Mario Diaz-Balart Plays Referee, Counts Out Biden

by Walter Alarkon - 10/21/08 3:23 PM ET

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s (R-Fla.) portrayal of a wrestling referee counting out Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) at a John McCain rally last week is making the YouTube rounds.

In the clip, sent to reporters by Diaz-Balart’s Democratic opponent, a local news correspondent describes the GOP congressman as “hoarse and hyperexcited.”

Diaz-Balart says at the rally: “We know Sen. McCain. And there’s another problem: We’re starting to know Sen. Obama!”

Later on, Diaz-Balart is shown falling to the floor to simulate a referee counting out Biden at the vice presidential debate.

In a Miami Herald blog post entitled “Mario Diaz-Balart’s World Wrestling Federation Audition,” Democrat Joe Garcia suggested that his GOP opponent was acting like Howard Dean after the 2004 Iowa caucuses.

“Looks like our people-powered campaign, and this whole ‘being a Congressman thing,’ has really gotten to Mario Diaz-Balart,” Garcia told the Herald.

But Diaz-Balart said his appearance at the rally was all in fun.

“I don’t know if you’ve seen a video of Joe Garcia wearing a cape,” Diaz-Balart told The Hill. “It