Rubio champions family values

Marco Rubio came to Pasco County to speak about faith and family values Thursday night, but his audience had plenty of other issues on their minds as well.

They wanted to hear the U.S. Senate candidate's views on President Barack Obama's health plan. They wanted to learn his philosophy about the role of government. They even hoped he could help make sending an e-mail to lawmakers an easier process.

Perhaps that wasn't surprising. Some people divide conservatives into social conservatives and economic conservatives, but Rubio sees such a divide as meaningless.

"The social and moral well-being of people cannot be separated from their economic well-being," he said.

Rubio, viewed by most political observers as the underdog in his race against Gov. Charlie Crist for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, expressed confidence Thursday night as he spoke to the Faith & Family Values Republican Club of Pasco County.

The dynamics of the race will change, Rubio said, once Republican voters compare his views on the issues to Crist's.

"I believe we're going to win," he said.

Rubio, a former speaker of the state House of Representatives, said he has challenged Crist to 10 debates.

"So far, they've not taken us up on it," he said.

Rubio said that in his view, the federal government's role is limited to doing "for us what we can't do for ourselves," such as build roads or fight a war.

"It's not to create jobs," he said. "It's not to stimulate the economy."

He also expressed skepticism of Obama's plans for health care reform. Most Americans are happy with their health insurance, Rubio said, and the problems with the health care system, such as the cost and the millions of Americans without insurance, can be addressed with minimal government involvement.

One audience member questioned why it's not easier to complain or make suggestions to lawmakers. She said she has to e-mail each member of the state Legislature and Congress separately, and longs for a "send-to-all" function.

That was a new one on Rubio, but he said he would pass the suggestion along to Florida's current speaker of the House, Larry Cretul.

More than 200 people turned out Thursday night to hear Rubio's remarks at the Word of Life Conference Center.

The organization that hosted Rubio, the Faith and Values Republican Club of Pasco County, is a new group that held its inaugural meeting May 28. The president is John Tracy, who is music pastor at Hillsdale Baptist Church in Tampa.

In a videotaped message on the organization's Web site, Tracy says the group is interested in such issues as religious liberty, sanctity of life, traditional marriage and family, separation of church and state and quality education in public schools.

The group's mission statement is to "promote and protect Judeo-Christian family values and principles by educating, assisting, and uniting the Republican Party of Pasco County to engage our community in the issues of the day."

Tracy left no doubt Thursday night that he believes Christians should align themselves with the GOP.

Three groups of people - Christians, gun owners and veterans - should always support the Republican Party, Tracy said.

He dismissed the idea that those who have become disenchanted with the party should try to form a third party. The reality, he said, is that a third party isn't going to be successful.

"Let's reform the party from the inside," he said.