What do Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) have in common? They are both freshman Republican senators, they are both attorneys of Cuban descent, and they are both said to be considering runs for the White House.
Those are the obvious similarities. More obscure: They both had resisted the temptation of privately funded junkets. That is until they both took funds from the American Enterprise Institute to visit Sea Island, Ga. for the think tank's annual World Forum last month, according to recent disclosures. The AEI describes the World Forum as an annual "off-the-record, agenda-setting discussions covering challenges in politics, economics, foreign policy, and other critical areas."
Both junior senators were selected to address the four-day conference. Among those on the guest list included former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former Vice President Dick Cheney, and former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.). The attendees had the opportunity to meet with top officials from national and international media outlets, financial conglomerates and health care providers.
AEI's World Forum was one of the final stops before former Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) announced his 2012 presidential candidacy. Neither Cruz nor Rubio have formally announced their intentions for the 2016 presidential race as of yet, despite persistent rumors.
