How Marco Rubio blew his immigration moment

And how he can still emerge a hero

Sen. Marco Rubio
(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) was supposed to be the secret ingredient that finally got immigration reform passed. A Tea Party-backed Latino willing to compromise with Democrats and make the case to reluctant Republicans? He would succeed where so many others had failed.

Throughout the Senate legislative process, Rubio's every utterance was parsed for signs of momentum, as his rhetoric lurched between committed support and ready to jump ship. The perception was that his final stance, and his ability to lead Republicans, was what would ultimately make or break the bill.

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Bill Scher is the executive editor of LiberalOasis.com and the online campaign manager at Campaign for America's Future. He is the author of Wait! Don't Move To Canada!: A Stay-and-Fight Strategy to Win Back America, a regular contributor to Bloggingheads.tv and host of the LiberalOasis Radio Show weekly podcast.