you wanted -- you wanted more aggressive action quicker but not necessarily any more military presence.” RUBIO: “Not on the ground.” [O’Reilly Factor, Fox News, 10/24/11] RUBIO SAID THE LIBYA REVOLUTION HAD AN IMPACT ON SYRIA Rubio: “What’s Happening In Libya Has A Direct Impact On What’s Happening In Syria.” In response to calls “for expanding U.S. military efforts in Libya to ‘capture’ Moammar Gadhafi,” an editorial in Gannett Newspapers, opined: “What's next - an expedition to Syria to depose Bashar al-Assad? Well, as a matter of fact, here's what Rubio had to say about that: ‘What's happening in Libya has a direct impact on what's happening in Syria - and Syria is basically a satellite state of Iran. So the first thing I would say to you is that the best defense is a good offense. The fact that Iran is worried about Libya and worried about Syria and ultimately worried about themselves is good. If they're tied up dealing with those things they can't be going around the world trying to undermine us.’ No, but we can undermine ourselves. It shouldn't be necessary to remind Rubio - whose other big cause in the Senate is controlling the deficit - that every dollar the U.S. spends in Libya is borrowed, as is every dollar we have spent, and are spending, in Iraq and Afghanistan.” [Editorial, Gannett Newspapers, 4/6/11] MEDIA CRITICISM Palm Beach Post Criticized Rubio For Not Supporting A Higher Debt Limit While Simultaneously Calling For The U.S. To Get Deeper Into Libya's Civil War. In April 2011, the Palm Beach Post opined, “U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., voted to shut down the government and says he won't support raising the debt limit unless it comes with the whole GOP agenda. Yet he wants the United States, already warring in Iraq and Afghanistan, to get deeper into Libya's civil war. But even if spending weren't an issue, the U.S. should be wary of mission creep.” [Editorial, Palm Beach Post, 4/21/11]  Palm Beach Post: “No Compelling National Interest To Justify Sending U.S. Ground Troops To Libya.” “There is no compelling national interest to justify sending U.S. ground troops to Libya with the mission of ousting Gadhafi. In that region, even if the rebels fighting Gadhafi are the spear point of a democratic movement, power be-stowed by U.S. military force could discredit any group accepting it.” [Editorial, Palm Beach Post, 4/21/11]