RUSH LIMBAUGH TO MARCO RUBIO: Why Are You Doing Something 'That The Democrats Are Salivating At?'

AP

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh pointedly questioned Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on a recently released immigration bill, saying he was "having a hard time understanding" how the bill benefits Republicans.

Limbaugh asked Rubio why immigration had to be tackled now. He said that conservatives are worried that the Republican Party would be "committing suicide," because immigration reform would provide a path to citizenship for voters who normally identify with Democrats.

"I don't understand why we're doing something that the Democrats are salivating at," Limbaugh said. "I'm just having a tough time."

Rubio admitted that he didn't view the issue as pressing — he said he would rather be focusing on issues like tax reforms. But Democrats, he said, would demagogue the issue. And as it stands, the nation's immigration system is broken.

"If we didn't have a single illegal immigrant in the United States, we'd still have to do immigration reform," Rubio said. "... If we are doing this for political reasons, we're going to be disappointed."

Rubio did add, however, that he thought it would improve Republicans' standing with a fast-growing demographic in the United States. He said it would help the party make its argument that "what they came here to get away from was big government."

That still didn't quite convince Limbaugh, who asked, simply, "Why can't we just say no?" to something Democrats propose. Rubio said that Republicans had just done that with the Senate's vote on background checks Wednesday. The immigration bill was different, though — he said it offered a real solution to a real problem.