Posted on 05/25/2007 9:01:24 PM PDT by kellynla
Fred Thompson, a potential Republican presidential candidate, suggested that the 1986 immigration law signed by President Reagan is to blame for the country's illegal immigrants and he bemoaned a nation beset by "suicidal maniacs."
"Twelve million illegal immigrants later, we are now living in a nation that is beset by people who are suicidal maniacs and want to kill countless innocent men, women and children around the world," the former Tennessee senator said. "We're sitting here now with essentially open borders."
He made the comments Thursday night as he discussed the 1986 immigration reform bill and the Senate's current legislation to overhaul the immigration system during a speech to people attending the annual Prescott Bush Awards Dinner in Stamford, Conn.
Thompson, the actor on NBC's popular drama "Law & Order," is widely expected to enter the GOP presidential race this summer. His backers bill him as a conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan who can beat the Democratic nominee in November 2008.
That's the same Reagan who signed an immigration overhaul two decades ago that gave amnesty to an estimated 2.7 million illegal immigrants who had been in the United States at least four years.
"Future generations of Americans will be thankful for our efforts to humanely regain control of our borders and thereby preserve the value of one of the most sacred possessions of our people: American citizenship," Reagan said in a statement on Nov. 6, 1986, as the bill became law with his signature.
Immigration has dominated the Republican presidential race this week, with candidates seeking to navigate the tricky politics of the Senate measure that many conservatives oppose. They make up a large part of the GOP base whose votes are critical in the Republican primary contests.
Thompson, Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani all oppose the measure to varying degrees, even though all three have made statements in the past in which they appeared to support a similar measure the Senate previously considered.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona is a co-sponsor of the new measure that would meld tougher policies to secure the country's porous borders with a guest-worker program and an eventual path to citizenship for most of the 12 million immigrants in the country illegally.
"We should scrap this bill and the whole debate until we can convince the American people that we have secured the borders or at least have made great headway," Thompson said last week.
His remark about "suicidal maniacs" drew a chuckle from McCain, who said in a telephone interview: "I don't know what to make of it."
"I travel around the country extensively and that's certainly not the impression I have," McCain said. "I have not detected a nation full of suicidal maniacs."
Giuliani said he hoped Thompson was not referring to immigrants in general.
"He was probably referring to the risk we now run that if we have borders that can be easily penetrated, well then, even though it's a small group, terrorists can come in that way, drug dealers, other criminals," Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, said in a telephone interview.
Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Thompson, said he was not calling immigrants "suicidal maniacs" but, rather was referring to terrorists who seek to enter the United States through borders that have lax security.
Fred remarks on issues with strength and conviction. No pussy-footing around with this big boy. In my view, the only clear choice. I understand why he must wait to declare, but I’m turning blue anyway.
“but I’m turning blue anyway.”
Ya might want to take a breath.LOL
I don’t expect him to announce before Labor Day.
Fred blaming the 1986 immigration law for today’s immigration problem? I hope this is out of context or not a good summary, because if he thinks it’s true he is showing a total lack of understanding about the history of illegal immigration in this country. He may want to stick with generalities in the future.
Either stick to generalities, or go back to 1965.
Oh, but that’s old news.
Sorry, forgot the /s.
Fredipedia: The Definitive Fred Thompson Reference
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what about the 12-”who really knows” millions already here
would Fred run on a deport platform?
I like Fred and probably will support him if he runs since I doubt Tancredo or Hunter can get the nomination
but does anyone think Fred will unequivocally say they have to all go home and apply for “some sort of temporary migrant worker” visa.
that would be pretty interesting
Here’s two videos from the CT speech:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0H3zhZu0S5w&NR=1
Fred Thompson Lays Into Immigration Compromise
01:31
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=io4nDeS-GpU&mode=related&search=
Fred Thompson Says He’s Given Money to Joe Lieberman*
1:49
*After Lieberman supported his efforts in exposing Clinton’s China campaign finance abuses
More - Fred taking on Calderon (posted March 21, 2007):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQLFfTd2l44&mode=related&search=
Fred Thompson On Illegal Immigration
wardaddy wrote: “...but does anyone think Fred will unequivocally say they have to all go home and apply for “some sort of temporary migrant worker” visa.”
No, what Fred has said is that if we take away the attractions which induce illegals to come here (jobs provided illegally by employers, benefits provided stupidly by government), most of them will go home. That will leave a much more manageable number of illegals here for us to deal with.
it will take a proactive approach to enforce laws well enough for illegals to be driven from their jobs here and employers prosecuted.
i think it’s great but the media will have a field day
they will be running the raids on TV nightly
standing at the border filming sobbing families leaving...
gringo friends being interviewed about how wonderful the illegals that were their neighbors were and why should they have to go back to Mexico now?
the media will make this look like Schindler’s List meets Children of Men.
i’m quite serious folks, it’s one thing to talk about all this and say folks will do it but are we sure anyone will do what it takes to see what will be a defacto deportation take place so we can get a grip on this problem?
I really do not know.....it will take a commitment far beyond just campaign rhetoric.
I am not convinced even Tancredo or Hunter will do this either.
Thompson is a Rapper?
Thompson? Oh yeah, he’s the guy who lost my vote by saying it’s “unrealistic” to send back the millions of illegals who are here.
Heaven forbid that he do something that makes much more sense both politically and financially and enforce policies that will make them self deport.
No effective barrier will ever be put in place by government.
No anti-illegal-alien labor policy will ever be enforced by government.
The solution to this problem must, IMO, come from Americans, not from politicians of any party or any stripe. I no longer trust any of them.
So you are going to be personally deporting people, huh?
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