Rubio Takes Another Shot At Cruz As Their Battle Takes Center Stage

In the latest volley in the battle between Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz that has emerged since Tuesday’s GOP debate, Rubio claimed that Cruz is painting himself as tougher on immigration only because the Texan shifted his position.

“He is a supporter of legalizing people that are in this country illegally. If he’s changed that position, then he certainly has a right to change his position on that issue, but he should be clear about that,” Rubio said at press conference at a Republican summit in Florida Friday.

The back-and-forth started when Cruz called out Rubio for his involvement in a failed immigration reform bill while on Laura Ingraham’s radio show Thursday. Rubio responded by arguing his stance on immigration is not that different from Cruz’s when one looks at Cruz’s record. Since, the two campaigns and their supporters have been engaged in a shouting match over the meaning of some of Cruz’s legislative tactics and other vague statements he’s made about giving legal status to undocumented immigrants.

Cruz hasn’t been shy that his strategy for winning the GOP primary is to package himself as the strongest, most viable conservative alternative to whomever becomes the establishment favorite as the race rolls on. His decision to pick an immigration fight with Rubio is likely to paint Rubio — whose campaign has been picking up steam lately — as a moderate.

“As I look at the race, historically, there have been two major lanes in the Republican primary. There’s been a moderate lane and a conservative lane,” Cruz has said. “Marco is certainly formidable in that lane.”