Posted on 04/19/2013 9:05:08 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Nearly four years ago, in June 2009, then senator Jim DeMint endorsed Marco Rubio, an unknown, 38-year-old attorney, in Florida’s Republican Senate primary. It was huge news. Then GOP governor Charlie Crist was expected to waltz to the nomination, since he had the backing of most of the Republican establishment. DeMint’s endorsement led to a flurry of conservative interest in Rubio, who eventually landed on the cover of National Review and, of course, in the Senate. These days, however, that relationship is fraying, at least politically.
DeMint is now president of the Heritage Foundation and he’s battling Rubio’s push for comprehensive immigration reform. And the fight is only beginning. In a new post on the Heritage website, DeMint rails against the Gang of Eight’s bill, saying it has a “significant cost” for taxpayers. “This new bill is much the same as the last [such bill in 2007]: immediate amnesty in the form of provisional status within months and lofty promises of ’strategies’ and ‘plans’ for enforcement years later,” he writes.
Though DeMint’s opposition alone is probably not enough to take down the bill, how Rubio navigates the growing chorus of critics will say much about its chances. Rubio, for his part, clearly takes the opposition seriously. He’s spending many hours this week huddling with conservative leaders, and later today, he’ll once again appear on a slew of conservative talk-radio programs. On Wednesday, he appeared on Mark Levin’s show, where he carefully explained the bill.
Will Rubio’s wooing be enough to win some more conservative supporters? We’ll see. But it’s fascinating to see how DeMint, once Rubio’s greatest ally, is now an important adversary during a critical moment in Rubio’s career.
Being on Levin and Rush is a concerted effort
A pox on both who I normally adore
They let him on but then they trashed his bill.
Did you listen to the Rush Interview?
It’s funny, but Rand Paul’s position on Amnesty is just as bad as Rubio’s, but we hear next to nothing about it.
I don’t think Rand’s is this bad. This bill is terrible, and it is clear Rubio has been successfully compromised by the Democrat leadership. They got him to sign off on total garbage, thus ending his threat on a national level.
When Rubio lays out his general parameters earlier, it was within reason. Rand shares such core principles. Security first, path to normalization for those here as guest workers, and rigid path to citizenship like someone who followed the rules to gain citizenship from outside. Those principles are fine to many (the only real argument I have is path to citizenship...I have no problem with reform that gets illegals to become legal guest workers and tax payers).
The bill presented in no way matches up with the principles Rubio laid out. He made a major blunder going along with this crap. I haven’t seen Rand sign off on this bill.
Marco Rube? Part of the go-along-to-get-along collective in Con gress.
It makes me wonder about Sen. Rubio. I always felt he was a sneaky one. Now his true agenda is coming out.
Rubio’s a sellout. Never trust him on anything ever again.
Not at all. Paul’s position is seal the border, then we can talk. Rubio is let’s do amnesty and, trust us, we will also seal the boarder.
Even if you believe in the basic premise of this bill you’d have to say this bill is utter garbage. 900 pages long. Packed with exemptions and exceptions. As an example of legislative craftsmanship is is an embarrassment.
I think Rubio is pretty solid on most issues important to us. I’ve seen it publicly and privately with his staff. On immigration, he’s always been to the left of us...he’s a Jeb Bush guy, and has all the failing on immigration the Bush’s do.
I won’t completely abandon Rubio over this, but he’s lost major points with me. Unless he follows this course on other issues moving left, he’s still alright in my book overall. I won’t support him for higher office, though, after this debacle.
More likely it was the rino brothers Mcqueeg and Linda graham.I can just hear their pap right now and as a JR. Senator he is almost obliged to listen, not obey but at least listen.
This bill could be really bad for Marco and for us.
I will NEVER trust Rubio after this!
The idea that making them legal guest workers would result in them becoming tax payers is a red herring. Considering that almost 50 percent of legal residents don't pay income taxes, it is not reasonable to assume that workers coveted for their willingness to accept lower wage jobs would incur substantial tax liability. In fact, considering the number of dependents the average illegal has, it is more likely that most would qualify for an earned income tax credit.
I disagree with Rubio on more than just Amnesty, even though Amnesty is enough for him to hang! He’s also been a lapdog of the McCain undeclared warfare in the sandbox but I do think Rubio deserves to be recalled for his pre-election lies about amnesty. I find he makes my skin crawl almost as much as Obama does.
Wonder if Rubio is just a stooge for the Jeb Bush run @ the WH?
Me neither. He crossed the line. A mole.
Well stated.
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