Posted on 11/01/2007 8:55:33 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
By Kleinheider
November 1st, 2007 - 8:13 am
Steve Gill pens a column this morning counseling Fred Thompson to hit the immigration issue hard — especially Hillary Clinton’s rambling answer in Tuesday night’s Democratic debate regarding drivers licenses for illegal immigrants. An answer she has now retracted.
Steve Gill on Fred’s immigration opportunity:
Thompson has the opportunity to pounce on the issue and make it his, which would give him an advantage in both the Republican Primary as well as the general election. Granted, Thompson’s personality and style do not fit well with the image of a quick, cat-like “pounce.” So perhaps he should be more like a grizzly bear and launch a big pawed “swipe” at Hillary…with the claws out.
It would appear that Fred is already heeding Gill’s advice:
While Hillary Clinton was speaking out both sides of her mouth at last night’s debate over the issue of drivers licenses for illegal aliens, what went unsaid is that this is a recipe for increased voter fraud. Under the federal “Motor Voter” law (the National Voter Registration Act of 1993), states must provide applicants for drivers licenses with the opportunity to register to vote.
Giving legal drivers licenses to illegal immigrants is wrong and would provide them the opportunity to register to vote in our country. People who are not citizens of the United States should not be encouraged by pandering politicians to further break our laws and risk the health of our political system.
And Clinton is not his only target on the issue. Fred is going after Mitt Romney as well:
Thompson’s campaign also included all the usual oppo on Romney’s prevous, much softer stance on immigration, including the oft-cited Boston Globe interview from November of 2005 in which Romney called an early version of comprehensive reform “reasonable.”
If he has one, this could be Thompson’s moment. No top-tier Republican has effectively made any hay out of Romney’s marked change in tone on immigration. John McCain and Rudy Giuliani have cited the 2005 Globe story umpteen times, but have not been able to do any damage to Romney on immigration because of their own difficulties on the issue.
Fred Thompson is floundering in the polls and the media elite have already handicapped the race and decided on high that he will lose.
Fred Thompson can reasonable be said to be losing the horserace aspect of this campaign. Of course, this is a game he was never intent on playing. He is, or so he says, unconcerned by polling and elite opinion.
That may be true, however, does he not still need something, anything, that will resonate with the public and get him back in this race? Romney has the money and organization. Giuliani has the compelling narrative of 9/11, elements of the Religious Right are coalescing around Huckabee and Ron Paul is attempting to lead a social movement. Fred Thompson needs something in his campaign right now. Is it immigration? Can immigration be the issue that put Fred Thompson back in this hunt in defiance of elite opinion and polling numbers?
SEE ALSO: Fore Left
It’s his former stand on illegal immigration. He was pretty pro in the Senate, and said lately that illegals should have be able to have aspiration to citizenship. That is the flipflot I am referring to.
Fred’s on Sean Hannity today!
You love to over complicate things.
You posted:
Yes, quite. ***but it isn’t.
I once had a comment pulled because someone was so thin-skinned they couldn’t handle a funny light-hearted jab from http://www.blogthings.com
So, no, it is not clear.
Talking about somebody being thin skinned yet hit abuse because Jellybean called you scum is what caught my eye..
said lately that illegals should have be able to have aspiration to citizenship
That line is taken out of context -- in the proper context, he points out that such aspirations must fall in line behind the folks who've gone through the proper channels.
The concept is, you’re supposed to be able to say what you want about the CANDIDATES. Well, mostly. JimRob doesn’t like it when a Freeper knocks down a good conservative like Reagan to make a socialist like Tootyfruityrudy look good. But there is a wide degree of latitude when talking about the CANDIDATES. When you call another Freeper a personal insult, it is supposedly frowned upon. But, looking at this thread, those rules do not seem to apply. Sometimes the rules are massaged a little because the PTBs like a certain candidate and allow a lot of leeway for that candidate’s followers, and allow very little leeway for disliked candidate’s followers. That’s just the way things are.
This is a socon forum and I’m pushing a socon candidate. That’s about as simple as I need things to be.
Talking about somebody being thin skinned yet hit abuse because Jellybean called you scum is what caught my eye..
***Have you seen the light-hearted stuff at Blogthings? The difference in magnitude is pretty striking. But, to be clear, I don’t hit the abuse button whenever someone has delivered a personal insult. That happens too much in Free Republic — someone that thin-skinned would be better off baking cookies for a church choir. I hit the abuse button so that I can get the debate back onto the topic, rather than just trading insults. It didn’t work here.
Ditto that. It is one of the most misquoted lines of Thompson’s. The thing about getting to the back of the line, as Thompson proposed is that it does fall under the current law and, unless they have reason reason to apply for asylum, they would not qualify for legal residency because of criminally being here in the past.
>It’s his former stand on illegal immigration. He was pretty pro in the Senate>
>>No, he wasn’t.<<
Check out:
http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=TN&VIPID=743
Let’s bring the “thin skinned” and “scum” attacks and other comments of the like down a notch, OK.
The only form of "amnesty" I'd support is to say to those who are here currently illegally that if they 1) go home, and 2) get in the back of the line, then we won't hold their previous illegal entry against them.
Any other offenses would still be in play, and this extremely limited amnesty would only apply to those who leave voluntarily (i.e., anyone apprehended and deported doesn't qualify).
There are a few cases that fall under existing asylum laws I would consider, such as how we deal with Cuba’s residents who are able to get here.
Was just seeking clarity from Kevmo, but agreed...
Yup...
Yup
heh heh..
It will be fun to be on the same team down the road...
Your car will look good with a Fred sticker ;-)
Lets avoid the personal attacks everyone.
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