The gay rights group Equality Florida is criticizing U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, for blocking the nomination of Miami-Dade Circuit Judge William Thomas to a federal judgeship in the district that includes Broward County.
Thomas would have been the nation's first openly gay black judge.
But since his involvement in pushing comprehensive immigration reform through the Senate, Rubio's popularity among conservatives has plunged. He may run for president in 2016, so he's been seeking to shore up his credentials with the Republican Party's base. Among his recent actions: going on the offensive against Obamacare and stopping the Thomas nomination.
Here are details about Rubio and the Thomas nomination."Once again, we see Senator Rubio playing politics when it comes to what's best for Florida," Equality Florida CEO Nadine Smith said in a statement. "He is keeping a qualified nominee from the bench to appease extremists."