Much ado about Florida Senator Marco Rubio and the “misunderstanding” of his family’s immigration story. Lots of folks have weighed in.
Here.
Here.
Here.
Here.
Here.
Background, from the
Washington Post:
During his rise to political prominence, Sen. Marco Rubio frequently repeated a compelling version of his family’s history that had special resonance in South Florida. He was the “son of exiles,” he told audiences, Cuban Americans forced off their beloved island after “a thug,” Fidel Castro, took power.
But a review of documents — including naturalization papers and other official records — reveals that the Florida Republican’s account embellishes the facts. The documents show that Rubio’s parents came to the United States and were admitted for permanent residence more than two-and-a-half years before Castro’s forces overthrew the Cuban government and took power on New Year’s Day 1959.
I am very sympathetic to the idea that “family lore” gets mixed up with the facts sometimes, and indeed, may of us don’t know exactly when and how our families got here. And while I do believe the Cuban exile experience of those who came post-1959 is decidedly different than that of those who came for primarily economic reasons before the Revolution, a clear line is not that easy to draw.
We are talking about a country only 90 miles from the United States. Cubans travelled frequently to the United States to visit family and close friends. Young people with means – and scholarships, particularly from religious institutions – came to study in the United States frequently. The idea that you might come here to try life out was not out of the ordinary. And neither was the idea that you might go back to the island if things didn’t work out. And remember: Fulgencio Batista came to power in 1952 in a military coup, when he was facing defeat at the ballot box in his run for the Presidency. We are talking about life under a military dictatorship in mid-1950’s Cuba.
So, if Marco Rubio’s parents came here before 1959, so be it. And if they came here thinking they might go back, so be it. If they tried to go back after the Revolution – even if only to defend and/or retain their belongings – so be it. They were not alone.
Don’t take this as a defense of the good Senator. I despise his politics. But, I don’t think this incident represents a do-or-die moment in his political career. Not in-and-of-itself.
I do think, however, that he is not-ready-for-prime-time. I have thought that for some time. He has flip-flopped on
Social Security and Medicaid. For better or worse, in the world of Tea Party politics, he is going to have to explain a bit about his
religious preferences. And if with this story it turns out looking like he is a real liar, more evidence that he just doesn’t have what it takes to make it on the national scene.
I have been predicting Romney-Rubio, 2012 for some time. Now, not so sure. But, time will tell if Marco Rubio has what it takes. There's still time, but not too much of it.
