On May 5, Secretary of State Marco Rubio pinch hit for White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who is on maternity leave. The seasoned pol is a rookie press flack, but though he struggled to identify many reporters in the room, his performance was engaging — and near the end, he offered a description of the promise of America as it nears its 250th birthday of the sort that used to be a staple of political discourse, but has been sorely lacking of late. Here’s why, in my opinion and the opinion of the late Barbara Jordan, it matters to our current struggles over immigration and assimilation.
'My Hope for America Is What It Has Always Been'
As the press conference was winding down, Rubio had the following exchange with Kelly Wright from CBN News:
WRIGHT: I’ve got to ask you, what is your hope for America at a time such as this?
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RUBIO: Yeah look, I mean, my hope for America is what it’s always been. I think it’s the hope I hope we all share. We want it to continue to be the place where anyone from anywhere can achieve anything, where you’re not limited by the circumstances of your birth, by the color of your skin, by your ethnicity, but frankly, it’s a place where you are able to overcome challenges and achieve your full potential.
I think that should be the goal of every country in the world, frankly, but I think in the U.S. — we’re not perfect. Our history is not one of perfection, but it’s still better than anybody else’s history. And ours is a story of perpetual improvement. Each generation has left the next generation of Americans freer, more prosperous, safer, and that is our goal as well.
But it is a unique and exceptional country, and as we come upon this 250-year anniversary I think we have a lot to learn and be proud of in our history. It is one of perpetual and continuous improvement where each generation has done its part to bring us closer to fulfilling the vision that the founders of this country had upon its founding.
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