Perry promotes his years of experience taking on illegal immigration, tries to blunt criticism

Washington Post ^ | Oct 1, 2011 | AP

[Clairity]

His aides believe that his decade of experience as a border-state governor bolsters his credibility on immigration and border security.

He said he vetoed a Texas bill that would have given illegal immigrants driver's licenses, helped pass a bill requiring voter identification at the polls, spent $400 million on security measures to help secure the state’s border with Mexico, and strongly opposed granting amnesty to people who illegally entered the United States.

"I'm a governor. I don't have the pleasure of standing on the stage and criticizing," Perry said. "I have to deal with these issues."

[Grunthor]

Since he does not support e-verify, will those jobs, jobs, jobs go to his illegal alien friends?

[txrangerette]

Money quote: Perry’s border security policy endorsed by Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minutemen.

Rick Perry and the Republican Bind on Immigration

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2786401/posts?page=13

[rintense]

YOUR statistic was for the last 11 years

Oh, and, how long has Perry been governor of Texas, hmmm???

[radpolis]

Dude, there is nothing more important than protecting the territorial and legal integrity of the United States of America, and if you don’t get that, then you are no less ignorant than your typical liberal.

The president’s duty is not to create jobs. Reagan knew this. Only a liberal thinks the government creates jobs.

I couldn’t care less if Perry created one job or 10 million jobs, the president’s primary duty is to defend the US Constitution and the sovereignty of the United States.

But you are only worried about the money in your pocket.

Guess what? If you have no country, and no rule of law, the money in your pocket is meaningless.

Illegal lovers like yourself don’t seem to get that.

[fight_truth_decay]

I agree with what you say..however it is too soon for me to back anyone..the Left loves watching the Right fight over immigration to cover the fact that TEXAS is properous, Texans love Perry and have joked they will vote against him to keep him as do not like who they see taking his place--a Rhino.

I focus on Jobs or the environment to make more jobs..and Texas has done that--one of the most successful states in America for jobs. LePage in Maine is turning his state around as well and not in headlines of talking the talk but walking the walk. If it were not so hot in Texas I would consider it a place I might like to live.

Low unemployment in Texas compared to the rest of the country..is this not why we need new leadership in the WH?

Fix government welfare programs, you will fix the immigration problem on the illegal side. More jobs make people richer which need more workers hired to do the things the affluent do not have time to do or choose to do.

[rintense]

Yep. As I've said before... we have some of the best engineering minds in the world living in the USA. We built a bridge to connect the Florida Keys. We built a dams to hold back millions of gallons of water. We even built a bridge to connect two peninsulas in Michigan.

Yet we CAN'T build a frickin fence in the middle of a river?

Another cop out by the Perry people.

[DTogo]

While Perry has a less then ideal stance on immigration, the issue of illegal border crossings is being demagogue by creeps like Willard and the hordes of malcontents slinking around.

As the spouse of a LEGAL immigrant in this country, as I once was in hers for many years, I'll wear that badge of "demagoguing, slinking, malcontent" with honor all day long!

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Whereas Bush grew up in an elite environment Perry did not. Bush attended northeast prep schools and then an ivy league college. Perry did not. Environment does play a role in the development of a persons personality. I believe Perry is a bit tougher.

Where they're similar is their acceptance of cheap labor to the point of encouraging it in the name of "compassionate conservatism" or "family values don't stop at the Rio Grande".

Perry and the Bushes supporting in-state tuition is a clever ruse because they know small numbers will actually take advantage of it in comparison to the vast vast majority of whom will work low-paying jobs while suppressing wages of everyday working Americans. That's their real goal.

It does however make them look good to the ivory tower crowd as they preach on about the heartlessness of those mean conservatives who want the law respected. In other words they get their cake and eat it too.

[rintense]

Next thing you know, someone will call you heartless. Oh wait...

[wmfights]

This is not a two man race.

You should hope it is. In the end it will come down to voting on obama's record. He will counter that he's gained valuable experience and in foreign policy has killed off the leadership of the terrorists and helped begin the democratic process in the middle east.

If we have a nominee with no executive experience we lose that card. If the SCOTUS rules the healthcare personal mandate is unconstitutional, but leaves the rest of the law in place we lose that card.

The two candidates that have executive experience as Gov's are Perry and Romney. It will come down to them.

[altura]

I agree. the criticism of Perry on the border issue is ridiculous. However, I’m worn out from trying to defend Perry on people who got their feelings hurt because he used an unfortunate phrase in a debate.

So, I won’t be reading this thread. Sometimes you just can’t take a bunch of ignorance any more.

[txrangerette]

Cain endorsed Mitt Romney in 2008.

Don’t bother with, but McCain was so bad.

Yes, McCain was bad. Romney is in fact worse.

At least McCain served and his kid serves. Romney not only did not serve, he has said without shame that his 5 sons have never served but instead have busied themselves with the great work of helping him campaign.

Even McCain as bad as he is on several issues, would never have gone on board with Obamacare not even if his friend Teddy were still alive. But in Romney we have state of Mass. Obamacare...

At least McCain was reliably prolife but Romney???

I am not accusing Cain of being as bad as Romney. I’m saying he endorsed Romney, which is bad in itself.

Now, in 2011, he says he can’t even vote for Rick Perry in the election? If he were the GOP nominee?

He would sit home, vote third party, vote Obama...what??

But he could easily support Mitt...that’s right, we know because he endorsed him before.

[Grunthor]

“You should hope it is. In the end it will come down to voting on obama’s record.”

No. You don’t get to skip the primary. The primary is not a two man race. Many of you folks don’t seen to understand that a supermajority of primary voters don’t want EITHER Romney OR Perry.

[Iron Munro]

Perry brought this firestorm on himself with his repeated strong defense of the Texas Dream Act.
He topped it off when he called conservative critics heartless.

The Texas Dream Act subsidies to illegals now overshadows anything else he may have to say regarding illegals.

He is talking into the wind when he tries to defend his action because there is no defense. The only ones who hear him are his faithful supporters. Everyone else just hears a man in a corner spinning his story and excusing himself for his mistakes.

He will not be able to walk this back with conservatives. His candidacy is fading away.

[P-Marlowe]

I never thought I'd see the day when a freeper would rationalize and excuse illegal immigration.

It is easy to rationalize it when I know that if I lived in some South American hell hole and knew I could come to America and then give my children American Citizenship merely by their being born here, I would move heaven and earth to come here, especially if I knew the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT was NOT ENFORCING the laws.

You would too.

Everyone on Free Republic would.

I do not begrudge these people for coming here. I begrudge the Federal Government and the Courts for refusing to enforce the laws and the employers who illegally hire these people.

As far as the Texas Dream Act, this law applies only to children who were brought here illegally by their parents and who have themselves broken no laws. Texas has been forced to give these children an education through high school and the law simply gives these children the same opportunities to continue their education that every other Texas High School Graduate receives. The Federal Government isn't going to deport these kids, so the choice is whether to allow them to continue their education or to become street urchins. I certainly have no beef with children who have been brought here illegally by their parents. If the Federal Government isn't going to deport the parents then what should be done with the children?

[EDINVA]

and it has absolutely nothing to do with a 1200 mile long border with Mexico that the federal government will not protect.

Easy for those of us in states thousands of miles from the border to criticize, but we don’t have to deal with the worst of it. The worst and most dangerous part of the trip for illegals is getting across the border into the US. If the TX tuition break were such a magnet, why would they ever leave TX?

[fight_truth_decay]

You seem very one dimensional in your thinking, but you do have company. What you say is not entirely wrong but only only the smallest factor in solving the problems of illegal immigration. I have several times above on that, if interested and I have only just touched on the problem.. ;)

If it were so simple to fix..like the war on drugs, like the war on terror..like the war on anything the Federal Government takes on or even the war on its own states... If states had the power to act for their own best interests without the Left in the federal government coming down on the states with suits, and bogus threats of such, boycotts etc--the problem would be not so in focus. Plus politics weighs heavy on it all.

You can't get in you can't get out..or in Iran you go to prison for illegal entry and not a soft cushy prison with TV, Internet, and a balanced diet.. The Border states have tried-- plenty of evidence of that should one really take the time to research.

But richer states mean more jobs..think of it as illegals wont come to the state by you if you have no one giving jobs to "anyone". That works! ;)

[DTogo]

And racist, despite being the only Caucasian in the house. Oh wait...

[txrangerette]

I realize Cain has made several problematic statements.

My point was in regards to Cain saying he can’t vote for Perry in the general even if Perry were to be nominated.

Whoa!

So I’m asking, if Cain doesn’t get it, who will he be for in the primaries but Mitt Romney, right? He endorsed Romney in 2008 so that’s just about locked in.

If Perry were nominated, Cain would do what...sit out the election, vote third party, vote Obama?

All of those would be bad choices.

[Reagan Man]

>>>>>>Illegal lovers like yourself don’t seem to get that.

Another unhinged lying newbie nutzie. LOL My guess is you're a Paultard!

Clearly, reading comprehension is not something you value. Never said anything about the President's duty being to create jobs. I said Perry drove home what should be the fundamental issues this election season and #1 is jobs. Along with several others. As Governor of Texas Perry has put in place or kept in place the right policies to create jobs in Texas. Low taxes, less regulation and tort reform. 40% of all jobs created in the US since 2007 have been in Texas.

Perry wants the Feds to do their Constitutional duty and to secure the Tex-Mex border. As President that is exactly what he would do.