So, Where is Marco Rubio?

By Dr. Henry Flores, NewsTaco

Various commentators have been asking the whereabouts of Marco Rubio over the last week or so because he seems to be missing from the entire discussion on comprehensive immigration reform.  At the beginning of the discussion he was a member, he still may be, of the “Gang of Eight,” a bipartisan group of United States Senators who were going to propose an immigration policy acceptable to both parties.  Well, instead of working to propose meaningful change, Senator Rubio is now speaking of being deliberate and taking one’s time before considering substantive policy.

I think the good Senator is taking himself too seriously and worried about 2016.  He really, really wants the GOP’s presidential nomination so he doesn’t want to say anything that will upset the old, right wing wackos who seem to be driving his party’s policy positions.

The Republican Party wants to attract the Latino vote so they showcase Rubio and Cruz who only keep saying things that are objectionable to Latinos.  Bueno, I’ll tell you where Senator Rubio is and that’s in the right wing’s back pocket.

It looks like there will be no immigration reform or policy this term the way Rubio is talking.  If any policy comes out of the current congress at all it will be “watered down.”  There will probably be provisions for fines, back taxes, and long waiting periods leaving most immigrants in the same situation they are in now.  If we get anything substantive it will be more border security.

More border security is not what we need; we have enough already.  Frankly, if we get more border security we will end up building another wall like the Communists did in Germany during the Cold War.  Not that I’m comparing anyone or any government to the old East German regimes but por favor, gente, por favor! 

The reason I digress a little is because comprehensive immigration reform will not be forthcoming as long as Republicans such as Governor Perry of Texas keep shooting off their mouth the way he did recently when speaking about the tragic murders of two Kaufman County prosecutors.  Governor Good Hair blamed the porous border for the murder of these two persons.  There were three individuals murdered including the wife of one of them.  Most of the media attributed the murders to retribution by some prison gang.  But not Governor Good Hair!

Our good governor said the reason the murders occurred was because our southern border was not secure.  He did qualify his claim indicating he was referring to Mexican cartel drug smugglers and gunrunners.  In reality the governor was using what is known as a “racial shield” to conceal his real perception and opinion.  Rhetoric such as this denies the reverence and respect the families of the murder victims deserve and just adds fuel to the anti-immigrant sentiment behind the movement to inhibit immigration policy reform.

The governor’s verbiage underlies a very important problem that the GOP cannot seem to overcome and it is the main reason Latinos and other racial or ethnic minorities have a difficult time feeling comfortable with Republicans.  I don’t want to only pick on Governor Good Hair because there are other examples of such as the recent “fond” recollections that a member of congress representing Alaska had about the “wetbacks” his father had employed on the family tomato farm 50 years ago.

Senator Rubio, you’re in the wrong party.  You are in the party of the “good old days” that weren’t good days for Latinos.  It’s sad to see you stumbling around trying to find a middle ground with right-wingers most of whom hate it when they hear you speak Spanish.  No, Senator Rubio, if you have any wish of becoming president, which you will only be able to do with Latinos votes in the future, you need to climb out of that back pocket and come home to us.  Senator Rubio stand up and be a champion for Latinos and stop being a mouthpiece for people who don’t like Latinos.