Marco Rubio has taken a hit among the GOP faithful thanks to his heavy involvement with the 'Gang of Eight' cluster-mess -- although his overall standing with most Republicans remains surprisingly robust. While many conservatives are understandably focused on Rubio's incoming fire from the Right, some may be surprised to learn that Florida's junior Senator has also faced crosswinds from the Left throughout the immigration reform dance. Here is how a group called the DREAM Act Coalition has chosen to reward their highest-profile Republican ally for his efforts (full audio of the Spanish language radio ad is HERE):
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"Rubio’s Challenge"
DREAMER: Senator Rubio, DREAMers like me have been following step by step your efforts to advance the Senate bipartisan immigration bill ithat [sic] carries your name. That’s why we are disappointed by you joining other republican efforts to toughen up the legislation, making more difficult the path to citizenship.
MOM: As a DREAMer mom, I know why we need reform, to keep families together, to be able to live without constant fear of being separated, and so our kids can achieve their dreams and contribute to this country- their only home.
DREAMER: Senator Rubio, you know what it’s like to grow up in a home with immigrant parents. Thousands of DREAMers from Florida and across the country are counting on you to get immigration reform across the finish line. Senator Rubio, your challenge is clear. Remember that this is your bill. Defend it firmly. Senator Rubio, don’t let us down.
Ad sponsored by (DRM) Dream Act Coalition.
A few quick reactions --
(1) I'll say it for the 1,000th time: I'm in favor of smart, comprehensive immigration reform. I'm particularly sympathetic toward the argument that so-called "DREAM" kids (who were brought here illegally at a very young age, through no fault of their own) should be afforded an easier path to legal status and citizenship. I also happen to think that DREAM kids should be, you know, kids. The Senate bill contains no age cap for this category, for reasons that escape me. All that being said, it is pretty galling to listen to an illegal immigrant of any age or circumstance lecture a duly elected United States Senator about how he's conducting his official duties. Over the American airwaves, no less. Set aside for a moment the fact that Rubio's basically on their side here. Scolding him for "joining other Republican efforts to toughen up the legislation" -- in accordance with the wishes of a large majority of American citizens, mind you -- is extremely unseemly. The ingratitude is maddening. Many Americans, Rubio included, want to help craft a sensible way to offer millions of illegal immigrants one of the greatest gifts on planet earth: US citizenship. For those illegal immigrants to say much beyond "please" and "thank you" during this national discussion really strikes me as an expression of counter-productive, entitled overreach.
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(2) Sorry, "DREAMer mom," you're the adult in this equation. Your child is a DREAMer precisely because of your actions. As much as I'm troubled and saddened by the idea of anyone harboring the "constant fear" of seeing their family torn apart, that fear only exists in your case because of the conscious decision you made to violate our immigration laws in the first place. I can completely empathize with why you'd be grateful and relieved if your family were to be granted probational legal status or beyond. But that is a course of action we as a sovereign nation and a free people are currently debating; it is not your right. Please don't try to leverage your "DREAMer mom" status to claim some perverse position of moral authority on these questions.
(3) A genuine question for my fellow American citizens who happen to be Hispanic: Does this ad offend you? It offends me, and I'm one of those persuadable citizens who is generally positively disposed toward a comprehensive solution to our immigration quandaries. Do groups like this worry about turning people off with bad optics? Does the fact that they sometimes fly under the radar in the Spanish-language media allow them to be more brazen? Am I now a nativist xenophone for raising these concerns?
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Finally, one wonders if the fine folks at the Dream Act coalition have decided whether they're pleased with Rubio for shepherding a legalization-first bill through the Senate, or if they're still "disappointed" that he voted to "toughen it up" as much as he did -- which many conservatives would argue wasn't much at all.
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