Rudy Mitt Huckabee--The immigration problems of the leading Republican hopefuls.

Frontpagemagazine ^ | 12-12-07 | Don Feder

[SJackson]

Rudy Mitt Huckabee

By Don Feder
FrontPageMagazine.com | Wednesday, December 12, 2007

On the issue of illegal immigration, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney have begun doing passable impressions of Lou Dobbs. But can you trust a candidate whose record contradicts his campaign rhetoric?

At the recent CNN/YouTube debate, Romney and Rudy squared off on what's shaping up to be the defining issue of Campaign 2008 -- with the ferocity of rabid mongooses.

Rudy -- who wants to "secure the border" (is there anyone, including Hillary, who says they don't?) -- bragged that as mayor of New York he reported to the feds every illegal who committed murder, rape or child molestation.

Romney shot back: if they're here illegally, they're already criminals. At the same time, the former Massachusetts governor admitted he doesn't favor deporting all illegals who are caught, but they shouldn't get government benefits, he resolutely declared.

Romney accused Giuliani of operating a sanctuary city (true). Rudy accused Mitt of running a "sanctuary mansion" -- employing illegals to do yard work at his Belmont home. (Who knows?)

Earlier, Mike Huckabee -- who also says he wants to secure the Southern demarcation, and opposes amnesty and sanctuary cities -- unveiled a comprehensive plan (you should pardon the expression) for immigration reform -- which consists of sending his most prominent supporter, action star Chuck Norris, to the border. That's how serious the debate has become.

Just a few years ago, all three were singing a different tune -- which harmonized like the Three Tenors; call them The Three Amigos.

Giuliani:

• Ran a sanctuary city and was darned proud of it. "There are times when undocumented workers (code for illegal aliens) must have protection," he insisted then. He praised the "courage and ambition" it takes "to leave your native country and start a new life in a new land" -- and to begin by breaking the laws of that new land, refusing to learn its language, scarfing government benefits, taking jobs from those who are there legitimately (immigrant and native born) and perhaps committing a more serious crime or two.
• In 1994, he told an audience, "If you come here and you work hard and you happen to be in an undocumented status, you're one of the people who we want in this city."
• In 1996, Giuliani compared immigration reform advocates to the Know Nothing Party. "The anti-immigration issue that's now sweeping the country in my view is no different than the movements that swept the country in the past. You look back at the Chinese Exclusionary Act, or the Know-Nothing movement -- these were movements that encouraged Americans to fear foreigners, to fear something that is different, and to stop immigration." Besides the smear -- comparing a majority of concerned Americans to racists and xenophobes -- we should fear those who infiltrate our borders, who may have criminal records or terrorist ties. We should also fear the effect on national unity of those who don't learn English and won't identify with America (witness all of the Mexican flags at illegals' demonstrations last year).
• In 2000, Rudy boasted, "There isn't a mayor or a public official in this country that's more strongly pro-immigrant (another euphemism) than I am, including disagreeing with President Clinton when he signed anti-immigrant legislation (cutting off a few benefits to some illegals) about two or three years ago, which we got some amendments of [sic.] to protect the rights of immigrants."

Then there's Mitt Romney:

• As Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby notes, Romney generally ignored illegal immigration when he ran for the Senate (1994) and governor (2002).
• However, in 2005 he did pause to remark that undocumented workers "contribute in many cases to our economy and our society." Yep, in a technology driven, information economy, we certainly need more unskilled workers with 6th grade educations.
• "I don't believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them at gunpoint from our country," Romney informed the Lowell Sun in 2006. How about forcing out those we catch? No? Then you believe that some laws (including those safeguarding our national sovereignty) shouldn't be enforced, Governor.
• In November 2005, Romney didn't oppose the McCain plan, which went down in flaming defeat in the Senate this spring. (He then described it as "very different than amnesty.") Now, he was always against it -- after he was for it.
• So, what to do with 12 million to 15 million illegal immigrants? First, Romney wants to register them. (What makes him think they'll comply?) Then, some will be repatriated and others will begin "the process of applying for citizenship and establishing legal status." Sounds like qualified amnesty, which Mitt swears it isn't.
• Who goes and who stays? "Those that have committed crimes should be taken out of the country. Those that are in our jails should be taken out of the country. Those on welfare, require government assistance, should leave the country." And the rest get a stay-in-the-country free card.

The foregoing notwithstanding, the candidate immigration-reform advocates fear most is none other than Mike Huckabee:

• "He was an absolute disaster as governor" of Arkansas, Roy Beck of NumbersUSA told The Washington Times (as reported in a November 30th story). "Every time there was any enforcement in his state, he took the side of illegals."
• "Huckabee is the guy who scares the heck out of me," says Peter Gadiel of 9/11 Families for a Secure America, a group the Times described as "instrumental in fighting for the REAL ID Act that sets federal standards for drivers licenses."
• When a measure to require verified identification for voting and to deny taxpayer-funded benefits and services to illegals came before the Arkansas state legislature while he was governor, Huckabee described it as "inflammatory...race-baiting and demagoguery." He's also compared opposition to illegal immigration to the die-hard segregationist response to the Civil Rights movement.
• I still get a lump in my throat whenever I recall the Huckster's explanation of why he supported (and still supports) government benefits for the children of illegal aliens: "I looked into the eyes of immigrant Mexican children and was moved." He should look into the eyes of those killed by "immigrant drivers" or the families of the three college-bound black teens who were murdered, execution-style, by illegal aliens in Newark in August, or the blue-collar worker who lost his job to an illegal.
• Despite his current attempts to blend with the national mood, Huckabee's true colors shone forth in the CNN debate, when he tried to defend his support for scholarships for illegals. The Huck said: "In all due respect, we are a better country than to punish children for what their parents did." The alternative is to reward them for what their parents did -- with welfare, subsidized housing, free medical care -- and taxpayer-funded higher education. Does Huckabee really expect Mexicans to stay home, after they learn about all the free stuff their kids will get if they come here illegally?

One man who can't hide from his record is Senator John McCain -- but that hasn't stopped him from trying to rationalize it.

"The reason most Americans want border security is that they want to cut off the flow of people coming to the country illegally, and then address the issue of a temporary worker program," McCain recently told a student in South Carolina.

What McCain resolutely refuses to understand is that border security doesn't stop at the border. If there's enforcement at the border but nowhere else, it won't stop the flow of people coming to the country illegally.

If we build an electrified wall 50-feet high (with sensors, watchtowers and gun-turrets) at the border -- but once you get past the border there's a chance you'll be amnestied or guest-workered or put on the proverbial path to citizenship -- that won't stop the flow of people coming into the country.

"You'll have to explain to me how you round up 12 million people. There's not 12 million pairs of handcuffs," McCain glibly observes, waving his favorite red herring.

So, lets stop raiding the employers of illegals. Because we can't catch all 12 million who are here illegally, let's stop all internal enforcement.

There are somewhere between 90,000 and 130,000 forcible rapes in this country each year. Most of the perpetrators are never caught. We probably don't have 100,000 pairs of handcuffs, so -- what the heck -- let's stop trying to apprehend rapists.

In reality, enforcement is the essence of simplicity -- every one you catch, you send back. Each illegal immigrant repatriated won't commit a crime, scam government services, contribute to language fragmentation or take away the job of a low-wage earning American.

In explaining the need for a "temporary worker program," McCain confides that "Hispanic workers" rebuilt the Gulf Coast states in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. "It's just a fact. And there are jobs Americans will not do in this country."

Wait, $20-an-hour construction jobs would go begging if it weren't for illegals? Apparently, they don't teach economics at the Naval Academy.

The reason companies that employ illegals got most of the reconstruction work after Katrina is because they were able to undercut the competition by paying their workers less -- not because Americans don't want construction work.

So, who's good on immigration? How about the unassuming guy from Tennessee?

According to The Washington Times story mentioned earlier, "On Thanksgiving, Mr. Beck wrote an e-mail to his supporters (at NumbersUSA) praising the immigration plan of Fred Thompson...who has called for attrition through enforcement."

Thompson is opposed to amnesty and a guest worker program. He wants to end chain migration.

He's the only credible GOP candidate who has a realistic immigration plan. (Duncan Hunter is great. Tom Tancredo led the charge in Congress. Both have as much chance of becoming president as Ramos and Compean -- the martyred Border Patrol agents.)

Thompson's plan includes attrition through enforcement, double the number of ICE agents, increase the Border Patrol to at least 25,000, increase detention space for captured illegals (instead of catch-and-release, pending a hearing), implementing an expedited deportation process already allowed under federal law, and enabling the Social Security Administration to share information with immigration and law enforcement agencies.

More importantly, unlike Rudy Mitt Huckster, Thompson's current positions aren't contradicted by his record in office.

In the spring of 2006, I warned that the president's amnesty plan would result in his party's loss of Congress. (Welcome Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid.)

The amnesty act was overwhelmingly defeated not by talk-show hosts or immigration activists (though both played a part), but by the American people -- whose frustration and rage turned around 17 Senate votes in 72 hours.

Michael Barone, a senior writer for U.S. News & World Report, observes that if you listened carefully to the public during the Senate debate, you didn't hear racism, or anti-Hispanic hysteria, "you heard something else. They want the current law enforced. It bothers them that we have something like 12 million illegal immigrants in the country. It bothers them that most of the southern border is unfenced and unpatrolled. It bothers them that illegal immigrants routinely use forged documents to get jobs -- or are given jobs with no documents at all."

Their votes will not be won with talk of border enforcement alone. They will not be won with proposals for guest-worker programs or plans to "register" illegals so we can then proceed to deal with them. And they won't be won by "conservatives" who demonstrate their compassion with scholarships for the children of illegals.

The outcome of the 2008 election could hinge on the GOP choosing a candidate who can credibly address the illegal immigration crisis.

This column originally appeared on GrassTopsUSA.com and appears here with the author's permission.

[samtheman]

That’s Rudy McRombee.

[rodguy911]

Fred/Hunter/Tancredo are true believers in the nations security. All would build a fence,secure the border and protect the nations autonomy, the rest are huge question marks.

[tompster76]

“Thompson is opposed to amnesty and a guest worker program. He wants to end chain migration.”

uh. Every candidate, even Fred’s buddy McCain is now against amnesty. I agree that Fred has a very good plan now but he is a recent convert, as much as everybody else (except Hunter and Tancredo). He voted against a bill that would have mandated employers to check immigration status, but now fred-supporters imply that even the customers for those companies must check the immigration status (never mind that every illegal has good-looking green card and SSN, bought for $30). And don’t even get me started wrt to his aspirations for citizenship to illegals message from 2006.

Anyway, that is in the past, and I’m willing to believe that he would be at least as tough as the rest of the guys now.

The challenge is that it is very difficult to find any real policy differences between current positions of top-tier candidates and second-tier candidates. Even Huckabee seems to have now a good plan (I didn’t go it through, though).

Who is the candidate who has actually done something in this area when in office? I know Romney vetoed a bi-lingual education, and funding for illegal in education bills in MA early in his tenure, and he introduced a arrangement to enable local law enforcement to check immigration status (Bush admin and local dems delayed this for almost 2 years).

[highball]

On the issue of illegal immigration, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney have begun doing passable impressions of Lou Dobbs. But can you trust a candidate whose record contradicts his campaign rhetoric?

No.

That was easy.

[Leisler]

Funny how I can have a Massachusetts State Police trooper, looking like a Luftwaffe Major, pulling me over for the wrong old number sticker on my windshield, which used to be the week before the right current number sticker. With his hand on his gun, run me through computers for ten minutes, be joined by local or another Statey, give me a fine/ticket/ or else speech.....And everyone else just walks in.

Yeah. I love the Senate. Sure I do.

[Dead Corpse]

But can you trust a candidate whose record contradicts his campaign rhetoric?

No. And this is just one "deal killer" issue. Add in their general philosophies about the size and scope of government, RKBA issues, and taxes?

Not a friggin' chance...

In all fairness though, the Huckster is better than Rudy McRomney on RKBA issues.

[Dan Walsh]

Huckabee Picks Up Minuteman Founder Endorsement:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/11/huckabee_picks_up_minuteman_fo.html

[dano1]

"Huckabee Picks Up Minuteman Founder Endorsement"

IMHO, the fact that Huckabee's anti-illegal-immigration plan has earned the approval of Jim Gilchrist and Mark Kirkorian shows that Huckabee has the best plan for solving this crisis.

[Mogollon]

On the 12 to 30 million illegals in the country:
Guliani says we have to “gulp them down”.
Huckabee’s solution is essentially the same as Guliani’s.
Mitt says they need to leave.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Rudy McRombee!

Get THAT GUY OUT OF THERE!!

They really do think we are THAT stupid.

Shame on them.

Dont they remember what we did to Dan Rather?!

Eagles UP! Three Weeks and Counting.

[AmericanInTokyo]

"(Duncan Hunter is great. Tom Tancredo led the charge in Congress. Both have as much chance of becoming president as Ramos and Compean -- the martyred Border Patrol agents.)"

An excellent, self fulfilling prophecy.

The MSM has succeeded in it's objective.

Columnists tell us who not to vote for because they have been told by the Old Media who to not vote for.

Isn't that just special.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Somebody (might want to) photoshop THE THREE AMIGOS movie poster, and put in three of those numbskulls' mugs.

Interchange between the four of them, if necessary:

Rudy, Mitt, Huck, JohnnyComeLately McCain. Big fun. Arriba!

[RockinRight]

Or, alternately, it proves that Gilchrist is a moron.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Which do you rate higher and more comprehensive and why?

Huckabee's record (actions)--based on historical reality.

vs.

Huckabee's plan (words)--based on future projection.

Please expand.

Do you chose your candidates based more on what they did/signed/voted/funded, as opposed to what they promise they will do in the future?

This is a key point. I am curious, sir (or ma'am).

[tompster76]

“An excellent, self fulfilling prophecy.”

I agree that these two guys are the strongest wrt to illegals and the only ones who have a real track record.

However, there are many reasons why Hunter and Tancredo have zero chance of winning the nomination (VP slot is a different case - Hunter may have a real chance for that). It is not enough that they are totally right on this - I guess most of the forum members here have similar policy yet they have zero chance of winning. The right candidate must have decent executive experience (read: governor or similar) etc. Still, Hunter and Tancredo have helped the cause a lot. Now, current governors have hopefully learned their lesson and act accordingly and in next elections they will be top-tier candidates (VP Hunter would be ideal to follow Romney)..

[Cheapskate]

Ruddee”Gulp them down”That’s an unpleasant picture of Ruddee in his dress and on his knees gulpin them down.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Just curious. When you joined FR just last month, if I recall correctly, was it primarily to support and promote any particular candidate? Just wondering. Very best wishes, T76

[penowa]

"On the issue of illegal immigration, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney have begun doing passable impressions of Lou Dobbs. But can you trust a candidate whose record contradicts his campaign rhetoric?"

NO!

[tompster76]

probably for the same reasons as you. As a recent new citizen (who followed every %&^* rule and paid every fee ever created), I feel strongly about WOT and illegals but there isn’t much to debate wrt WOT as everybody here and every candidate agrees on that. Yeah, I support now Romney but my ideal candidate would probably be Santorum (actually John Bolton). Initially, when I heard rumors about Fred running (I didn’t know much about him then) I was very interested, but pretty soon I realized what he was about. I also can’t stand some of the untrue statements, such as Fred has always been tough enforcement guy. Only Hunter and Tancredo have real track record on that and all current candidates have pretty similar plans and policies (of course, trusting e.g. McCain on this is quite a leap).

[mewzilla]

Arkansas' Huckabee, Tyson Foods, LULAC all aligned

Huckabee promotes 'open door' policy at LULAC convention

What's not to love.

[mewzilla]

More on LULAC and Arkansas...

Suit focuses on Tyson relationship with advocacy group

[samtheman]

It appears that many of “us” really are that stupid. Rudy McRombee, as a collective candidate, is winning the nomination so far.

[Kevmo]

Here’s my standard post. We can do something about Illegal immigration.

RICO —Citizen Recourse

Private persons and entities may initiate civil suits to obtain injunctions and treble damages against enterprises that conspire to or actually violate federal alien smuggling, harboring, or document fraud statutes, under the Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO). The pattern of racketeering activity is defined as commission of two or more of the listed crimes. A RICO enterprise can be any individual legal entity, or a group of individuals who are not a legal entity but are associated in fact, and can include nonprofit associations.

Here’s what I’ve been pushing: it’s time to file Racketeering, Influencing, and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) lawsuits.

RICO lawyers could turn it around in a few years and MAKE MONEY at the same time. I’m surprised they haven’t done it already.

In the absence of enforcement, we can get the word out in the meantime that there is money to be made in filing RICO lawsuits against employers who hire illegal aliens.

Employers would have no trouble shutting down the border if they could get sued by someone under the RICO statutes for hiring these people in the first place. The next time an illegal alien kills someone in a drunk driving accident or somesuch thing, I’m going to point out that the victim’s family might be able to seek compensation from the employer under these statutes in the hopes that it would catch on. If this did catch on, would see such a swift backlash against illegal immigration that no employer would go near these people and they’ll all simply want to go back home.

IRS Reporting
REWARD FOR REPORTING EMPLOYERS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS
CALL THE IRS HOTLINE 1-800-829-0433 YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO A REWARD
Call the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) hotline 1-800-829-0433 to report all
suspected employers of illegal aliens-—you are not required to identify
yourself and may be entitled to a reward. The Application for Reward ( Form 211 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f211.pdf)
can be downloaded from http://www.irs. gov or call 1-800-829-3676. The IRS does
not take kindly to employers that seek to evade taxes by paying cash for day
labor-this is a common practice at construction sites. Report the employer`s
license plate number and any other information you may have. Employers usually
can’t run and take the hit in their wallets. Follow up with the IRS and ask
what action is being taken; if they refuse to cooperate, notify the press and
your elected officials. Do your part-—spread the word-—help make this
nationwide campaign a success!!!

.

Hunter is the best candidate on Immigration.

.

.

.

Why the smart money is on Duncan Hunter
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926032/posts
Posted on 11/15/2007 3:43:17 AM PST by Kevmo

Hunter’s criticism of Thompson over this issue is well aimed. We need someone in the white house who isn’t a johnny-come-lately on this issue.
Road to Des Moines Conversions on Immigration (Hunter Press release)
News Which Cannot Lose ^ | 10/25/07 | Duncan Hunter/staff
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1916889/posts

[LowCountryJoe]

...Apparently, they don't teach economics at the Naval Academy.

That is pretty funny given the preceding sentence before the ellipsis I substituted. But then, of course, it is interesting to see what most economists believe about immigration -- whether they're legal or not. I believe that over 70% of the top economists believe that even illegal immigration is a net positive to our economy. Did the author of this piece know that?

[LowCountryJoe]

Interesting legal strategy. Specifically how is the argument made in legal proceedings? I am not aware of the RICO statutes enough to see how the case is made.

[AmericanInTokyo]

well, in that case, welcome to FR ;-)

[AmericanInTokyo]

Reprehensible!

[roamer_1]

The outcome of the 2008 election could hinge on the GOP choosing a candidate who can credibly address the illegal immigration crisis.

Duncan Hunter.

[roamer_1]

Fred/ Hunter/Tancredo are true believers in the nations security. All would build a fence,secure the border and protect the nations autonomy, the rest are huge question marks.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Man are WE ever on the SAME SHEET!

[roamer_1]

Man are WE ever on the SAME SHEET!

Hi AIT,

It seems we have a natural ability to grasp the obvious :D

[LowCountryJoe]

APPENDIX C: VIEWS OF ECONOMISTS AND OTHER SOCIAL SCIENTISTS TOWARD IMMIGRATION

[WOSG]

PING for Huckster Huckabee’s pro-amnesty record.