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Florida Sen. Marco Rubio is the latest announced 2016 Republican presidential candidate. At 43, he brings youthful vigor and promises of a “new American Century.” What he is telling us is he is not a retread Bush or Clinton. He declares, “It begins now.”
There’s much to agree with as he makes his case. He urges a strong stance against a nuclear deal with Iran. Rubio wisely wants to bolster our national defense. He says he has a plan to eliminate the $18 Trillion national debt. Who can argue with his desire to restore the American Dream? Like most conservatives, he’s pro-life and a Second Amendment supporter. He even promises to cut taxes. These are all worthy goals. The trick is how to implement them.
A bit of background: Rubio’s parents immigrated from Cuba in 1956 and are naturalized U.S. citizens. He was born in Miami, Florida. His wife’s parents are from Columbia. In his religious life, he’s been all over the map. He speaks of his Catholic faith although he also attends a Southern Baptist church. As a child, he was baptized a Mormon and was active in the LDS faith through his early adolescence.
But it’s his divergent and facile views on illegal immigration, the DREAM Act, guest worker program and even Arizona’s SB 1070 that tell a convoluted story. Although he says he doesn’t support amnesty, he repeatedly falls back on the old saw, that “our immigration system is broken.” He also calls it “antiquated” and in need of “modernization.”
.In April 2012, Juan Williams interviewed Marco Rubio on these issues. The following year Rubio eagerly signed on with senate amnesty supporters —- Arizona’s duplicitous John McCain, Jeff Flake and Lindsey Graham (SC) as part of the “bipartisan” Gang of 8. For many conservatives, that blunderous association was a defining moment. Also onboard were leftist Democrat Senators Dick Durbin (Illinois), Chuck Schumer (NY), Robert Menendez (NJ), and Michael Bennet (Colo).
With presidential aspirations front and center, Rubio has since tried to reverse his commitment to the 2013 “comprehensive immigration reform bill” that contained a pathway to citizenship for illegals. The bill passed the Senate but failed in the GOP-controlled House, where the politicians then opted for a “piecemeal” approach, thinking we don‘t know incrementalism when it looks us in the eye.
Americans are hungry for honesty. We haven’t seen it in six years. This is the time to closely examine the candidates as they announce. America’s future is at stake. The question to ask is, “Can Rubio be trusted?”