From former Miami Herald reporter Gary Fineout: Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marco Rubio has come out against including illegal immigrants in the national census — even though doing so could significantly reduce Florida's political power and share of federal funding. Rubio's stance sets him at odds not only with Gov. Charlie Crist, but also with Republicans in the Florida Legislature who are cranking up efforts to track down and find every resident who lives in the state. Rubio's opposition is largely theoretical — the census has already started and illegals are being counted — but it reflects his efforts to appeal to hard-line conservatives in the contest against the more moderate Crist.
The Crist campaign pipes up: "How many days of consulting with advisors did it take Speaker Rubio to come to his newborn view? Speaker Rubio, per usual, talks a big game when it comes to issues – in this case illegal immigration – but his record speaks volumes more than his newfound rhetoric."
Rubio supporter Alberto Martinez tweets: "Other Sen. who voted against counting illegals in the census: McCain, McConnell, Cornyn. Senators who voted for: Reid, Boxer, Specter."
Full story on counting illegal immigrants in the Census is here. More on Rubio's immigration stance is here.
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