first speech less than a month into his term, a break from the tradition of waiting considerably longer before having the temerity to speak.
Mr. Rubio, who was embraced by conservatives nationwide when he opposed and ultimately defeated former Gov. Charlie Crist in Florida’s Senate race, has taken the opposite tack.
He eschews national political coverage and talks primarily to the state news media. He has passed up high-profile gatherings like a recent conservative conference in favor of events back home. And unlike Mr. Paul, he did not join the Senate’s new Tea Party Caucus despite having been backed by Tea Party advocates.
“First and foremost, he has a responsibility to the people who elected him in Florida, and that is where the focus of his work is,” said Alex Burgos, a spokesman for Mr. Rubio. “The schedule reflects that as much as his public appearances.”
In moving into hunker-down mode, Mr. Rubio is following in the footsteps of previous celebrity senators who did not want to irritate their new constituents by striking a high-profile, national pose too early in their tenures.
At the beginning of her Senate career, Hillary Rodham Clinton put her energy almost exclusively into New York media and issues, though she was seen even then as a potential presidential candidate. Senator Al Franken, a former “Saturday Night Live” writer and performer, still does not typically talk to the news media from outside his state of Minnesota, despite being a member of the Senate since mid-2009.
Senator John Thune, a South Dakota Republican who joined the Senate by knocking off Tom Daschle, then the Democratic leader, also homed in on parochial concerns upon his arrival in 2005.
“After having the high-profile Senate race, I wanted to focus on South Dakota, keep my head down, do the work as a senator, and avoided the spotlight, the Sunday shows and that kind of stuff,” said Mr. Thune, who just took himself out of the 2012 presidential race. “We made a conscious decision to do that.”
Mr. Thune said he could understand both the approach of Mr. Paul, “who has a big mandate to come here and shake things up,” and Mr. Rubio’s decision to “really solidify himself in his state and convince people he is here to do the work of a legislator.”
Mr. Rubio, in the view of many analysts and colleagues, is planning longer term. The thinking is that Mr. Rubio, a former speaker of the Florida House, needs to build credibility and establish himself as a serious senator if he is take advantage of a promising future. Even with his lower profile, Mr. Rubio, 39, is still regularly mentioned as a potential vice-presidential candidate for 2012.
Other members of the freshman class are approaching their early days in their own ways.
Senator Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, is a veteran of the House and President George W. Bush’s administration, and has already been called on by leadership to be a spokesman on budget issues because of his previous job as director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, formerly the No. 3 Republican in the House, has given his maiden speech and is a confident Senate newcomer. Senator Dan Coats of Indiana served in the Senate previously.
Senator Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican who is essentially new to politics, is not avoiding the media but is not chasing after it, either, and has yet to have his inaugural speech.
“I’m not saying a whole lot until I have something to add to the conversation,” Mr. Johnson said. “I want to speak when I have something valuable to say.”
For his part, Mr. Paul said that he did not go to the Senate to be a shrinking violet, and that if his early assertiveness has political repercussions, so be it.
“I told people when I ran that I was unafraid not to be elected,” Mr. Paul said. “I truly meant that. I am incredibly privileged to have been here, but I was happy as a physician.”
