Matthew Boyle
Breitbart.com
Big Government
18 Jun 2013
Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Jeff Flake (R-AZ), the four “Gang of Eight” GOP senators, joined Senate Democrats on Tuesday to kill an amendment to their immigration bill that would have required a double-layered fence to be built along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was the only other Republican to join the four Gang of Eight members who voted against the border security fence. Even Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), who have indicated some support for the Gang of Eight bill, bucked Rubio, McCain, Flake, Graham, and Murkowski in favor of the border security fence. Democrats like Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Mark Pryor of Arkansas also supported the border security fence.
The amendment, offered by Sen. John Thune (R-SD), would require that current law from several years ago actually be enforced and that a border fence be built. The previous law which passed on a bipartisan basis with 80 votes out of the U.S. Senate in 2006 had the support of then Sens. Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and other Democrat stalwarts…
The article continues at Big Government.
Hot Air has more (with video).
…Rubio, when pressed by Rush Limbaugh on the fact that most Latinos vote Democratic, made noises that suggest he thinks he’s going to do something similar in convincing Latinos to adopt small-government conservatism. Obama was wrong, Rubio will be wrong too. Although Rubio, at least, recognizes that having a legislative achievement to tout instead of just his own charm and personal awesomeness would be helpful in making the case.
Beyond that, if Rubio’s so concerned about politicians alienating key constituencies through jerky, off-putting rhetoric, how come he hasn’t canned any aides yet over yesterday’s moronic “we need amnesty because some American workers can’t cut it” quote? He prides himself on effective messaging, right? Well, here’s a chance to send a message. Fire the guys who told Ryan Lizza that because some American workers aren’t “stars,” we need more foreign workers — even though some of them aren’t stars either. …
Update: Sessions Chides Rubio: ‘Marco, There’s Somebody on the Television Pretending To Be You’
Update 2: via Breitbart:
- Sessions: Immigration Bill ‘Biggest Setback for Poor … in Decades’
- Rubio Flips Again, Helps Sink Biometric Visa Tracking Amendment
