Miami Herald ditches Marco Rubio to endorse Patrick Murphy—and their reasons are spot on
By Leslie Salzillo
Wednesday Oct 19, 2016 · 12:27 PM EDT
The Daily Kos
The editorial staff with The Miami Herald has had a change of heart. After having a long history of supporting U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio all the way back to when he was a promising political newcomer in West Miami, they now see him differently. They say on occasion Rubio has lived up to his early promises by forging ahead with a historic compromise on immigration, but he never succeeded. They were impressed that he broke from the Republican Party majority to support Obama’s request for $2 billion in Zika emergency funding. But in many other ways, they say Sen. Rubio has been a “disappointment.”
Some of the reasons Rubio has failed the test include his relentless efforts to fight Obamacare, even though the healthcare reform brought “immeasurable relief to millions.” Rubio blocked all considerations by President Obama to fill a Supreme Court vacancy in a Republican-led “scandalous” move they call purely political — even though in the past Rubio has endorsed the current nominee.
The Miami Herald adds:
Beyond the political differences, there are issues of sincerity and character for voters to consider. First, he reneged on his unequivocal pledge not to run for re-election for a position he once openly disdained — but only after he lost his bid for the Republican presidential nomination to his nemesis, Donald Trump. Then he endorsed Mr. Trump, whom he called a con man during the campaign. And still at this late date, he continues to stand by that endorsement, even as the Republican candidate stumbles from gaffe to insult to outrage.
Mr. Trump’s candidacy is a test of character, and Sen. Rubio is failing that test. How can voters believe he’s sincere when he says he does not share Mr. Trump’s awful views on Mexicans, immigrants, Muslims, women, etc., yet — at the same time — stands by his endorsement of the New York billionaire? His act is unconvincing. It reeks of political convenience rather than political conviction.
The Herald’s editorial staff accuses Rubio of using the June massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando as “means to get into the race,” but has a “disastrous” record on LGBT issues, reminding us Rubio opposed equal marriage and LGBT rights to adopt. Rubio also voted against giving LGBT Americanf workplace protections.
On the other hand, the editorial staff says Democratic U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, Rubio’s opponent is still untested, but like many Democrats, Murphy has had little chance to show what he can do, given the six years of obstruction by the Republican-led Congress.
What is clear, however, is that Rep. Murphy will fight for the right issues, as he stated in his debate with Sen. Rubio on Monday. He supports the diplomatic opening to Cuba, reasonable gun-control measures, the Affordable Care Act, measures to rein in climate change and Roe v. Wade — as well as comprehensive immigration reform and filling the Supreme Court vacancy.
The editorial staff ends their recommendation with the statement:
“For the U.S. Senate, the Miami Herald recommends PATRICK MURPHY.”
Excellent all-around news for Democrats, and for that matter — the entire country.
No comments:
Post a Comment