Posted on 03/26/2015 5:06:26 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The Wall Street Journal’s Reid Epstein is up with a report that, if true — and it is well sourced — will prove very troubling for Scott Walker on the campaign trail. Epstein writes that Walker “told a private dinner of New Hampshire Republicans this month that he backed the idea of allowing undocumented immigrants to stay in the country and to eventually become eligible for citizenship.” That conflicts with statements the governor made as recently as three weeks ago that, in a reversal of his previously held position, he no longer supports comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship.
The report comes as Walker is working to position himself as the strongest conservative alternative to Jeb Bush, whose vulnerabilities with the Republican base include his support for comprehensive immigration reform, though not a path to citizenship, as well as to Florida senator Marco Rubio, who led the fight for the Gang of Eight bill in the Senate, but has since said he favors a border security-first approach to reform. Viewed in that light, the revelation about his remarks in New Hampshire may threaten to jeopardize his standing with the party’s rank-and-file-voters, among whom he has engendered tremendous goodwill since standing down public-sector unions and surviving a recall election in Wisconsin.
Walker spokeswoman Kirsten Kukowski denied the Journal’s account. “We strongly dispute this account,” she said in a statement. “Governor Walker has been very clear that he does not support amnesty and believes that border security must be established and the rule of law must be followed. His position has not changed, he does not support citizenship for illegal immigrants, and this story line is false.”
After reports of his past support for a path to citizenship emerged in early February, Walker said that his view had changed. “I’m flat out saying it. Candidates can say that,” Walker told Fox News’s Chris Wallace, adding that “we need to secure the border” before ultimately moving toward a system of “legal immigration that works.”
Walker signed resolutions as Milwaukee County executive in 2001 and again in 2006 in support of comprehensive immigration reform, but said the Obama presidency and, in particular, the president’s lawlessness, had changed his view. That shift followed reporting, including here at National Review, on the Milwaukee County resolutions, which was at the time hotly contested by the Walker campaign, which said that the governor’s support for a path to citizenship was distinct from any support for amnesty.
Epstein says three separate sources present at a dinner in New Hampshire, where Walker allegedly made the remarks, confirmed his account. They also said Walker mocked Mitt Romney’s statement during the 2012 campaign that illegal immigrants should “self-deport.”
Until I see Walker put forth bills showing that he is for amnesty, I will continued to 100 percent support him. This is the Governor who TOOK AWAY in state tuition to illegals.....a rare occurrence now a days. We so desperately need Walker as President. I know you believe that we need Cruz desperately....well maybe we need them both. Neither one are villains regardless of how the media makes them seem like one.
So I guess we'd better get used to seeing these hit pieces and not shoot from the hip until things are checked out.
Walker is a liar.
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/story/opinion/2015/02/17/scott-walker-immigration-path-citizenship-wausau-interview-amnesty-border/23558209/
Read my #1.
Don’t tell me you of all people are not supporting Walker....I think I might just jump off the bridge if you tell me you don’t support Walker....after all these years of complete agreement on everything, this will be a first.....You have to support Walker.....please tell me you do....lol.
Cool...thanks!
Thank you for that link. I’m still waiting to hear Walker answer those questions. It is about time someone got straight, specific answers from him on this. For me illegal immigration is the number one issue.
Not sure what’you’re saying he is a liar about. This article you liked to is mid february. The change of mind supposedly occurred mid march, one month later.
My take mon this is that he would like to find a solution that works for everyone, without pissing everyone off and one with no political backlash on him. I think he’d rather not deal with this problem at all, butif he has to, would rather go very light on it and not do the hard stuff associated with it for fear of being called racist and hateful etc etc. because our guys as a whole have no idea how to deal with those bs charges.
I’m not sure what bills Walker would be putting forth on amnesty in Wisconsin since it is a federal issue. Wouldn’t it be better if he just answered the question of what his position is in detail? So far all I have heard was pretty vague.
I need a little more proof. Hope it isn’t so.
Ted Cruz
“For me illegal immigration is the number one issue.”
Same here.
Jeb was fairly conservative in his state but we all know when it comes to federal issues, he’s a big fat RINO. I’m not against Walker but just because he was very good on a state level doesn’t mean that will translate to the national level. He has surrounded himself with a lot of RINO advisers and that’s very disheartening and troubling
I am curious myself hearing more from him. I am going to wait until the debates. I think that is the only time that we will hear anything remotely close to his beliefs on it without media intervention.
Bttt
The accusers should step out of the shadows and throw down in public. Rumor mongering is unhelpful.
Then Walker would have a public charge to refute, including the credibility of the accuser.
Let’s see the fight in public like real men.
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