In case Congressman Carlos Curbelo is too busy hover boarding tonight to watch his preferred presidential candidate Marco Rubio in the last Republican debate before Super Tuesday, here’s a quick spoiler alert for the Congressman. Tonight during the CNN/Telemundo debate, Rubio will no doubt double down on his extreme, Trump-like positions on immigration – a tack that fellow Republicans have criticized as “hard right” and “cut and run.”
Though Curbelo purports to support immigration reform, he has endorsed a presidential candidate whose top accomplishment in the Senate is backtracking on immigration reform. Tonight, Rubio will no doubt try to deflect the “cut and run” criticism by bragging about his far right credentials: supporting a Trump-like border wall, deporting DREAMers, and slamming the door on immigration reform.
Fellow Marco Rubio surrogates have struggled to name his accomplishments lately. But now that we’ve gotten Curbelo up to speed on what his candidate Marco Rubio will say tonight at the Republican debate, Curbelo should be able to answer one simple question:
“How does Carlos Curbelo explain his endorsement of Marco Rubio’s anti-immigration platform? South Floridians deserve to know,” said Jermaine House of the DCCC.
Background
Politico: “Graham slams Rubio for going ‘hard right.’” [Politico, 2/2/16]
Politico: “Santorum Can’t Name Any Of Rubio’s Senate Accomplishments.” [Politico, 2/4/16]
Bush: “[Rubio] Asked For My Support On [Immigration Reform] Bill And He Cut And Run.” “Jeb Bush on Friday joined his super PAC’s attack on Marco Rubio’s character, saying that the Florida senator ‘cut and run’ from his past support for comprehensive immigration reform. . . . ‘Marco cut and run, plain and simple,’ Bush said during a news conference at a local hotel. ‘For whatever reason, there may be legitimate reasons. But he cut and run. He asked for my support on a bill, and he cut and run. He cut and run on his colleagues as well. This is about leadership.’” [Washington Examiner, 1/15/16]
Bloomberg: “Marco Rubio Rules Out Path to Citizenship During His Presidency.” [Bloomberg, 9/22/15]
Rubio Called For Ending DACA, Allowing Deportation Of DREAMers. “GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio said Wednesday in New Hampshire the deportation deferral program that has allowed hundreds of thousands of young immigrants to stay and work in the country has to end with or without immigration reform legislation. Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida, made the comment about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA, program in response to a reporter’s question while campaigning in the early primary state. ‘DACA is going to end and the ideal way for it to end is that it’s replaced by a reform system that creates an alternative,’ Rubio said while in Manchester, N.H. ‘But if it doesn’t, it will end. It cannot be the permanent policy of the United States.’” [NBC News, 11/14/15]
“Marco Rubio Rules Out Path To Citizenship During His Presidency.” [Bloomberg, 9/22/15]
January 2016: Rubio Put Out An Ad Promising To Finish 700 Miles Of Border Wall And “Deport Criminal Aliens.” “A second new Rubio ad responds to attacks from a super PAC supporting former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Right to Rise USA has launched a wave of TV ads and mailers targeting Rubio. In his commercial, Rubio promises to add 20,000 border agents, finish 700 miles of border wall and ‘deport criminal aliens.’ ‘We all see what’s happening,’ Rubio says in the ad. ‘Jeb Bush is desperate and spending millions on false attacks. Don’t fall for it. When I’m president, there will be no amnesty.’” [Washington Post, 1/15/16]