The Real Reason Republicans Don’t Want Immigration Reform

60%

Of House GOP members (143 of 232) represent congressional districts where Latinos make up less than 10% of the population, and that’s the reason they are balking at reform — not because they don’t trust President Obama on immigration reform, NBC News says. “In addition, Republicans don’t really face serious Democratic opposition in 80% of the districts (71 of 89) with more than 10% of Latinos, meaning their biggest threat to re-election comes from an intra-party primary. As a result, more than nine in 10 of House Republicans will be nearly unfazed by any possible pro-immigration-reform backlash heading into the November election.”

Newark Star Ledger Offers a Correction that’s a Distinction Without a Difference

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated Drewniak referred to the Port Authority’s executive director as a ‘piece of crap.’ While Drewniak did call him a ‘piece of excrement,’ it was David Wildstein who referred to the executive director as a ‘piece of crap.’

Newark Star-Ledger, making a correction a day after walking back its endorsement of Chris Christie for governor in 2013.

A Third Alternative: Just Answer the Freakin’ Question, Marco

If you want a taste of what passes for honesty and frankness from Republican leaders these days, here’s a quote from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio after he was asked at an educational forum if he ever smoked pot.

“If I tell you that I haven’t, you won’t believe me. And if I tell you that I did, then kids will look up to me and say, ‘Well, I can smoke marijuana because look how he made it. He did alright so I guess I can do it too.'”

So you see, Marco isn’t going to respond because he can’t control what people will do with his answer. If your idea of presidential material is cutesy mind games or outright stonewalling (a term originated to describe Republican Pres. Richard Nixon’s way of blocking information to the press), then Marco is your guy.