Alternative title: I probably won’t challenge Rubio if he runs for Senate again. At least that’s the sentiment West gives off as he says he doesn’t want to create a ‘disruption’ in the Republican Party. Yes, he has been critical of the immigration bill that Rubio supported, but like many of us I think West still sees Rubio as a strong conservative that would benefit the country in the Senate, so there’s no overwhelming reason to challenge him in a primary battle.
THE BUZZ – “I’m not looking to create disruption within our party. I don’t think it’s a viable option, right now,” West told the Buzz on Wednesday as he got off the Metro at Union Station.
Talk of a primary began in June when West appeared on a radio show and criticized the immigration reform bill Rubio had worked on. West said he would run for Senate if “I see people that are not taking our country down the right path, if I see people that are not standing up for the right type of principles and putting their own party politics before what is best for the United States of America.”
Tea partiers, angry with Rubio, had urged West and the news media amplified his radio remarks, mostly ignoring the doubt he injected in the conversation – “That’s a pretty hard lift.”
Still, true to form, West on Wednesday did not close the door completely: “I’m not saying what I will do or what I won’t do. But I’m not looking to be disruptive. I’m about the American team. I’m about doing whatever I can to help the Republican Party. But I’m going to stick to my principles.”