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Will Romney’s Lawn Workers Sink His Candidacy?
The New Republic ^ | 10-19-2011 | Alec MacGillis

Posted on 10/19/2011 5:22:56 PM PDT by smoothsailing

Will Romney’s Lawn Workers Sink His Candidacy?

Alec MacGillis

October 19, 2011

Well, this much is clear: Rick Perry's campaign takes its cues from this blog, which just a few days ago asked in a headline, "Time for Perry to Bring up Mitt's lawn care?" Apparently, it was time. The question that came to my mind as that remarkable fracas last night was occurring was: could this turn into Mitt Romney's driver's license moment? Hillary Clinton was sailing along on an aura of inevitability in the fall of 2007, acing the debates much as Romney has done, when she found herself ganged up in a Philadelphia debate over her ambiguous stance over whether or not illegal immigrants in New York state should be allowed drivers' licenses.

It was a damaging moment because it brought to the fore all at once the less appealing side of her political persona, the trimming and calculating Hillary. There was a sudden similar risk in Perry's attack on Mitt's lawn workers (and what is it, anyway, with immigration as the issue that sparks revelatory moments in both parties' debates?) -- it reacquainted viewers very clearly with the Romney that he had managed to submerge so far in the campaign, the supremely wealthy suburban Boston pol who finds it unnervingly easy to talk away past positions or actions in blatant denial of the historical record. It will be up to viewers to decide what they make of this Mitt -- appealing to Anderson Cooper to restore order, his face red, his voice raised to a full shout -- in the constant replaying that the back and forth is sure to get in the coming days. Me, I thought the Times' Alessandra Stanley nailed it: "Romney looked a little like a country club tennis player dealing with a nonmember guest who gauchely calls a ball in that was obviously out." 

Still, for this to turn into an equivalent of Hillary's driver's license moment will require that there is another candidate who is able to capitalize on this opening the way that Barack Obama was able to do then, as he deftly zeroed in on the triangulating Hillary in the Jefferson-Jackson speech in Des Moines that revived his campaign. This is the chance for Rick Perry's team to prove they're as good as everyone in Texas says they are.

VIDEO-Romney & Perry Take the Gloves Off


TOPICS: Extended News; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: aliens; belmontsanctuary; done; finished; immigration; ineligibleromney; kaput; mittromney; rickperry; rinoromney; romney; romney4illegals; romney4mexicans; romneycain; romneyhiredillegals; romneylied; romneyliesagain
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To: the invisib1e hand
try getting someone to do your lawn who isn't Mexican.

The guy that did mine last week (over an acres worth) is a 5 generation resident of the county I live in and his boss is probably 7 or 8 generations. And this is a county with a major illegal problem.

41 posted on 10/19/2011 5:55:56 PM PDT by Gabz (Democrats for Voldemort.)
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To: muawiyah

Hmmm. It came across to me that Perry was basically yelling at Romney while it was Romney’s turn to explain Perry’s accusations. I’m not crazy about defending Romney, but here it looked to me like Perry was the one who was out of line.


42 posted on 10/19/2011 5:56:22 PM PDT by PapaNew
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To: smoothsailing

If it does, that’s ridiculous


43 posted on 10/19/2011 5:58:28 PM PDT by The_Freemason
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To: the invisib1e hand
Ha!

Thanks, no wonder I couldn't find any pics of Eureka Palms that looked like the ones I have.

44 posted on 10/19/2011 5:58:55 PM PDT by Rome2000 (OBAMA IS A COMMUNIST CRYPTO-MUSLIM)
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To: smoothsailing

"Señor Romney pays good money! We endorse him!"
Guy in back: "Señor McCain, he paid a lot less!"


45 posted on 10/19/2011 5:59:02 PM PDT by COBOL2Java (Obama is the least qualified guy in whatever room he walks into.)
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To: Soul Seeker

” but also being the only one who has shown a willingness to go for Mitt’s throat in these debates. “

And now Perry is being criticized by some on the right for being
too “ mean spirited “
and “ too aggressive.”
Sheesh .
Conservatives bemoan the lack of an attacker on our side
and when we get one,
many get the vapors and complain that Perry
was too mean to Romney.
We’re apparently supposed to play by Robert’s Rules of Order
instead of my preferred tact of Take No Prisoner.
I think Perry could definitely rattle thin-skinned Obama
just like he did thin-skinned Romney.


46 posted on 10/19/2011 5:59:23 PM PDT by Wild Irish Rogue
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To: nhwingut

I’m with you. I don’t care what brings Romney down, as long as he is brought down.

If this does it, it would be special, since he’s been lying his ass off to everybody about it for years.


47 posted on 10/19/2011 5:59:44 PM PDT by smoothsailing
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To: smoothsailing

Didn’t Mittens get through this in 2008? Kind of hard for Perry since his #1 funder Bob Perry of Perry Homes hires THOUSANDS of illegal aliens and killed the about-to-pass Sanctuary Cities ban with zero protest from Perry.


48 posted on 10/19/2011 6:00:24 PM PDT by montag813
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To: 9YearLurker
While I was in charge of our HOA I had to make calls around for a company to handle our lawn care.

Right off the bat I told them two things ~ (1) If they brought illegals onto our property I'd sue, and (2) If they couldn't guarantee "no illegals" don't bother bidding.

In the end we found a local fellow. I helped him set up his company and write his bid. He's been great. He was born on one of those little Vietnamese boats overcrowded with hundreds of people just as it started sinking ~ I remember praying for the safety of those people and writing numerous letters to my Congressman and Senators about what to do.

He's legal and he didn't just step over a line in the sand.

Oh, and right after solving that problem I went blind for several months.

49 posted on 10/19/2011 6:00:24 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Rome2000

lol.


50 posted on 10/19/2011 6:01:26 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (...then they came for the guitars, and we kicked their sorry faggot asses into the dust)
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To: PapaNew

Perry had not yet finished. I didn’t hear a “time” either. Romney just jumped in ~ which he does every time somebody gets near to laying out the truth on his erratic behavior.


51 posted on 10/19/2011 6:01:43 PM PDT by muawiyah
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To: muawiyah

Bingo!


52 posted on 10/19/2011 6:02:54 PM PDT by sanjuanbob (Festina Lente)
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To: Soul Seeker

Come on - are you gonna tell Perry if he ever ate at a Mexican restaurant that employed an illegal - that he is guilty of hiring illegals to cook his food?

This is bull - Perry looked like a sixth-grader last night. Petty argument, petty logic, petty Perry.

And now we are down to two...


53 posted on 10/19/2011 6:06:32 PM PDT by MrZippy2k
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To: smoothsailing
Perry's staffers should have known better than to have Perry bring this garbage up during a debate. This was already tried on Mitt before, I believe during his gubernatorial campaign against Shannon O'Brien back in 2002.

Back then, like now, Romney was able to easily that accusation out of the park. Because when you hire contractors to do work in or around your home, it is not YOUR responsibility to validate that the workers are are U.S. citizens. That is the responsibility of the contractor, who hires and pays these workers.

I had my roof done a few months ago and the roofing company brought workers that may or may not have been citizens but did I have the responsibility, or even the right, to walk out there, order them down the ladders and inspect their credentials?

There are plenty of legitmate reasons that we should not be supporting Romney for president but this is not one of them.

54 posted on 10/19/2011 6:06:57 PM PDT by SamAdams76 (Herman Cain 2012)
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To: PapaNew

Actually he told the Lawn Service AFTER the newspaper found out about the illegals.

I can’t have illegals working at my home. I’M RUNNING FOR OFFICE.

No problem until then huh.

Romney is barely tolerable with his say or do ANYTHING to get elected character.


55 posted on 10/19/2011 6:08:23 PM PDT by marty60
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To: muawiyah

Wow. That is incredible. I mean that. I appreciate people who stand by their conviction and suffer for it. Good job man.


56 posted on 10/19/2011 6:08:48 PM PDT by normy (Don't take it personally, just take it seriously.)
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To: Liz; AuntB; La Lydia

PING


57 posted on 10/19/2011 6:12:21 PM PDT by Tennessee Nana
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To: PapaNew
Dude, you just don't get it do you?

The whole point is, up until now, Romney has been “Mr-in-control”, “Mr. Cool”, “Etc”,,,.

Perry finally decided that all the nasty and downright vicious attacks from Romney, Bachmann AND Cain, just were no longer going to be allowed, so he shoved their own rank, rhetorical, BS right back in their face like they have been doing to him over the last 3 debates.

It exposes all of them for what they are and clearly illustrates that they are not immune to negative scrutiny simply because they were the ones dishing out the crap first.

I would love to hear more from you in regards to exactly why you are attacking Gov. Perry, but you seem to be somewhat limited in scope. But give it your best attempt anyway. I am listening intently.

58 posted on 10/19/2011 6:14:35 PM PDT by PSYCHO-FREEP (If you come to a fork in the road, take it........)
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To: SamAdams76

Well I’m not particular, I don’t care what brings Romney down, as long as something does. If this were to destroy him, I’d be just as happy as I would be if it were something others found more substantive.


59 posted on 10/19/2011 6:14:59 PM PDT by smoothsailing
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To: normy
I doubt the blindness was punishment ~ rather, an enlightenment. Left me plenty of time to contemplate life, the universe, and everything ~ no, it's not really "42" ~ much more than that.

I am sure I got the right guy to do the lawncare.

60 posted on 10/19/2011 6:16:05 PM PDT by muawiyah
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