JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Senator Marco Rubio's rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union address seemed to be going smoothly. Up until he just couldn't take it anymore.
He interrupted the nationally televised speech to take a live swig of water. The moment lasted about three seconds but it was enough to send the social media world into a frenzy.
The incident was even dubbed "water-bottle gate."
Rubio said on "CBS This Morning" today, "I'm just glad the water was nearby, I don't know what I would've done without it."
Right before he delivered his response live, he had just finished taping the same 18-minute rebuttal in Spanish.
But instead of trying to avoid the publicity, Rubio is joining in.
He tweeted a photo of the tiny Poland Spring water bottle he used to quench his thirst with the hashtag #GOPResponse.
According to a local public relations expert, Rubio is handling this right way.
"The more fun he has with it the more it will continue to be pushed out, more people will become familiar with him and his name," said Jason Mudd, President of Axia Public Relations.
Many argue the bad case of cottonmouth overshadowed the actual message, but Mudd disagrees.
According to Mudd, it will all depend on how the senator handles it from now on.
"Now he's gotta figure out a way to tie the water back into the well. I think Americans are really thirsty for real leadership like I am," said Mudd.
While the speech didn't go the way Rubio intended, Mudd says everyone likes a politician with a sense of humor.
