This was Jeb Bush’s response to the speech President Barack Obama gave yesterday at a Baltimore mosque calling for greater tolerance of Muslims:
If it was a good speech, I’m happy, because I think it’s important for the president to lead in this regard. And my brother did it much earlier in his tenure than Barack Obama’s done it in the eighth year. And I’m not quite sure he avoided doing this, but it was appropriate to do it. And sometimes, you have to give someone credit for a job well done. I haven’t seen the speech, but it’s important.
This is how Marco Rubio responded, via Daniel Dale:
I’m tired of being divided against each other for political reasons like this president’s done. Always pitting people against each other. Always. Look at today: He gave a speech at a mosque. Oh, you know, basically implying that America is discriminating against Muslims. Of course there’s discrimination in America, of every kind. But the bigger issue is: radical Islam.”
As Bush reminds us, the substance of Obama’s speech used to be the position of the Republican Party. But his former protege knows where the GOP is today.