WASHINGTON— When Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican and immigration hardliner, held a recent rally against the Senate's immigration reform bill, several speakers and activists publicly lambasted Sen. Marco Rubio and the work he had done with the Gang of Eight.
They booed the mention of his name, the Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector remarked that Rubio "had not even read his own bill," and many activists held up anti-Rubio signs.
On Thursday, shortly before the Senate was poised to pass the bill, King had another message for Rubio: I'm sorry.
"I do want to say this publicly and hopefully it emerges from the press to Sen. Rubio: It was not my intent for him to be the personal target of criticism. I wanted to avoid that that day, and I think my remarks opening it that day made that clear," King said. "There were times when I was distracted with other discussions that day and I've since realized through the press there were comments made that day that were not particularly complimentary. I have avoided it, I personally like Marco Rubio. We disagree on this issue but I disagree with the entire gang."