Senator Marco Rubio Says if Gay Inclusion is 'Central Issue' in Immigration Reform, it Will Make Things More Difficult: VIDEO

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) spoke with Buzzfeed's Ben Smith on Tuesday night during a wide-ranging 'Buzzfeed Brews' interview and one of the topics that came up was gay inclusion in immigration reform, CNN reports:

Asked Tuesday whether same-sex couples should be covered in any immigration package, Rubio said the group hadn't discussed the "pros and the cons of it."

"I can tell you this," he continued. "This issue is so complicated. The immigration issue has so many landmines and pitfalls that it's going to be hard enough to do, as is. I think if that issue becomes a central issue in the debate, it's just going to make it harder to get it done because there's going to be a lot of strong feelings about it on both sides."

Rubio, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, added he "respects peoples' views" and is "willing to listen to anyone's arguments" but reiterated, "I hope that doesn't become the central issue of this debate."

"I imagine that issue will eventually be confronted," he later added.

The subject, however, is already gaining traction. On Tuesday, the president met with a number of labor and progressive groups at the White House, including an LGBT organization called "Immigration Equality." Also Tuesday, a group of 16 House members, including two Republicans, re-introduced the "Uniting American Families Act," a bill that would allow gay and lesbian Americans to sponsor permanent partners for legal residency.

Rubio also said that he believes marriage should be between a man and a woman but that ultimately it's a states' rights decision.

Watch the full Buzzfeed interview with Rubio, AFTER THE JUMP...

The question about gay issues comes around 8:00.

Marco Rubio: My Faith, Which Informs Me, Says That Homosexuality is a Sin - VIDEO

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), seen as a presidential contender for the GOP in 2016, sat down for an interview with Politico's Mike Allen, Think Progress reports.

Here's what Rubio had to say when asked if homosexuality is a sin:

Well, I can tell you what faith teaches and faith teaches that it is. And that’s what the Bible teaches and that’s what faith teaches. But it also teaches that there area bunch of other sins that are no less. For example, it teaches that lying is a sin. It teaches that disrespecting your parents is a sin. It teaches that stealing is a sin. It teaches that coveting your neighbor and what your neighbor has is a sin. So there isn’t a person in this room that isn’t guilty of sin. So, I don’t go around pointing fingers in that regard. I’m responsible for my salvation and I’m responsible for my family’s, and for inculcating in my family what our faith teaches, and they’ll become adults and decide how they want to apply that in life. As a policy maker, I could just tell you that I’m informed by my faith. And my faith informs me in who I am as a person — but not as a way to pass judgment on people.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Think Progress notes that Rubio's position of not "passing judgment" on people is NOT backed by his actions:

Rubio opposed allowing same-sex couples in Florida to adopt children. He opposed allowing gay and lesbian members of the Armed Services to serve openly. He opposes making it illegal to fire someone just for being LGBT.
Worse than his rigid opposition to legal recognition for same-sex couples, he recorded a robocall for the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) last month.

Bryan Fischer: To Know the Age of the Earth We Must Have 'Eyewitness Testimony' - VIDEO

American Family Association radio host spoke with Terry Mortenson from Answers In Genesis yesterday about Marco Rubio's GQ interview in which he said he couldn't possibly know the age of the Earth.

Mortenson says that "the only way we can know the age of the earth is if we have eyewitness testimony of somebody who was there, and that's what we have in the Bible"

Fischer agrees: "The only eyewitness account we could possibly have of the origin of all things would have to come from the creator himself, and fortunately he left us an eyewitness account."

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

Marco Rubio Not Sure Whether the Earth Was Created 'in 7 Days or 7 Actual Eras'

A couple choice answers from a GQ profile of Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), seen as one of the leading contenders for the GOP in 2016.

GQ: How old do you think the Earth is?

Marco Rubio: I'm not a scientist, man. I can tell you what recorded history says, I can tell you what the Bible says, but I think that's a dispute amongst theologians and I think it has nothing to do with the gross domestic product or economic growth of the United States. I think the age of the universe has zero to do with how our economy is going to grow. I'm not a scientist. I don't think I'm qualified to answer a question like that. At the end of the day, I think there are multiple theories out there on how the universe was created and I think this is a country where people should have the opportunity to teach them all. I think parents should be able to teach their kids what their faith says, what science says. Whether the Earth was created in 7 days, or 7 actual eras, I'm not sure we'll ever be able to answer that. It's one of the great mysteries.

Slate notes, of the answer: "So this answer, as confounding as it is, turns out to be pretty clever. Rubio is mushy on the "age of the earth" itself, which would cast him forever as a scientific know-nothing. But he posits that the Earth was created in "seven days or seven actual eras" -- and that these are the only possible options. That's a popular position!"

Here's another question:

GQ: You talk a lot to young Republicans. Recently I met a Republican who said, my kids are in high school and there's a prom. There's straight kids, gay kids. It's no big deal to them. And he says, my party, the Republican party, has to stop putting these social issues out there and talking more about stuff that effects people.

Marco Rubio: I think that's unfair. A significant percentage of Americans feel very strongly about this issue. What I'm hearing is that it's ok for one side to express their view and the other side needs to be quiet. There are a very significant number of Americans that feel very strongly about the issue of life, about the issue of marriage and are we saying that they should be silenced or not allowed to speak or voice their opinion? There's a way to do that that is respectful and productive. There are things we'll always disagree on, but it doesn't mean we go to war over them or divide our country over them. We agree to disagree, but we continue to work together on the things we all know that we have to do.

In related news, David Mixner posts a video from an appearance Rubio made in Iowa over the weekend at a Republican fundraising dinner as evidence the Tea Party favorite is already getting his feet wet.

Marco Rubio Recorded Robo-Calls For Anti-Gay NOM

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a man who has consistently sided with hate, is lending his voice to the National Organization for Marriage's war on equality in the four states voting on the matter next week, Minnesota, Maine, Washington and Maryland.

As Chris Johnson at the Washington Blade reports, though, neither Rubio nor NOM seem keen on making audio available for those of us outside of those states:

The National Organization for Marriage, one of the major groups opposing marriage equality, included Rubio in a press release as among those making calls against same-sex marriage along with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Focus on the Family co-founder James Dobson.

According to NOM, calls will be made in both English and Spanish and will target voters “across the political spectrum who favor retaining the definition of marriage” as one man, one woman. NOM said a recording of the calls wasn’t available upon request from the Washington Blade, and Rubio’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment on the senator’s participation.

Fred Sainz from HRC predicted that the ads "will be full of the last minute lies that NOM trots out during every campaign".

"It’s their stock in trade," he said. "But we’re confident that fair-minded Americans will reject the messages." We'll know soon enough!

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Peek-a-boo explained.

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