Marco Rubio's break to drink water steals attention from Republican response

MARCO Rubio's Republican response to the State of the Union speech has been overshadowed by an impromptu water break.

SENATOR Marco Rubio's Republican response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech has been overshadowed by an impromptu water break to quench his thirst.

Senator Rubio, a Cuban-American, had meant to make history by delivering his party's traditional response to the president in both English and Spanish. Republicans are reaching out to the Latino community after it went strongly for Obama in the November elections.

Instead, Senator Rubio's sudden lunge for a water bottle became the memorable part. Jokes included one about arch conservatives versus "parched conservatives".

Senator Rubio has been mentioned as a presidential candidate in 2016. The chance to give the Republican response to Mr Obama also was seen as a way to increase his visibility.

It worked. Senator Rubio took it in stride and later tweeted a photo of the water bottle.

"I needed water. What are you going to do," Senator Rubio said in a TV interview. "God has a funny way of reminding us we are human.'"