Romney’s VP-in-waiting, Marco Rubio, is perfecting the conservative sleaze play.
He has proposed his version of the Dream Act in which people who entered the country illegally as children will be allowed to remain in the U.S. if they attend college or enter the military. It differs from the Democrat’s original Dream Act in that it does not lead to citizenship. It would instead issue non-immigrant visas allowing certain undocumented immigrants to remain in the country.
Unfortunately for Rubio, his Dream Act Lite which was concocted as a way to gain favor with Hispanics and con them into voting for the Republican Party in November, is meeting resistance within the GOP where a hard line stance on the issue of illegal immigration is still the order of the day.
There’s always hope. I did talk to Sen. Rubio about his idea, and he gave me some particulars about how this would work. I found it of interest. But the problem with this issue is that we’re operating in a very hostile political environment and to deal with a very difficult issue like this I think it would be difficult at best.
Translation: Congress’ Tea Party wingnuts will never vote for any plan which proposes anything other than herding up all undocumented workers and shipping them back home in cattle cars.
So with his Dream Act doomed to failure, Rubio turns to conservative’s tried and proven fix of relying on low information voters to believe anything they say. In this case, it’s to lay the blame for failure to pass the Rubio Dream Act on President Obama. Of course.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is angling to blame President Obama for the looming failure of his watered-down DREAM Act, and the White House is strongly objecting to that implication, insisting that Rubio’s problem is with his own party, not the president.
“The notion that somehow the president or Democrats would be the roadblock to any progress on immigration is ridiculous,” a White House official told TPM. “If this proposal fails, the reason will be the Republicans.”
Conservatives have no shame. Not only is Rubio hoping to lay blame on Obama for his own party’s extremism on immigration (and every other issue) but he’s been blatantly bullshitting his way through this while attempting to sell his plan to both Spanish and English-language audiences.
…Rubio has emphasized different aspects of his plan to different audiences. During interviews on English-language media, for instance, he has emphasized that his proposal does not include citizenship; while appearing on the Spanish-language La Opinion, he played up the fact that it opens up possible “access to citizenship.”
More Rubio sleaze on a different issue.
Senator Marco Rubio, the Republican rumored possible running mate for presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney today voted against the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which has passed time and time again in a bipartisan fashion for decades. this year the VAWA became a partisan nightmare for Republicans, who opposed extending protections to LGBT people, immigrants, and Native Americans. Because violence against some women is deplorable, but apparently, not all women are equal in the eyes of the GOP.
Meanwhile, the man who claims he isn’t interested in the VP job has been hanging out with Romney in Pennsylvania and recently moved up publication of his autobiography from the fall to June. Jeff Parker nailed this one.
Here’s hoping Hispanic voters see right through this self-serving, slimy politician.
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( The Marco Rubio source photograph is a Creative Commons licensed image from photographer Gage Skidmore.)
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A Cuban American living in the past!
Mario,
I believe Rubio will have a change of heart and end up accepting an invitation from Romney to run on his ticket. I believe Romney is going to want him because he knows that he needs a huge part of the Latino vote and without it; his hopes to become the next president is doomed.
Now the problem with Rubio is that he’s Cuban; not Mexican or El Salvadorian or Guatamalan which is the largest percentage of Latinos in this country and who do not have the same values as Cuban Americans. It might help Romney win Florida but Florida alone is not going to win Romney the election.
I’m really anxious to get to the general election debates so I can see Obama cream Romney before the nation.
Re: Marco Rubio,
The general rule is that once a Cuban individual reaches American soil and is out of American waters, they are allowed to *remain in the U.S because they are considered refugees. This controversial policy is often referred to as the “wet foot, dry foot policy.”
In 1994, the U.S. set a quota of 20,000 immigrant visas annually for Cubans. Of this number, 5,000 come from a lottery system. This special lottery administered by American officials in Havana gives Cubans permanent U.S. residency.
To gain a visa from this special lottery is highly desired by Cubans since those selected are *entitled to a Green Card and work assistance in the United States.
In addition, children of the winners of the lottery are allowed to enroll in the public school system. One of the biggest incentives is that lottery winners may be *eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship within five years of winning the lottery.
None of the above is true of the millions of “Hispanics” whose issues are on the present political forefront.
They know that choosing Mr. Rubio (a Cuban) as Vice President will NOT give Hispanics the voice thay are needing and deserve – it is yet another SCAM by the GOP !
Does his “NIghtmare Act” I mean “Dream Act” mean he doesn’t mind you dying to protect his way of life but you’ll never be good enough to be a citizen?