Posted on 07/19/2015 11:19:41 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker acknowledged in a CNN interview that in the past he had expressed support for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, but said that he wasn't talking about amnesty at the time.
In an interview aboard his campaign trailer that aired Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union," Dana Bash pressed Walker about his shift from somebody who once said a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants "made sense" to a presidential candidate talking about restrictions on legal immigration. She asked whether such shifts undermined his pitch to voters that he's somebody who stands up for his principles.
"The only issue where I've clearly said I had a position before — and even on that, as governor, I didn't have a role to play in immigration. I said there should be a path, years ago, when I talked about going forward with legal immigration", he said. "I didn't talk about amnesty. In fact, I said in that specific interview, I opposed the 'Gang of 5,' the measure that Marco Rubio proposed. So I specifically even then said, 'I'm not supporting that.' But I said flat out in the beginning of the year, that's a position I have changed on."
In the 2013 interview with the Wausau Daily Herald editorial board that has gotten a second life during his presidential run, Walker was asked about the millions of individuals who immigrated to the United States illegally, and whether he could see them gaining citizenship with the right mix of penalties and waiting periods. "Sure, yeah," he responded. "I mean, I think it makes sense."
The meaning of the term "amnesty" is itself a hotly debated one in politics, and to many conservatives, any path to citizenship to those who entered the country illegally — even with penalties — would be considered amnesty.
Bash also asked Walker about comments he's made about legal immigration.
"What I've specifically said is I think priority under legal immigration should be given to the impact on American working families on their wages in a way that would improve the American economy," Walker said. "That not only means people like me who were born here, that means people like the woman I just met in Cedar Rapids, for example, who moved here many years ago, was a political refugee of the Congo, and who went through the process to be a legal citizen. She's working here. And I believe for her, and for others who were born here, there needs to be priority given, to say, we're going to need to make sure we put priority [on] American working families and their wages. Doesn't mean there won't ever be legal immigration, it just means that's what our priorities should be."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL0FFJzqxwg
Additionally...
"I think a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally is profoundly unfair to the millions of legal immigrants who followed the rules,” Cruz said during an interview for ABC's "This Week."
Post# 21 was intended for CW.
....”How can citizenship for illegals not be amnesty?.......
Here’s the deal.... We have a pathway to citizenship now and have had for many, many years. Millions of people have followed that pathway. The got visa’s and came to this country according to the rules. They then worked to meet the requirements of citizenship and most ultimately obtained that prize. On the other hand, you have criminals who broke the law to enter the country and most of them continue to break the laws daily as they refuse to meet the same standards as other workers do. And many of them illegally steal benefits that legal aliens and citizens pay for.
So it boils down to this: ....Are law breakers going to be given the benefits that people who obey the law don’t get or are we going to enforce the “path to citizenship” that law abiding immigrants have followed.
If you want it put in simpler terms, think about it this way. The next time you go to Wal-Mart or McDonalds, and there is a line, just ask yourself: Is it ok for someone to just break in line in front of everybody else and expect to be checked out?
And if you want to put a more descriptive metaphor on it, imagine that when that line breaker got to the cash register that he demanded that the clerk give him his stuff free and take the money from those in line behind him.
Because it is a Walker thread, full of Walker apologists.
If citizenship for illegals isn’t amnesty then nothing is amnesty.
Saw it. Thanks.
And Gov Scott Walker “unequivocally” sent a message when he revoked illegal immigrants getting instate tuition upon taking the Office of the Governor after they’d just spent 10 years working to get it.
Info and link is in Post #1.
Refresh my memory, does that path include sneaking across one of our borders?
Illegals don’t belong in this country at all, and they have disqualified themselves from US citizenship.
Let them go home with the free education and whatever else they stole from us—and build up their own countries.
I didn’t think I was. Take note that I didn’t mention Walker with reference to the semantics games.
You’re here just making negative comments because you support another candidate..
I’ve provided you with information and facts about Walker on the issue of immigration (illegal and legal).
That’s the difference.
He’s admitted supporting a “path to citizenship”—that’s all anyone needs to know.
Who is your candidate?
Just like Cruz.
There is a path to citizenship in this country.
It’s laid out in Post #1.
Have not yet decided.
I agree ...but it will never be done nor will they go....and certainly unwilling to build up their own country.
My son had room mates from India....brothers who said they would be going back to India to “help their nation”. Of course they didn’t go back...life in the USA for 4 years pretty much put that idea out the window.
It’s just too good in the USA and they’re not going to give that up without a fight...and with the numbers now they’ll march and riot first....not a politician will risk that.
Therefore we will indeed see a pathway to citzenship...”Amnesty”.....the more we push otherwise the more they will resist and remain.
We are a nation who greases the loudest wheel....and the more they protest the longer they stay.
the path to citizenship goes through the laws that make up our immigration policy.
always has.
anything else is pandering to those in the country illegally or benefiting from those that are.
Is Walker so dense or think we are so ignorant to not see that a pathway to citizenship IS amnesty? No Amnesty, No Walker.
Honestly, I like Walker. I have no problem with him at all. I’m not sure he has what it takes to seal the deal however. I suppose I’m just looking too hard for another Ronald Reagan.
It still amazes me that after all these discussions about illegal immigration, nothing is ever mentioned about immigration after amnesty. It’s as if it’s assumed that if amnesty is granted all illegal entry will magically stop.
Dropping the gauntlet and revoking instate tuition isn’t pandering.
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