RUBIO'S IMMIGRATION PUSH REAPS WINDFALL FROM MEGADONORS

by MIKE FLYNN 19 Jul 2013, 6:14 AM PDT

Sen. Marco Rubio raised a substantial $3 million in the second quarter, a 30% spike from the beginning of the year. The impressive haul came while Rubio was most vocal in promoting the Senate's Gang of 8 immigration deal. Big business and top GOP megadonors are among the most vocal advocates of the Senate bill and clearly rewarded Rubio's efforts.

Support from the GOP donor class is critical as Rubio contemplates running for President in 2016. Large donations from wealthy business leaders and Republicans are needed to maintain the SuperPACs and non-profits that are almost a requirement for a successful campaign.

Rubio faces a difficult balancing act, however. While his immigration bill is popular with megadonors to the party, it is unpopular with much of the party base that does the actual voting. A recent poll in Iowa, for example, found Rubio dropping from 1st to 5th in support among active Republicans.

In the days after passage of the Senate immigration bill, Rubio has been very publicly considering sponsoring legislation to prohibit abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy. The issue is popular with regular Republican voters. It is much less popular, however, with Rubio's new friends in the donor class, who almost exclusively prefer the focus to be on economic issues.


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And so you have it -- why the GOP has become increasingly big government. They bow to the megadonors -- not the American people.