Once backed by tea party voters, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) snared an important endorsement from long-time House member and former Committee Chairman, Darrell Issa (R-Vista):
“Marco Rubio really is an exciting candidate, and I’m pleased to be able to endorse him and to work for him for the presidency.”
While Congressman Issa endorsed Rubio, he was careful to distance himself from Rubio’s desire to spy on American citizens:
“Issa also explained his disagreement with Rubio on the collection of metadata, which the senator had said should continue. The National Security Agency’s ability to collect bulk phone metadata expired over the weekend.”
Issa’s disagreement is genuine. This author had an opportunity to hear Congressman Issa explain his USA-PATRIOT Act vote and subsequent disapproval of the overreach of the National Security Agency this past Spring at the RPSDC Lincoln-Reagan Dinner featuring Senator Rand Paul. Issa explained that the USA-PATRIOT Act was never intended to build permanent databases of each citizen’s electronic communications.
This is a big deal for Rubio. Trump is still leading many polls, favored as the “anti-establishment” candidate, worrying many DC politicos that he might win the Republican nomination and damage the long-term image of the Republican Party. With Jeb Bush failing in the polls and getting sucked into a public fight with Trump, it’s no surprise that established Republican leaders will start backing another candidate. Rubio is thought to be more moderate than the other “anti-establishment” candidates, Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.
Marco Rubio broke ranks with the Republican Party on immigration reform some years ago. Rubio favored comprehensive immigration reform which included amnesty and a pathway to citizenship for foreign nationals, living illegally here. Most Republicans focused their immigration reform efforts on a secure border. Rubio disappointed many of his tea party supporters with his tepid opposition to Obamacare, votes to continue spending increases, and his more liberal approach to immigration reform.
This isn’t the first time Issa jumped into the fray early. Last year, Issa renounced Republican Assemblyman Tim Donnelly’s bid for California Governor. Issa chastised Donnelly for questioning why his opponent, Neel Kashkari, sponsored a financial conference about “Sharia Law-compliant lending,” when Kashkari was Treasury Secretary. Today, Donnelly is a radio host and California-based activist and Kashkari accepted a position, in Minneapolis, as a Regional President of the Federal Reserve Bank.
Expect more Establishment endorsements to come out for Rubio. Issa’s move tells me that the GOP Establishment is trying to crush Trump before Iowa. Bush’s campaign is on life support and Cruz is hated by the Establishment Republicans in DC. I think it will come down to Rubio vs Cruz into the convention.