Ayotte Rallies With Rubio, Calls for Benghazi Answers

A crowd of about 150 Republicans were stirring with emotions on Thursday in Manchester as U.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH, and Marco Rubio, R-FL, took them everywhere from a humorous tale of Bob Dole's campaign follies to the sadness of lives lost in Libya on Sept. 11.

Ayotte joined other Republicans in signing a letter on Wednesday calling for Benghazi answers, and she once again slammed the Obama administration for its handling of the situation.

"The American people deserve answers about what happened," she said. "Not only the security situation but for why wasn't (the consulate reinforced). During, why wasn't there assistance given to those brave Americans? And finally, why were we told that this was a spontaneous reaction to a video when they knew very quickly that that was not the case."

Ayotte said that the issue comes down to trust and competence in a leader, and that the path of choosing GOP candidate Mitt Romney will provide very strong leadership.

Rubio followed Ayotte on stage at the Executive Court Inn. He repeated several times that more government power has "always failed" around the world.

"It's easier to pass a law or create a government agency to start a business, but the problem is it doesn't work," Rubio said. "That's not a new idea."

"This election we have an extraordinary nominee, Mitt Romney is an extraordinary person," he added.

Before motivating the crowd, Rubio had people in stitches as he described a wacky incident that took place during his first trip to New Hampshire campaigning for Bob Dole in 1996.

Rubio and other campaigners tried to bring some Florida spirit to the Granite State by passing oranges out door-to-door.

That day, Rubio rubbed shoulders on the Dole for President pursuit with a black mustached Cuban who spoke poor English. When the man tried to ring what he believed to be the doorbell at a particular home, the garage door suddenly closed behind him.

"So now, it's 9:30 in the morning, so now we've got a 4'10'' Cuban trapped in a garage with a bag of oranges," Rubio joked. "It was a difficult extraction, but we got him out. I'm not sure if they voted for Bob Dole or not."

Rubio was previously in New Hampshire in October campaigning for gubernatorial candidate Ovide Lamontagne. He once again sung Lamontagne's praises on Thursday, saying that if he wins the election, it will set an example of what limited government means on a state level.

OFA-NH issued a statement following the rally:

"Mitt Romney and his surrogates have made a lot of promises about bringing change, but we know that we can’t trust a word Romney says. Granite Staters saw up close his tenure as Governor of Massachusetts when he raised over 1,000 taxes fees - mostly on middle class families - and made record cuts to public education. They know that Romney Economics didn't work then and won't work now.

The President is fighting to reclaim the middle-class security that had been undercut by the failed policies of the previous decade – the same policies Mitt Romney wants to reintroduce. President Obama is pointing the way forward to real change that will create jobs, boost the middle class and create a stronger future for all Americans. 

From Pelham to Pittsburg and Hanover to Hampton, volunteers and supporters are talking to their neighbors about the President's vision for an economy built to last from the middle out because they know how much is at stake. This election could come down to just a few votes, where even one conversation could make the difference between moving forward with President Obama or falling backward with Governor Romney."