Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio is officially in the 2016 race for the GOP presidential nomination. That most certainly means he has a campaign book on the market. My copy of Rubio’s American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone (Sentinel, $27.95, 212 pages) arrived a few weeks ago. Rubio, in his first term in the…
Politicians, pundits and preachers arguing in favor of Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRAs) have coalesced behind a metaphor: Tolerance is a two way street. All they want is the same respect for religion that the LGBT community is requesting for sexual orientation and gender identity. In their view, LGBT activists are on the march, aggressively…
This post first appeared on The Huffington Post Blog. What the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) controversies have underscored is the need to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act established classes that are protected from discrimination: race, color, religion, sex and national origin. For…
WASHINGTON – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) released comprehensive research reports on potential presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio that highlight their record opposing LGBT equality. The research document marks the Human Rights Campaign’s first effort to chronicle where potential 2016 presidential candidates stand on LGBT equality. The document, which will be hosted…
In the gloam of the Senate immigration debate, despite conservative Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio’s religious harrumphing about how any measure that included allowing bi-national LGBT couples the same opportunities as heterosexual ones have to apply for citizenship would derail reform, he, and many others, could not have possibly imagined what would happen Wednesday, June…
In a brief, succinct and unsurprising response to Think Progress reporter Scott Keyes’ query about workplace discrimination protections for the LGBT community, the conservative Florida senator and possible 2016 presidential contender bluntly told the reporter, “I’m not for any special protections based on orientation.” The exchange, which took place in an office and elevator in…
In promoting the “Gang of 8” immigration bill, Sen. Marco Rubio emphasized one point: “This is not amnesty.” Whether you use Rubio’s definition – “the forgiveness of something,” or Merriam-Webster’s – “the act of an authority by which pardon is granted,” I agree. This is not amnesty. Forgiveness and pardon suggest that any debt is…
(CNN) — Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said Tuesday he hopes immigration rights for same-sex couples “doesn’t become a central issue” in the ongoing debate, referring to it as a “landmine” that could thwart attempts to pass a comprehensive immigration reform package. In a wide-ranging interview with BuzzFeed that streamed live online, the junior senator from…
While the 2012 election was surprisingly kind to Democrats, they still control only 53 seats with two independents who will caucus with them. That means that they will need five Republican votes to get things done, on a good day. Below are 10 Republican senators that might help break a filibuster, and the issues on…
Picture yourself in a room full of people you don’t know. It’s too awkward to stand there alone, so you survey the scene, looking for a group to join. The progression is always the same. Anyone I know? Nope. Anyone who’s like me? Nope. Anyone who looks like they might like people like me? The…
