The Brody File
Marco Rubio's Waiting Game
And now we wait. We wait to see how much damage Marco Rubio has done to his presidential ambitions.
Read below from National Journal and then let's discuss:
After relentlessly defending an ambitious overhaul of the nation's immigration laws for months, Marco Rubio didn't respond when House Republican leaders last week trashed it as a "flawed…massive, Obama-care like bill."
The Florida senator's office, which churned out countless press releases touting his interviews and speeches about the legislation, hasn't said a word about immigration since the Senate passed the bill on June 27.
The silence is a sign that, at least publicly, Rubio won't try to dissuade the House from a piecemeal approach that excludes a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Instead, Rubio is turning to the safer, more conservative-friendly issues he campaigned on in 2010 -- President Obama's healthcare law, federal spending, the deficit -- but with less support from Republicans than before, according to public polls. He's put off abortion opponents clamoring for him to spearhead a controversial ban after 20 weeks and staying put while potential rivals in 2016 jockey in the early-primary states.
Look, I've been communicating with Tea Party folks in Florida who were big Rubio backers when he ran for the Senate in 2010. They are crushed and view him as a traitor.In Iowa, Rubio is now met with major skepticism. He's going to have a lot of work to do to repair relations with the base.
But you know what? You have to give Rubio some credit here, knowing full well he was going to take a major political hit yet. He wanted to do what he believes is the right thing on immigration reform. He authentically believes in a compromise solution and while that may not sit well with the base, you have to give him props for sticking to his guns on this.
Who knows exactly how this is going to play out. There's still time for Rubio to make a comeback with the base. But it's going to be a heavier lift now.
Read below from National Journal and then let's discuss:
After relentlessly defending an ambitious overhaul of the nation's immigration laws for months, Marco Rubio didn't respond when House Republican leaders last week trashed it as a "flawed…massive, Obama-care like bill."
The Florida senator's office, which churned out countless press releases touting his interviews and speeches about the legislation, hasn't said a word about immigration since the Senate passed the bill on June 27.
The silence is a sign that, at least publicly, Rubio won't try to dissuade the House from a piecemeal approach that excludes a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Instead, Rubio is turning to the safer, more conservative-friendly issues he campaigned on in 2010 -- President Obama's healthcare law, federal spending, the deficit -- but with less support from Republicans than before, according to public polls. He's put off abortion opponents clamoring for him to spearhead a controversial ban after 20 weeks and staying put while potential rivals in 2016 jockey in the early-primary states.
Look, I've been communicating with Tea Party folks in Florida who were big Rubio backers when he ran for the Senate in 2010. They are crushed and view him as a traitor.In Iowa, Rubio is now met with major skepticism. He's going to have a lot of work to do to repair relations with the base.
But you know what? You have to give Rubio some credit here, knowing full well he was going to take a major political hit yet. He wanted to do what he believes is the right thing on immigration reform. He authentically believes in a compromise solution and while that may not sit well with the base, you have to give him props for sticking to his guns on this.
Who knows exactly how this is going to play out. There's still time for Rubio to make a comeback with the base. But it's going to be a heavier lift now.