Does Marco Rubio Have The Guts Mitt Romney Didn't?

Two weeks ago I wrote that Florida Senator Marco Rubio was taking some heat from many on his right over his immigration stance. His involvement in the "Gang of 8", a bi-partisan group of elected officials who have come up with a pretty reasonable plan for immigration reform, has brought out a dangerous and counter-productive element of today's Conservative movement. Right wing pundits have been especially critical of the Gang of 8's proposal, including popular RW talkers Mark Levin, who said, "“It amazes me how few Republicans in elected office actually talk about the Constitution. They have no more respect for it, no more concern about its boundaries and limits than the left. That’s why I say they’re neo-statist.”  Later, name-checked Rubio during the same tirade:  “You got that, Marco? You got that Paul and Karl Rove, as you lie  through your teeth, you got it, pal?”

Laura Ingraham said, “To all the Republicans who supported this, well know that you’re writing your own political obituary. I hope you know that you just participated in the political equivalent of a one-night stand. Once the Democrat leadership has had their way with you, they’re not going to love you in the morning,” And, "In all my years of warning about the GOP moderates, I’m certain that this Senate immigration deal is the worst thing they’ve ever done,” 

Michelle Malkin offered, "Marco Rubio has made some extremely bad choices . . . Unfortunately Marco Rubio has been completely self-diluted . .. I think he’s trying to save face.”

Ann Coulter said, The patriotic House member’s position has got to be until the Senate is in  Republican hands, preferably Rubio-free, sorry, we’re not even going to pass a  bill that mentions immigration. A week earlier she dubbed him, “the Jack Kevorkian of the Republican Party.”

Even Glen Beck is upset: “Let me tell you something Marco Rubio, I haven’t trusted you for quite some time.  Rubio’s a dirtbag.  He is not on our side. Don’t trust Marco Rubio.”

Good grief. Glen Beck calling Marco Rubio a dirtbag? Really?

Mr. Rubio hasn't been afraid to take on his critics directly as he's made stops at most of the popular conservative media outlets like Fox news and various right wing radio talk shows. Generally speaking, Rubio is well liked and thought of as having great potential to lead the party back to the White House someday. Maybe that day will be in 2016. Maybe not.

A recent poll by the conservative leaning Rasmussen Reports shows Rubio taking a hard hit in his favorability ratings within the Republican Party. In February, Rubio was considered favorable by 73% of Republicans. That number fell to 68% in May and earlier this week had dropped even further to 58%. Overall, a severe drop in his favorability ratings of 21% in less than six months.

Senator Rubio took to the floor of the Senate Wednesday to defend the Gang of 8 immigration plan as well as his support of it. Its twelve minutes long, but Rubio does a nice job directly responding to his critics and making a strong case why it should be supported.



I do not agree with Marco Rubio on most issues. Should he be the GOP's nominee I would have a hard time voting for him. That said, it strikes me that here we have an attractive, young, dynamic and capable legislator showing a willingness to reach across the aisle and work toward a common good with Democrats. Which, generally speaking, is something that most independent voters find highly attractive. Rather than learn the lesson from the Mitt Romney disaster, the hard liners mentioned above and others like fellow Senator Ted Cruz-(R TX) are trashing Rubio's efforts. Cruz has, in fact, compared the proposed Bill to "human trafficking."

For those of you who have forgotten, Mitt Romney was a mostly moderate Republican Governor of a liberal state in Massachusetts, who's biggest success, "Romneycare" was rendered utterly useless by the Republican primary process. Romney was forced/chose to abandon his moderate strength and pronounce himself not just a conservative but a severe conservative, which was, of course, laughable. Its my opinion, the primary process forced Romney to move so far to his right to win the hearts and minds of the primary voters, that when it came time to move back towards the middle to attract the independent and undecided voters, he could'nt step to his left fast or far enough and he wound up getting clocked badly by an unpopular incumbent who's middle name is Hussein and is thought by many to be a Muslim, Socialist/Marxist, Kenyan who hates Christians and Christmas equally.

Again I'll caution those on the right against making the same mistake twice. Rubio is probably less moderate than Romney was, but if he's so easily attacked it makes me wonder if any lessons have been learned from the 2012 Presidential Election. To many in the middle, voices like those of Cruz and fellow Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) strike many of us as too extreme, too strident. Rubio doesn't have the extreme or nutty label yet and I applaud his efforts to stand his ground...so far.

Glen beck called Marco Rubio a dirtbag. That's precious...

Sources:

http://reasonableconversation.blogspot.com/2013/06/silliness-in-3-2-1.html

http://therun2016.com/scoring-rubios-uphill-battle-with-conservative-talkers/

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/06/laura-ingraham-immigration-bill-republicans-93313.html

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/rasmussen-shows-collapse-in-rubios-support-among-republicans?ref=fpb

http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/ted-cruz-likens-immigration-bill-to-human-trafficking/

Does the Immigration Bill Hand Out Free Cars to the Poor?

Breitbart.com has a story posted about taxpayer subsidized "Obamacars" being a part of the new Immigration Bill. Supported most eagerly by Senator Bernie Sanders  (I-VT) this program is described in this way: (Boldface mine)...

A provision under that new stimulus program title allows for the use of spending the taxpayer money on the program to provide transportation for youth to and from their jobs.

“(f) USE OF FUNDS.—
 (1) IN GENERAL.—The funds made available under this section shall be used—
 (A) to provide summer employment opportunities for low-income youth, with direct linkages to academic and occupational learning, and may be used to provide supportive services, such as transportation or child care, that is necessary to enable the participation of such youth in the opportunities;”

Well, that sounds a bit vague, doesn't it?  Naturally, "transportation" doesn't mean public transportation like buses or streetcars/trolleys. It MUST mean brand new, flashy cars for these poor bastards to drive around town in on OUR hard earned dimes. I'm sure the Democrats have figured out this is a slick way to improve sales on those green cars we've been hearing about. 

I suspect the handouts aren't limited to cars. I predict a slight uptick in the sales and leases of private commuter planes and helicopters. Why not? Also, those in areas served by railway can also expect to see a mandate coming down from White House that will permit a certain number of passengers to hop a car and ride into the city...again at our expense. 

It won't stop there. I hear rumblings that "forced car-poolings" are in the works sometime in the next 24 months. The Federal Government will, using its vast database and research capabilities, be able to see who lives near one of these poor souls who have no transportation to work. The Government will notify any registered motorist of their assigned "duty" to help their fellow man and be responsible for transporting the individual to AND from work. 

What's next? The Space Shuttle to work program? 

(The wording of this section is vague and invites (hopefully) erroneous interpretations of what "transportation" really means. I strongly suspect these monies are to be used for buses and other forms of public transportation, not the purchase of new cars. Like I said, the wording could've been clearer, but is anyone surprised that media outlets like the Washington Examiner and Brietbart.com spun this in the way they did?) 

Sources: 

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/06/24/ObamaCar-handout-for-taxpayer-subsidized-vehicles-for-kids-built-into-immigration-bill-too

http://washingtonexaminer.com/new-amendment-adds-jobs-bill-to-gang-of-eight-immigration-plan/article/2532293

New Poll Shows Clinton/Christie at Front of 2016 Presidential Pack...

According to a new poll from Quinnipiac University, Democrat and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would defeat both Vice President Joe Biden or New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic Nomination if the election was held today. For Republicans, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie leads fellow Republicans Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Paul Ryan, Congressman from Wisconsin.


Remember, polls are a snapshot of current opinions. Keep in mind that Michelle Bachmann won the Iowa straw poll last election cycle and we know how that turned out, don't we?

The poll also found that Hispanic voters prefer Clinton to Marco Rubio by a significant margin, (60-24%). A stat that likely sends chills down the backs of GOP party leaders.

The poll also reveals that President Obama is trusted more than Congress is when it comes to the economy (44-40), health care(46-41) and immigration (45-40).

Also from the poll this info on gun reform:

By an 88 - 10 percent margin, including 85 - 13 percent among voters in households with guns, American voters support background checks for all gun buyers. Voters also support 54 - 41 percent a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons and back 54 - 42 percent a nationwide ban on the sale of ammunition magazines with more than 10 rounds. 

The poll was conducted between February 27th to March 4th, surveying over 1900 registered voters.

Sources:

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/institutes-centers/polling-institute/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=1861

Families along U.S.-Mexico border face tough school choices - The Washington Post

To the charge that President Obama isn't doing anything to address the illegal immigration problem.

Families along U.S.-Mexico border face tough school choices - The Washington Post

As Ezra Klein says in this morning's Wonkbook, "I cannot guarantee that it is going to be in the first 100 days," then-candidate Barack Obama told Univision's Jorge Ramos in May of 2008. "But what I can guarantee is that we will have in the first year an immigration bill that I strongly support and that I'm promoting." That didn't work out. Five months later, the economy collapsed, and so did a lot of the Obama campaign's hopes for its first-year in office. (Little known fact: the campaign's original plan for the first 100 days called for doing deficit reduction first in order to build credibility for health care and energy. It's interesting to "what-if" a world in which they'd gotten to implement that.) But excuses don't matter. Results do. And that comment is, to the Latino community, a key broken promise. Ramos, for one, is making certain it's not forgotten, and that the administration pays for breaking it.

But though "in the first year" failed, perhaps "before the next election" will do. Obama will head to Texas tomorrow to argue that the administration has made the necessary first steps in immigration reform: they've stepped up border security, workplace enforcement, and deportations. Now, he'll say, there needs to be a more permanent solution.
It's hard to imagine this Congress, at this moment, turning its attention towards a sober and successful discussion of immigration reform. The administration knows that, and so the president's speech will call for more outside pressure to force Congress to act. That's doesn't guarantee an outcome, either, of course. But even if it fails substantively, it could work politically, convincing the Latino community that their problem isn't with a president who wants to sign immigration reform, but with a Congress that doesn't want to touch it, and they should vote accordingly.