Rubio Blasts 'Bureaucratic Red Tape' in Gulf

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," June 23, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

SEAN HANNITY, HOST: The federal government has intervened once again in the cleanup of the Gulf Coast and yet again the effects are proving disastrous.

Now the state of Louisiana began a technique known as sand berm dredging to protect their coastline but the administration is ordering the state to stop because it's taking sand from an environmentally sensitive area. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. BOBBY JINDAL, R-LA.: I'm making a request to the federal government today to not stop us from dredging on the eastern side of the river. We've got an oral - we've got an order from the federal government yesterday and today orally - we haven't gotten it officially yet - saying that they're going to require us to stop dredging today.

And the issue is this: All along we've said that we were going to have to borrow sand closer to the dredging sites. We want to replace that sand. It's going to take about another - approximately another five days to assemble the pipelines to make sure that we can replace that sand.

Our request to the federal government: Allow us to continue dredging.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now meanwhile the rest of the Gulf states are facing similar threats. So what will the next disastrous federal intervention be?

Joining me now with analysis is the Republican nominee from - for the Senate for the great state of Florida, we have Marco Rubio is back with us.

Marco, welcome back to the show.

SENATE CANDIDATE MARCO RUBIO , R-FLA.: Thanks for having me back, Sean.

HANNITY: All right. You know, I got to tell you something, I'm frustrated. And I feel really bad for the fishermen. Those that own hotels, those that own property on the beaches, those that like to enjoy the beaches - the beautiful beaches of Florida, Pensacola, Destin, Fort Walton beach, Panama City.

Because our government had an opportunity. They could have bermed. They could have used skimmers. They could have used boom. They could have built barriers, the berms. They did done of this. What -

RUBIO: Sean, first of all -

HANNITY: What is going on here?

RUBIO: First of all, Northwest Florida and the panhandle has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It also have some of the best fishing in the world. And it's not - it's not just an economic engine which is a very powerful economic engine that gives a lot of people employment.

It's also a way of life and to see some of the images today are heartbreaking as more and more oil is washing up on our beach.

Look, BP is responsible for the spill. But the government is responsible for what's happened ever since in terms of the response.

This is the most powerful country in the world. You would think that at this point every single skimmer on the planet would be working in the Gulf of Mexico. And as of late we don't - we simply don't have enough.

HANNITY: Well -

RUBIO: And I think that's just one problem, not to mention all the bureaucratic red tape that you're now outlining here. It's happening in Louisiana, it's happening in Florida.

HANNITY: Explain to me - maybe you figure this out, because I certainly have not figured it out. Explain to me if you can. Here it is 60, what, four, five days now in the Gulf. It's up on our screen, 65 days.

Explain to me, even at this late hour, we are still not responding. We still have not accepted the help of 13 nations that were offering skimmers and support to build the berms and the barriers. Why? Why would we not see -

RUBIO: There's no explanation to it. The - I mean the only answer is they don't know what they're doing. The only answer is that this White House, this administration, and I hate to say this, I wish it wasn't true. I mean I really wish they would have done a good job on this because it could have prevented this from happening.

When that oil was hundreds of miles from the coast they could have jumped on it like the emergency that it was, and instead they've done a bunch of photo-ops, they walked on the beach, they've tough talking all these kinds of things.

But at the end of the day, as of today, more and more oil is washing up on the beach because the federal government has dealt with this in a way that's nothing less than incompetent. And I think it's unfortunate we're paying a tremendous price throughout the region and now Florida.

HANNITY: You know, I got to be honest, and I know you're in the middle of a campaign, and I am shocked at Charlie Crist. I don't think in my life I've ever watched a single politician flip, flop and flail like Charlie Crist.

He took - apparently he's changed his position recently on abortion. He's changed - he couldn't even admit that he supported the president in the stimulus plan. Wasn't he the same guy out there talking about drill baby drill himself when he thought he was going to be John McCain's running mate or at least was in the running for that?

RUBIO: Well, clearly he shifted his position on a host of issues because he wants to basically become the de facto Democratic nominee. He's not just abandoning the Republican Party in registration, his principles have all shifted and so his position on public policy.

But as regard to this oil spill I think the real sad part about is I don't think he's put the kind of pressure on this administration that Governor Jindal has, for example. I think there's political reasons behind it.

HANNITY: All right. Let me -

RUBIO: But the truth is the federal government has failed.

HANNITY: We've got a clip of Charlie Crist. And I want to run it for you and then we'll get your reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST, I-FLA.: I think that the administration has gotten up to speed. I'm very pleased about that, and I got to tell you, I am very pleased how they've pushed BP. And we have encouraged that. I mean, you know, the idea of a $20 billion escrow I think is a very good start. And it's long overdue.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: Now there's been a lot of speculation that the Democratic Party is going to end up supporting the former Republican governor of the great state of Florida, Charlie Crist. Do you think he's courting their support?

RUBIO: I do. And I think that ultimately, you know, I'm the only candidate running in Florida that's going to stand up to this agenda and offer an alternative. I think majority of Floridians believe this country is headed in the wrong direction.

And they believe this administration and this Congress are taking us down a road that the majority of Floridians don't want to go. There's only one candidate running that's going to be a check and balance on that and that's me. And I think that's got - that becomes more and more apparent in this race as the months and weeks go on.

And as far as the Obama administration being up to speed and doing a good job, I think the evidence is that that's not true. We just had a bunch of oil wash up on the beach today. This thing is getting worse. It's not getting better.

The Obama administration has not caught up. They're well behind. They should have answered this - the call early on in this disaster. They haven't done so and Florida is paying a tremendous price now.

HANNITY: All right. Well, more pointedly to your opponent in this race, and that's Governor Crist. Do you think now he wants - is seeking and courting the Democratic Party to get their support to run head-to-head against you?

RUBIO: Absolutely I do. I think that his hope is that he can become the de facto nominee in the Democratic Party. And of course, that's the problem for my Democratic opponent in this race who'll have to fight for that support.

But the way I see it is very simple, Sean. I'm running against two Democrats, one that admits it openly and one that doesn't.

HANNITY: All right.

RUBIO: But at the end of the day I'm running against two supporters of the current agenda here in Washington, D.C. and I -

HANNITY: All right.

RUBIO: I think the majority of Floridians don't want that.

HANNITY: But - but look, we all know it's now the infamous interview that that Charlie Crist gave on "Fox News Sunday," where he said he wasn't going to run as an Independent. What does that tell you about Charlie Crist?

RUBIO: Well, I think his position on issues is on a poll by poll basis. And obviously that's - there's too many people like that in politics already. And the last thing we need is more people in Washington, D.C. that will say, be or do anything to get elected.

And that's why I'm running. This is a serious time in American history. And I'm the only one running that will stand up to what's happening in Washington and offer an alternative.

HANNITY: All right, Marco Rubio, thanks for being with us we're going to continue to follow the race.

RUBIO: Thank you Sean.

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