It says a lot that comprehensive immigration reform opponent Rich Lowry of National Review can barely hide his contempt for Marco Rubio’s crawl back to the right on the subject:
I’m not sure it has ever happened before that an architect of major legislation in the Senate has basically opposed its passage in the House. But that’s where Marco Rubio is….
The politics of this aren’t great for Rubio: He has already, rightly, taken a political hit for crafting and promoting the Gang of Eight bill (which probably wouldn’t have gotten out of the Senate without his spirited support); now he is going to take another hit, understandably, for his inconstancy. But his stance marginally strengthens opponents of a conference, and we need all the help we can get.
So Rubio is erasing the credit he got for sponsoring comprehensive reform without getting a whole lot for abandoning it at the most crucial moment. Nice work.
