Schumer says Rubio 'molded' pathway to citizenship bill, predicts Senate takeover

[Jefferson23]

By Manu Raju, Senior Political Reporter; Video by Jeff Simon, CNN


Updated 9:43 AM ET, Fri November 6, 2015

Washington (CNN)Florida Sen. Marco Rubio can run away from immigration legislation as he seeks the Republican presidential nomination, but Sen. Chuck Schumer says he can't hide from it.

As he has risen in the polls, Rubio has methodically sought to distance himself from the comprehensive immigration bill he coauthored more than two years ago. But Schumer, the veteran New York Democrat, is dragging him back into the fray, shining a spotlight on one of the 44-year-old's biggest vulnerabilities with the right as top Democrats seek to undermine the GOP senator's surging candidacy.

"He was not only totally committed -- he was in that room with us, four Democrats, four Republicans," Schumer told CNN Thursday in an interview in his Senate office. "His fingerprints are all over that bill. It has a lot of Rubio imprints."

Schumer, the next Senate Democratic leader, painstakingly hashed out the immigration deal with Rubio and has previously avoided lashing out at the Florida Republican publicly. But as the presidential race heats up, Schumer is unloading the new line of criticism, saying Rubio was the main architect of the provision to provide a pathway to citizenship for the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants, something bound to give ammunition to his primary foes who call the measure "amnesty."

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/05/politics/chuck-schumer-interview-rubio-immigration/index.html

[Android3.14]

1. Bad idea, but typical of the DLC/HRC wing

It would have been better to let Trump spout this.

With these comments, Chuckie is going to bleed Hispanic voters in the GE who will vote for the GOP-er in a misplaced hope he will promote their issues. The only way Schumer's tactic works is if Rubio fails in the primaries. The GOP will undermine that strategy and try to make sure Marco faces Hillary in the GE.

The GOP knows that Hillary Rodham Clinton represents their best hope of maintaining the status quo.

The best way we can scuttle GOP efforts is to choose Bernie as our candidate.

So shut up Schumer.

[valerief]

2. Well, we know who Schumer supports for president now. nt

[BlueCaliDem]

4. That's never been a secret, not since November 2013.

From a November 3, 2013 piece in The Guardian:

Schumer endorsed Clinton for president during a speech Saturday night at an Iowa Democratic Party dinner, more than two years before the state's presidential caucuses open the nomination contest.

"Hillary's experience is unrivaled and her vision is unparalleled," Schumer, the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said of the former first lady, US senator and secretary of state.

"It's time for a woman to be president," Schumer said as the crowd of 750 rose to their feet with enthusiastic applause. "And so tonight, here in Iowa, and I won't get this opportunity again, I am urging Hillary Clinton to run for president and, when she does, she will have my full and unwavering support."

[BlueCaliDem]

3. Excellent political strategy - shining the light on Rubio's hypocrisy and flip-flopping

will anger the Republican base. The Republican base is inherently racist, but have a particular and hateful dislike for Mexicans. Everyone understands that, although comprehensive immigration reform is for all undocumented immigrants, not only Mexicans - the largest and fastest growing constituency - Mexican-Americans and their families are affected the most.

By shining a light on Rubio's flip-flopping on immigration reform (for own political gain), the Republican base will NOT vote for him (also the reason why they enthusiastically support that bigot and racist, Trump, so overwhelmingly), and at the same time, it exposes Rubio's willingness to hurl Hispanics and Latinos under the bus for political expediency.

[Jefferson23]

5. One problem for the establishment Republicans vs the Tea Party, yes. Rubio

could have been a contender..excuse the pun. lol

How they manage their base is anyone's guess, they're pulling their
hair out over just what you have described.

[BlueCaliDem]

6. Yep. When you hand the keys to the patients in the asylum, don't be so surprised

you can't control them when they surrender to the crazy in their heads and run amok.

I have zero sympathy for the Republican establishment. They pushed for Citizens United and happily took money from the Koch Bros who, as ultra-Right Libertarians, don't exactly like the Republican Party at all. But money blinded these greedy fools and they allowed the Koch Bros to quietly create the angry monster that's now threatening to destroy the Republican Party from the inside-out.

Democrats need to take advantage of this. We have the constituencies, the political infrastructure, and the golden opportunity to relegate the Republican Party to permanent minority status. Unfortunately, we don't have Party leadership, who are tasked with getting more Democrats into power, who even try. These leaders don't have the courage to go after Republicans for their far-right radical ways.

Democrats need to hit back hard. They need to point out the truth that Republicans are getting away with omitting in their campaign speeches. For example, Bevin campaigned heavily against Obama, specifically, ObamaCare that's given 400,000-450,000 Kentuckians health care they never had before, and making the health insurance policies they did have work for them instead of corporate CEOs. Jeff Conway could've won the governorship in Kentucky had he just pointed out that Bevin wants to take away the healthcare from them and their families - which Bevin sold as "getting rid of ObamaCare". Kentuckians don't seem to understand that ObamaCare IS Kynect. It's the Democratic Party's job to educate them. They didn't, and Conway lost.

[Jefferson23]

7. +1 That is a very good assessment, I wish we had the 50 state strategy in play, we did

well under it. Consider putting up your post as an OP in GD is my suggestion,
we need to keep the focus on all that we have lost..we need a groundswell
to take it back. Look at how horrific it has been with the obstructionists
..it's been hell.