CAPS Speaks the Truth; Media Calls Us Haters: Yawn

On April 10, the day of the illegal alien Gran Marcha, I visited Senator Marco Rubio’s Washington D.C . office to meet with two of his legislative aides.

During out meeting, the aides repeatedly told me that if the soon-to-be-dropped Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act did not have strong enforcement and border protection provisions, Rubio would “walk away.” The aides repeated the phrase “walk away” frequently.

At the time, only the bill’s outline had been released so the totality of its awfulness was not yet fully known. But leaks from Capitol Hill indicated that S. 744 would be without meaningful enforcement. Rubio’s Gang of Eight colleague Chuck Schumer had already made loud noises that enforcement triggers would not be necessary before legal status would be conferred on about 11 million illegal aliens. Eventually, Schumer tossed Rubio under the bus on enforcement.

Correctly anticipating that other Gang members would also lie about border security, I mentioned to the aides that if Rubio were to drop out, many Americans would consider him a hero.

As now we sadly know, not only did Rubio stick with the Gang, he vigorously defended his poisonous legislation on radio and television. Those who have listened to or watched Rubio labeled his S. 744 defense a compilation of lies unworthy of even the slipperiest politician. (See Rubio's television spot here.)

Today instead of being considered an honorable man, as some in his conservative base might have called him had he bailed, Rubio is scrurrying around Congress unsuccessfully trying to win over his skeptical Senate colleagues. In the meantime, Rubio’s polling among Republicans has plunged, and his presidential ambitions are dashed. [Rubio’s Poll Numbers Mean Amnesty Could Be Held Off This Year, DA King, Gwinnett Daily Post, May 23, 2013]

CAPS was quick to condemn Rubio’s role in the disastrous S. 744. In a series of ads that aired in Florida, CAPS criticized Rubio for writing a bill that would allow millions of foreign-born workers into Florida, his home state, that’s suffering from high unemployment. Read the CAPS press release here; watch the ads here.

Unsurprisingly, the Miami Herald promptly labeled CAPS a “hate group” and “immigration hardliners.” These are not only baseless, tedious charges, they show a marked lack of imagination. After all these years, you’d think the other side could come up with something more clever.

But, also predictably, CAPS opponents won’t argue the facts and with good reason. We present the truth. According to the non-profit, non-partisan Center for Immigration Studies, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data Florida has 680,000 unemployed; S. 744 would give legal work status to 433,000. Read the report here.

If anyone in the media wants to talk about the harsh reality included in S.744, call me at 805-564-6626.