Marco Rubio Slams Obama’s Art History Apology As 'Pathetic'

Sen. Marco Rubio has slammed President Obama for the apology he made to an art history professor after he criticized the discipline in a speech last month. "Pathetic Obama apology to art history prof. We do need more degrees that lead to #jobs," wrote the Florida Republican, linking to a story on Politico about Obama’s handwritten note to the professor apologizing for his off-handed comments about the necessity for more skills-oriented degrees. Clearly Senator Rubio feels we need more vocational programs.

President Obama sent the note in reference to a speech he made in Milwaukee last month, in which the president said, “Folks can make a lot more potentially with skilled manufacturing or the trades than they might with an art history degree.” He did, however, clearly state that he was a big fan of Art History and that indeed he had studied it in high-school. Notwithstanding, University of Texas at Austin professor Ann Collins Johns wrote to the president to defend art history majors.

“Let me apologize for my off-the-cuff remarks," wrote the President. "I was making a point about the jobs market, not the value of art history. As it so happens, art history was one of my favorite subjects in high school, and it has helped me take in a great deal of joy in my life that I might otherwise have missed,” Obama wrote. Rubio's tweet comes as last week he unveiled his proposal to reform higher education to ensure students are getting skills for vocational careeers.