Mark Takano Schools Marco Rubio on Net Neutrality
Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., may seem like a nice guy, but he went all “Mr. Hand ” on Sen. Marco Rubio over the Florida Republican’s op-ed on net neutrality.
Takano, a Harvard graduate and former public high school teacher, took to Facebook Thursday and scorched the presumed 2016 GOP presidential candidate, giving him an “F.” Among his chief complaints were word length (“try to say it in 600-700 words”), hackneyed language (he underlined “tried cliché” and “mixed metaphor”) and unattributed facts (“source?” he wrote in the margins of one paragraph).
This is the second time Takano has revisited his days in academia to take down a colleague’s political stance. In 2013, he gave House Republicans a “F” on a memo to Speaker John A. Boehner regarding immigration laws.
But the member of Congress wasn’t the only one to take heat Thursday from the veteran English teacher. Takano’s communications director, Brett Morrow, blasted out a press release to spread word of the Facebook post — with a typo in the subject line.
The original: “Mark Takano Rep Pen Part Deux.”
The corrected: “Mark Takano Red Pen Part Deux.”
Morrow acknowledged his mistake.
“I got a B- for this press release,” he explained in his follow-up email.
After HOH contacted Morrow to ask if his boss had really given him a dressing-down for his typo, Chief of Staff Kirk McPike replied with the following statement: “Since Mark Takano entered office, Brett Morrow has been an essential part of his success. Brett has led our successful efforts to establish Rep. Takano’s sharp and progressive communications style. I am certain Brett will continue to serve our office with great skill and dedication in his new position of Staff Assistant.”
HOH gives McPike an A+ for having a sense of humor.
The 114th: CQ Roll Call’s Guide to the New Congress
Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call in your inbox or on your iPhone.
