Uh-oh, Rubio. Your base is finally figuring out they've been used. And they are coming after you.
Tea party wants U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio to step into contentious immigration debate Republicans want to avoidBy Alex Leary, Times Staff Writer
May 29, 2011
WASHINGTON — A crack is forming in U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's tea party.
Conservative activists — still raw over what they say was his role in blocking illegal immigration legislation while speaker of the Florida House — say the burgeoning Republican star needs to deliver on campaign rhetoric for tougher enforcement.
"We've been waiting for him to come up with something and to be a leader on this issue," said Danita Kilcullen, founder of Tea Party Fort Lauderdale.
.....
But Rubio has not made an effort to sponsor immigration legislation or even highlight the issue — it is not listed on his website, tea party members note. And he remained on the sidelines as E-Verify was narrowly defeated this month in the Florida Legislature, where Rubio is held in almost holy regard.
.....
Rubio's pledge to vote against the Dream Act, which would create a path to citizenship for some children of illegal immigrants, has struck some Hispanics as particularly offensive.
Still, talk is not enough for the other side of Rubio's base — the conservative activists who provided early momentum for his once long-shot campaign.
"He wants to have it both ways," said George Fuller of Sarasota, who is aligned with several tea party groups. "We're going to be zeroing in on him like a laser."
.....
And, later today, my, how they do protest too much....
Rubio supporters push back on tea party-immigration storyAlex Leary at 7:51:08 pm on May 29, 2011, reports:
.....
This evening, the head of FreedomWorks' Florida effort issued a statement saying any suggestion there is a "crack" in Rubio's tea party is wrong and the "bond and mutual respect" between Rubio and the tea party movement in Florida has "grown stronger than ever." FreedomWorks provided financial and organizational support for the tea party.
"The Tea Party’s expanded regard and admiration for Rubio is simple to understand by those actively involved in the Movement. Since taking office, Rubio has honored his campaign promises to the Movement, and he has consistently shown great deference for the concerns and wishes of the Movement on specific issues," Tom Gaitens said.
“The Tea Party loves Marco Rubio because he has the character and the courage to do the right thing and stick to his principles, no matter what,” explains Ron McCoy, a co-founder of the West Orlando Tea Party. “Just the mention of Rubio’s name at one of our meetings recently was met with resounding applause – and, he wasn’t even in the room.”
Most importantly, Senator Rubio has time and again proven to the Tea Party Movement that his decisions and his votes are not motivated by self serving political expedience or affected by pressure from special interest groups. What drives Rubio’s decisions is his belief in and adherence to the core principles and values which are the bedrock of the Tea Party Movement: (1) Limited Constitutional Government; (2) Fiscal Responsibility In
Government; and (3) Free Markets.
....."
(...and more protestations of the Tea Partiers' undying love for Rubio)
'Character'? 'Not motivated by self serving political expedience'? 'Not affected by
pressure from special interest groups'?
Please. You know what is so regrettable about all of this?
It didn't have to happen.
We tried to warn them before last November, but it all fell on deaf (from the shouting) ears.
Wonder how they feel now about
Rubio's vote to end Medicare as we know it. Or how he spent nearly
$110,000 on
personal expenses with his GOP American Express
Card when he was in the Florida legislature, including as House Speaker, and then
tried to blame it on Governor Crist.
Or how he was one of the
'heroes' in
securing secret funding for the lavish mahogany and granite Taj Majal Appeals Court in Tallahassee, in a time of great budgetary shortfall and hardship for Floridians.
That is only
a drop in the bucket with Mr. Rubio. (scroll down for the sordid details)
A few of the take-home messages about Mr. Rubio:
1. He
isn't particularly *fiscally responsible*.
2. He has a history of
using his position to fatten his own personal finances.
(And to
entertain his family.)
3. He
refused to join the Senate Tea Party Caucus. He "loves" the Tea Party, and rode the wave to D. C., but doesn't want to hang out with them.
It's better late than never for Tea Party members to wise up and drop kick this little opportunist who talks out of both sides of his mouth and has used their hard-earned money to enrich himself and his family, ever since he was in the Florida Legislature.
Florida deserves infinitely better "representation" than this.