It's Official: Marco Rubio Is Running For President

Today Senator Marco Rubio's office announced that he is backing away from the Senate comprehensive immigration bill which he helped to write and throwing his supported  behind the House of Representatives strategy which abandons the quest for a comprehensive immigration legislation and attempts to reform immigration reform via a series of bills.

Short of saying "I'm Running" that is the best indication the Senator will be running for President in 2016.

Rubio spokesman Alex Conant said those who favor comprehensive immigration reform need to be realistic about what Congress can pass. He noted that the Senate has passed a comprehensive bill, but that conservatives in the House are afraid of passing smaller bills for fear that the issue would go to conference committee and a comprehensive bill would result.

Conant said the House would be more apt to act if they were assured that a conference committee wouldn't focus only on the legislation that passed in the House and wouldn't produce a larger bill akin to the Senate package.

"An 'all or nothing' strategy on immigration reform would result in nothing," Conant said. "What is keeping us from progress on a series of immigration issues on which there is strong consensus is the fear that a conference committee on a limited bill will be used to negotiate a comprehensive one. We should take that option off the table so that we can begin to move on the things we agree on."

Rubio lost some conservative support because of his support of the comprehensive immigration legislation passed by the Senate.  While some rejected any bill which would grant amnesty to illegal immigrants criminally trespassing aliens, the part if the bill which hurt Rubio the most was that there was no real sealing/protection of the US borders. While provisions for sealing the borders were in the bill there was no enforcement of those provisions rendering them to a "well gosh I'll try my best" promise. 

Rubio's support of a piecemeal approach which would begin with a border protection provision is an indication he is looking to "make nice" with those he angered in order to be ready for a national campaign.