via @learyreports
The Paris attacks swiftly became a political issue in the U.S., with Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio positioning themselves as ready to confront the Islamic State and even Florida Senate candidates weighing in.
Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Sarasota, on Monday shot off a letter to Obama that said Syrian refugees should not be allowed in. "It is clear that radical Islam is waging war against America and Western civilization," Buchanan wrote. "We cannot allow terrorists to seep through a porous refugee screening process to kill Americans."
Rep. David Jolly, R-Indian Shores, sent his own letter to the president calling for a tougher approach to Isis. “Together with our allies and willing world partners, we must dramatically enhance our engagement with the enemy to accomplish one clear objective – to immediately destroy ISIS and its partners in terror,” the U.S. Senate candidate wrote.
Jolly’s rival Ron DeSantis on Monday issued a news release to ask if Democrats Alan Grayson and Patrick Murphy will “reject Obama's risky refugee gambit?” (The administration has not backed off plans to allow some refugees in.)
“Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama want the United States to take tens of thousands of Syrian refugees despite the terrorist attacks in Paris and the government's inability to screen them for terrorist sympathies. Do Patrick Murphy and Alan Grayson agree with them?” DeSantis asked.
Gov. Rick Scott on Monday called on Congress to oppose the refugees.
On refugees, Bush and Rubio over the weekend showed a divide among presidential candidates.
Bush said the focus should be on accepting “Christians that are being slaughtered.”
Rubio said none should come in because “there’s no way to background check” them.
--ALEX LEARY, Tampa Bay Times
Comments