Presidential candidate Marco Rubio stumped in New York on Tuesday, using a local transportation issue to advance his cause. With the Florida senator's poll numbers rising, Rubio's visit prompted local Democrats to blast his record. Josh Robin filed the following report.
The junior senator from Florida spoke before a tech-savvy audience in Manhattan, blasting the government for blocking innovation.
"We've seen this play out with taxi companies lobbying to stop Uber, and here in New York, the government is spending millions trying to stop Airbnb from threatening hotel chains," Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) said.
The reality, of course, is more complex, with concerns about safety, taxes, and street congestion glossed over in Rubio's prepared remarks.
Rubio is clear that innovation will continue to disrupt, with repercussions for those especially working in the service industry, like cab drivers and hotel workers.
"And our obligation is to ensure that the people who have been displaced can quickly access the benefits of the new economy or the new innovation," Rubio said.
Within five years, as much as 40 percent of the American workforce could be independent contractors, freelancers or consultants – a major shift that's an increasing part of the campaign conversation.
Hillary Clinton talked about the so-called gig economy this summer.
She is calling for the federal government to get more involved. A higher minimum wage, for instance, which Rubio rejects.
To longtime technology strategist Andrew Rasiej, it is healthy that the pair are talking about these issues.
"There are clearly two candidates for president, who understand that the safety net is an important issue as we convert our economy and that workers' rights are important to be preserved - and I think Senator Rubio acknowledged that here today," said Andrew Rasiej, founder and CEO of Civic Hall.
Rubio did not take reporters' questions.
Perhaps in a sign Democrats see him as a threat, if he gets out of the Republican primaries, top local officials want to criticize him, including for missing many votes in the Senate.
"He is going backwards on issues that affect women, taking away healthcare from millions of Americans,” said City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “Backwards in his positions on immigration in general. So he's not reflective of the direction that we need to go in this country."
As for Rubio's, after his speech, his direction was north to New Hampshire, which holds the nation's first primary in February.