WASHINGTON (AP) - Nothing trumps a carefully crafted political message like the unscripted moment. All-too-human blips and slips were the bane of politicians even before the social media age and Sen. Marco Rubio's sip seen 'round the world.
Rubio's lunge for a drink of bottled water while delivering the Republican response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address quickly lit up Twitter, drew titters on morning TV and segued into the next day's water cooler topic.
Rubio, a highly regarded 41-year-old senator from Florida, is viewed as a potential 2016 presidential candidate and his nationally televised rebuttal to Obama was considered a big step. On Wednesday, he gamely laughed off his Poland Springs moment.
"You know, when you give a speech, you have a podium and the water is right there, but when you don't, then you'll start looking around thinking, 'Where am I going to get the water from?'" Rubio told Fox News Channel's "Fox and Friends." He described worrying that he was getting too parched to keep talking after a long day of work and pre-recording the speech in Spanish.
"My mouth got dry, what can I say?" Rubio said.
Rubio used his address to promote Republican tenets of limited government and economic growth and to criticize Obama's first-term record on taxes and spending. He appeared to perspire under the bright lights. Late in the speech he reached awkwardly to his left for the bottle, his eyes still trained on the camera, took a quick sip of water, then reached off camera again to put the bottle down.
The social media's instant reaction took a partisan bent. Democrats mocked Rubio, suggesting he wasn't ready for prime time. Republicans called it a humanizing moment that the senator addressed with self-deprecating humor.
Moments after his speech, Rubio jokingly tweeted a photo of the water bottle.
In another State of the Union viral moment, Barack Obama was seen fist-bumping Senator Mark Kirk. Kirk, recently returned to Washington after suffering a stroke last year. The moment wasn't shown on television, but the website Gawker, picked up the image from a pool feed and turned it into an animated .gif.
Tuesday, June 18 2013 2:56 PM EDT2013-06-18 18:56:25 GMT
After collecting tens of thousands of dollars for themselves on Wednesday, members of the General Assembly plan to kick the can of public employee pension reform down the road for at least one more month.
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Human rights advocate Marianne Elliot wrote "Zen under Fire," a powerful memoir about her experience as a U.N. peacekeeper in war-torn Afghanistan. She also does yoga to de-stress in her everyday life.
Human rights advocate Marianne Elliot wrote "Zen under Fire," a powerful memoir about her experience as a U.N. peacekeeper in war-torn Afghanistan. She also does yoga to de-stress in her everyday life.
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On the first day of deliberation, the jury hearing former Chicago alderman Ambrosio Medrano's trial found him guilty of bribery. He could face up to five years in prison.
On the first day of deliberation, the jury hearing former Chicago alderman Ambrosio Medrano's trial found him guilty of bribery. He could face up to five years in prison.
Monday, June 17 2013 2:44 PM EDT2013-06-17 18:44:33 GMT
A spokeswoman for Gov. Pat Quinn says he has fully backed the tough pension proposal supported by the Illinois House and has "fought hard" to get it passed.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Pat Quinn says he has fully backed the tough pension proposal supported by the Illinois House and has "fought hard" to get it passed.
Monday, June 17 2013 12:03 PM EDT2013-06-17 16:03:54 GMT
Carla Oglesby is accused of using fake contracts to scam hundreds of thousands of dollars to herself and her friends, from local vendors. She was first arrested nearly three years ago.
Carla Oglesby is accused of using fake contracts to scam hundreds of thousands of dollars to herself and her friends, from local vendors. She was first arrested nearly three years ago.
Friday, June 14 2013 9:36 PM EDT2013-06-15 01:36:02 GMT
Lawyers for Jesse Jackson Jr. assert in a court filing that the former Illinois congressman's mental health may worsen if he is given a lengthy prison sentence.
Lawyers for Jesse Jackson Jr. assert in a court filing that the former Illinois congressman's mental health may worsen if he is given a lengthy prison sentence.
Friday, June 14 2013 8:46 PM EDT2013-06-15 00:46:35 GMT
Political observers will be closely watching as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie participates in a discussion at the Clinton Global Initiative in Chicago.
Political observers will be closely watching as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie participates in a discussion at the Clinton Global Initiative in Chicago.
