Rubio tells Decorah audience "We are a great nation in decline"

(decorahnews.com photo)

Republican Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio told a Hotel Winneshiek audience Monday morning the United States is "a great nation in decline."

The U.S. Senator from Florida told an audience of around 150 people "This election will be a turning point."  He accused President Barack Obama of wanting to change America, pointing to what he said was the president's "war against the Second Amendment."

Rubio said when he is elected president, he would repeal every executive order issued by Obama, then call for a Convention of the States to pass a balanced budget amendment and a term limit amendment for elected officials and judges.

Rubio said when he is president he will order the military to find terrorists and kill them.  Those who are captured would be sent straight to Guantanamo, so their secrets could be learned.  This would be "a real war or terror," he told the hotel audience.

Much of his speech concerned immigration, which he said he knows on a personal level because of the experiences of family members.  He wants to hire another 20,000 border agents, complete the last 700 miles of the wall between the U.S. and Mexico and implement an E-Verify system to make sure people being hired are not illegal aliens.

Following his speech, Rubio left for a day of campaign appearances in Waverly, Ottumwa and Bettendorf.

The Iowa Caucuses are just two weeks away.