Posted on 02/05/2015 6:08:43 AM PST by don-o
The left-wing group Media Matters for America cried flip-flop after Gov. Scott Walker bluntly told ABC News he opposed "amnesty" for illegal immigrants living in the United States.
Walker, the group said in blog post, previously had supported a pathway to citizenship advocated by lawmakers in Washington, D.C.
With Walker garnering plenty of attention amid a crowded field of potential 2016 GOP presidential candidates, let’s put this one to the Flip-O-Meter.
Our standard disclaimer applies: The Flip-O-Meter is not designed to say whether any change in position is good policy or good politics. Rather, it strictly looks at whether a public official has been consistent in his or her stated views on a topic.
In this case, we have visited Walker’s statements on immigration before, notably in August 2013, when we examined how Republicans were framing the issue in the wake of President Barack Obama’s re-election win with strong support from Hispanics.
In the past, Walker has been hard to pin down on the question, and has made seemingly contradictory statements.
So we were struck by Walker’s direct language and tone Feb. 1, 2015 in the "This Week" interview with ABC’s Martha Raddatz.
Raddatz: "We know you want to fix the border and fix the immigration system, but what would you do about the 11 million undocumented who are still here?
Walker: "I think for sure, we need to secure the border. I think we need to enforce the legal system. I'm not for amnesty…"
In making the comments, did Walker change his position?
Here are some key past statements he’s made, all in 2013:
-- At a February 2013 national conference hosted by Politico, Walker said fixing the legal immigration system should come first, but said the next step is we "gotta embrace" a "legal pathway"
(Excerpt) Read more at politifact.com ...
Bush 43’s waging of police wars under UN sanction to maintain the New World Order sucked in conservatives who were sold on it being a patriotic duty.
When the Lefties attacked the wars, conservatives were sucked into fighting the Lefties.
While our energy was invested in supporting these wars and fighting its opponents, our attention was diverted from W Bush’s advancement of liberalism from No Child Left Behind to Medicare Part D, the TSA, NSA data collection and the list goes on.
It doesn’t matter, he, just like the candidates from 2008 and 2012 will use semantics to define the term “amnesty” however they want to make it look like they are against “amnesty”, which is exactly what “pathway to citizenship” is. Bottom line, in an era of falling employment participation and falling wages, last thing we need is more immigration, either legal or illegal.
Out of the current list of prospect I am ONLY a Cruz supporter.
Let me guess. Media Matters did this right after they looked at 6 years of Obama’s flip flops and lies as well as Hillary’s.
Hobgoblins.
We see the GOPe is showing fear. We need a special forum for “Political Hit Pieces”. We all knew that the second Walker became real, both sides would try to destroy him.
What you see here is the sour grapes of those that seek Jesus Christ as the nominee
At present the grumbling from the peanut gallery is not meaningful
Scott Walker should be judged by his track record as Governor, not by every little thing that Media Matters can twist to convince people that Walker is less then pure. As much as I like Ted Cruz Walker has administrative experience and has shown that he will fight Democrats to get done what needs to be done.
The fine can be waived if they say the password “yo no tengo dinero.”
The pile on posting for Walker to take down Cruz and help Bush eventually win is on.....
I can recall having polls on this board. How about running one on our current preferences for a Republican nominee? Can it be done to preclude spamming?
We must oppose the politics as usual of the GOPe political machine that will do nothing to reverse Amnesty or Obamacare.
Scott Walker has no track record of doing that.
I notice the forgot to mention his statements from 2010...
“•2010: stop suspected illegals; 2012: that’s a distraction. (Jul 2013)
•Supports AZ’s immigration law and no benefits for illegals. (Jul 2010”
http://www.ontheissues.org/Scott_Walker.htm#Gun_Control
Now you really went and stepped in it.
It’s not a “flip-flop.” It’s called “lying.”
I’m saying he didn’t “flip-flop”, he is using semantics. He always was and still is for amnesty. I am not defending Media Matters.
We who are footing the bills and want to protect US sovereignty are the "bad guys" according to Jeb. Jeb needs to figure out that its not how much voters like candidates.......it's how much the candidate appears to like voters.
Jeb makes the same mistake Perry made---sneering at voters opposed to giveaways---saying they were "heartless." Candidates hoping to win by flaunting their self-serving "superiority" are doomed to failure.
Jeb and wife.
I am not going to be influenced by opposition proctology exams of my guys/gals. It's all a bunch of crap!
I think Walker is still getting his own ideas solidified as to what is to be done on a national level.
Agreed. Immigration issues are not as big a deal in Wisconsin as they are in some places, and Walker's always been a bit vague on them. Seems to me he intuitively believes that citizenship should not be a, "Well, you're here anyhow, so we'll make you a citizen" thing, but at the same time he is open to immigrants who embrace American attitudes.
The challenge is figuring out how to keep out the ones who want to turn the US into a socialist/Muslim/whatever state, while letting in those who believe in our constitutional values, and he really hasn't grappled with that yet. I don't mind lack of clarity from someone who is still responding intuitively, and would actually prefer that to firm statements on a relatively unexamined position. OTOH, if he doesn't eventually come out with a plan that clarifies his position he'll lose points with me.
“We must oppose the politics as usual of the GOPe political machine that will do nothing to reverse Amnesty or Obamacare.
Scott Walker has no track record of doing that.”
That is false. Walker joined the suit against owebamacare and refused to implement it in WI.
Walker has never been congress, so it is kind of silly to say he did nothing to reverse amnesty, there is nothing he could do as Gov of WI!
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