Marco Rubio considered 3rd on DC power list by GQ....not even elected yet.

[madfloridian]

This is so odd. It just seems so obvious he is being groomed for the future.

Hat tip to the Florida blogger The Reid Report.

Marco Rubio makes GQ’s DC Power List before he’s even elected

I’ve had this running debate with Kenny Quinnell about whether Marco Rubio would be more dangerous to Democrats as a Senator than Charlie Crist (see his argument here, and mine here…) Well, score one for my side of the argument … GQ has decided that Rubio is already the third most powerful man in Washington. From GQ online, the explanation behind Rubio’s ranking, just behind Haley Barbour and Chuck Schumer

The GQ article was written by Ana Marie Cox, formerly of Wonkette fame.

It is one of the weirdest lists of power players I have even seen. Seems like some influence from somewhere to come up with a list like that.

The Monthly D.C. Power List

About Rubio, Number 3 in power...not even elected yet.

3. Marco Rubio, Republican Senator-to-be-FL.

Not even in office yet, and Rubio is the fastest rising Republican in Washington: "He'll be a star on day one," says one staffer. Democrats admire (if also are frustrated by) his deft adoption of Tea Party fervor without succumbing to Tea Party rhetoric. Republicans are just happy to have an incoming leader with both charisma and smarts. ("He's no O'Donnell," says one. "He's no Angle.") "He has just as much substance as style," says a staffer. A House Republican observes, "Rubio ran a disciplined, ideas-driven campaign and he will be an important part of a new, revamped Republican Senate Conference." He'll be expected to lend his skills—and his fundraising prowess—to colleagues up and down the seniority ladder. Being able to bank so many favors so early in his career will give Rubio the ability to make or break the careers of others almost before he's started his own.

Others on the list are Haley Barbour of MS.

"It's going to be his night," says a Republican staffer working on the midterms. "He is basically the de-facto chairman of the party because of how weak Steele is." The staffer dismisses speculation that Barbour may become the RNC chairman de jute. "He's not going to run for chairman because I'm sure he's interested in running for president."

He is in the #1 spot. Heaven help us.

Also listed are Chuck Schumer, Chris Van Hollen, and Darrell Issa.

However, Cox as much as calls them brown-nosers, so maybe it is not such a complimentary piece after all.

On the record, no one in Washington wants to speculate on who will come out of the midterm elections having gained—or at least held onto—the Capitol's most precious commodity: Power. Privately, however, figuring out who to suck up to next has surpassed guessing Bob Woodward's sources as DC's most popular parlor game. We conducted our unscientific survey of elected officials, staffers, and others with a vested interest in coloring their noses the right shade of brown, and came up with this list.

Interesting list.

[awoke_in_2003]

1. look at the eyebrow area...

the bone structure suggests "Neanderthal"- big surprise.

[provis99]

2. Cox is being sarcastic.

She's notorious for being so subtle with her sarcasm, that it isn't recognizable at first.