Supporters of U.S. immigration bill unsettled by Rubio message

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Supporters of U.S. immigration bill unsettled by Rubio message

By Caren Bohan
WASHINGTON | Thu May 30, 2013 1:11am EDT

(Reuters) - Republican Senator Marco Rubio's repeated criticism of parts of the sweeping U.S. immigration bill he helped craft has unsettled immigration reform advocates and others who support its passage.

Rubio, a Cuban-American lawmaker from Florida seen as a possible 2016 presidential contender, has consistently defended the bill's centerpiece - providing legal status for roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants.

But he has publicly said he wants changes to the bill and said last week that he agreed with some of the concerns voiced in a letter by 150 prominent conservatives who oppose the legislation. He also told CNBC that it would not pass without changes.

His office also raised eyebrows a few weeks ago when it circulated a memo to other Senate staff listing 21 concerns with the bill and ideas for changing what would be the biggest overhaul of federal immigration law in decades.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-usa-immigration-rubio-idUSBRE94T04S20130530

[COLGATE4]

1. Poor Marco. Desperately trying to

having it both ways - schmooze the Latino voters while at the same time trying to placate his Tea Party masters. He can't thread that needle.