Marco Rubio has decided to dispel the rumor that he is, in fact, a robot by lightening up a little. First on the docket: talking smack to Ted Cruz’s 76-year-old father.

In a hotel lobby in South Carolina on Saturday, the staff at The Daily Pennsylvanian caught an uncomfortable exchange: Rubio, as he was walking by Rafael Cruz and a young staffer on Cruz’s campaign, Christian Collins. Rubio saw them, and paused to do a little bullying.

“Got a good book there,” Rubio said to Collins, referencing the book in front of him. “Not many answers in it, especially that one.”

What book was Collins reading to earn such a scolding from a presidential candidate? Why did Rubio feel the need to pick on a young, powerless staffer? Why didn’t Cruz’s father stand up and give Rubio what-for? W

We’ve reached out to Collins and the Cruz campaign, and will update this post when we get to the bottom of it.

Update: The wording in the original video is reportedly inaccurate, and a lemming in the Cruz camp has been fired over it. Read the whole story:


Contact the author at melissa.cronin@gawker.com.