Posted on 11/23/2011 11:48:17 AM PST by rabscuttle385
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was accused on Wednesday of flip-flopping for comments he made in 2007 indicating he was open to a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Romney's remarks, made on NBC's "Meet the Press" when he was a candidate for president, were circulated by rival Newt Gingrich's campaign the day after the former Speaker of the House of Representatives came under similar fire for suggesting during a debate Tuesday night that he was in favor of such a pathway for immigrants.
Opponents of a pathway, a large swath of the early-voting Republican electorate, have branded the proposal as equal to an amnesty for the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States.
Conservative Republican voters in early-voting states like Iowa have demonstrated little patience for candidates or office-holders who are receptive to any plans that would grant citizenship to illegal immigrants.
The Gingrich campaign noted that during the 2007 interview, Romney said "that those people who had come here illegally and are in this country, the 12 million or so that are here illegally, should be able to sign up for permanent residency or citizenship."
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
You attempt to somehow blame Ronald Reagan for this utter disaster?
No sale.
You bet...Anyone concocting schemes to legalize these millions of criminals, will never get this guys vote.
I love Reagan. Doesn’t mean he got it right every time. In any case that was then this is now. Anyone with critical thinking capabilities knows that uncontrolled borders is killing us.
Anyone who can tell me 20-30 million illegals in the country is good for ordinary Americans with a sgtraight face is a zombie. There are millions of unemployed Americans right here in the good old USA. These are jobs they should be doing. Yes that’s right should. Anyone who’s unemployed who turns down any job should be removed from the unemployed rolls.
It’s probably not even going to be worth voting. For the first time in my life, I’ll be sitting out a presidential election.
My parents came here legally, after waiting years and years in line. Women and children came first, families were separated (thanks to Communist sympathizer FDR) for years.
Where was the “humanity” then?
My parents and grandparents were fleeing Hitler and Stalin, not some self-made economic situation. Where was the “compassion”?
There were such strict quotas then, had to keep Europeans out. Of course, there still appear to be strict quotes now for non-minorities, at least, from all the stories I hear.
Newt or Mitt won’t fix immigration if they are elected.
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Immigration deoesnt need fixing...
Theres nothing wrong ewith it...
The presence in the US of 30 Million plus illegal aliens ...
now that s a whole other matter...
They need to go back where they came from...
and tell them “please take your whole family with you...”
I don’t agree with you. I think immigration needs to be fixed also, but I meant illegal before.
That’s what has to happen and I believe the political reality will coalesce around that idea.
We won’t get fooled a third time. We need to control our borders, but kicking out non-criminal illegals won’t happen. The path to citizenship must be in support of overseas Christian minorities, those with high educations and skills and those who bring $1 million in capital.
Those who are on the path to legal citizenship need to be treated like human beings - standardize and privatize the process. Those who are here illegally go to the end of the line.
We need a tiered approach to citizenship and an elimination of welfare benefits for illegals, green card holders, and newly minted citizens for a decade. That would go a long way toward shoring up entitlements and give that reform time to work.
The illegal immigration problem isn’t just about immigration.
First of all, BLESS YOUR PARENT’S HEARTS!
Second, BQ, there IS no quota now - no Ellis Island. The immigrants that flee to America today, come here to flee poverty that they are to lazy (and entitled) to repair.
After all, if the lazy (entitled) one’s family were starving, and all one had to do was to cross a border, and VOILA!
There, one would have free food, free education, subsidized housing, all the identities one could steal, for MORE free stuff - and pop out a baby there, and it’s got a guarantee of a free “BENNIE” ticket for the rest of it’s life.....
And don’t forget the American flags they can burn, the fires they can start, accidents they can cause and flee, and the thefts they can perpetrate, the gangs they can join, the women (and children) they can molest.
BUT, then, there’s “possible” punishment by deportation, (which will last one day before they can get back across that “FREEDOM BORDER”.)
Sure there are things wrong with immigration. The average LEGAL immigrant costs this nation money.
Meanwhile, nations like Australia set up point systems whereby native English speakers, those in needed professions, those more educated, and those with spouses who work in needed professions are favored. They also favor younger immigrants.
Their immigration system is leaps and bounds better than what we have in the US. It makes far more sense.
Meanwhile, we’re letting in a million people per year legally—far, far, far too many and who, on average, cost this nation money.
Cutting the number in half, limiting immigrants to refugees or allies of our nation, and raising the expectations of immigrants to integrate, speak English, and be active and productive members of society would be a huge step forward.
Thank you, yorkie.
We forgot about the beheadings too. Granted, that hasn’t been proven without a reasonable doubt yet on the U.S. side (wasn’t there an incident last summer in Phoenix though?) — but when so many are happening along the southern part of I-10 by El Paso, it’s just a matter of time.
And the massive swaths of public land now closed off to us, the taxpaying public.
Not defending Newt, Mitt or Perry on immigration ... but NONE of these candidates will fix immigration. We require a significant number of strong conservatives in Congress to do that. We are nowhere close to having the numbers.
The average LEGAL immigrant costs this nation money
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I didnt cost this country a penny...
I paid for everything myself...
I won’t vote for them in the primary.
The first mistake that many of the anti-immigrant hot-heads on this forum make is to conflate several different issues into one. Some illegals are violent criminals and/or drug dealers. No question about what should happen to them. Some are welfare queens of one description or another, and some of them also vote illegally, enticed, encouraged and enabled by those who make a living gain political power through expanding the social welfare system. These are not felons, but are an economic drag on the country. Cut them off and toss them out is ok. Then there is a large class who actually turn in honest work doing jobs Americans won't do or cannot do, pay taxes, and pay their own way through life. I would guess that this class is at least 1/3 of illegals and probably more. I really don't think there is any justice in trying to toss these folks out. Maybe you tell them that they never get citizenship, but they can have permanent legal residence so long as they remain law abiding productive citizens.
But the notion that we are just going to round up and toss out 30 Million folks is a fantasy, and not a very Christian fantasy at that.
I understand. I would support Gingrich, Cain or Perry. I’ll make a decision on exactly which one later on. Their stance on illegal immigration will have little impact on my decision for the reasons I stated previously.
Typical. Not surprised. He Perry and Newt should just start a club. Illegal alien lovers club.
btw, glenn beck endorses michele bachmann. just got an email.
Thank God for Glenn Beck. He knows who the real conservative it!!!!! This just might be a decent election after all. I would really love Cain/Bachmann. However, I would not be opposed to Bachmann/Cain.
I would support Gingrich, Cain or Perry
Out of that group only Cain would get my vote in the Primary and the General. I seriously won’t vote for Perry or Gingrich in the general. Add Romney, Huntsman and Paul to the listing. Forget it! Won’t happen.
The first mistake that many of the anti-immigrant hot-heads on this forum make is to conflate several different issues into one.
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Oh I dunno
I think their altimate goal has always been AMNESTY fore their illegall aliens...
We Pro-immigration FReepers far outnumber the group which seems to concern you...
I wouldnt worry...
We’ve been getting the word out for years in thesae threadfs about the dangers that illegal aliens present to the citizens and economy of the US...
People are listening...
even if it takes losing spomeone they know to dewath on the roads or murder or rapes or robbery by illegal aliens ti get their attention...
It’s only the as you say “hotheads” like Romney who want the illegal aliens to stay because it benefitsa them financially and/or politically who refuse to accept that ALL of the illegal aliens and their anchor offspring MUST leave the US...
The rest of us know that the rule of law in this country MUST prevail...
our sovereign borders must be protected from invaders up to no good...
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