Posted on 08/24/2011 5:08:50 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
As he enters the Republican presidential race, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is striking some red-meat notes on the subject of immigration. Border security, he says, is a federal responsibility -- and immigration reform will have to wait until the border is secured. Invoking his beloved 10th Amendment, he proposes that in the meantime states should have some latitude to set their own course on the subject. As for Texas, he suggests, unauthorized immigration will not be treated lightly; earlier this year he called for a state law to abolish sanctuary cities, although the bill never made it to his desk.
Set aside the campaign chatter. Perry actually has a relatively moderate record on immigration. In 2001, he signed a law allowing undocumented students who graduate from Texas high schools to pay in-state tuition at Texas public universities. Last year he criticized Arizona's strict new immigration enforcement law, and said that it wouldn't be right for Texas. He's called for a guest-worker program and a path to citizenship. Other than this year's campaign against sanctuary cities, there is little in his decade-plus as governor to suggest that he has the appetite for a crackdown on economic migrants. NumbersUSA, a group that campaigns for less immigration, has given him a "D-" -- worse, in their view, than Michele Bachman, Mitt Romney, or Sarah Palin.
Perry has, of course, been hawkish about border security. He has repeatedly said that both border security and immigration reform fall into what he sees as the rather narrow category of Washington's responsibilities, and he argues that the former takes precedence over the latter -- or should, at least....
(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...
Yup, hardly matters why they do it. The impact on the people is the same.
Perry is a complete LOON on the immigration issue.
We need to get him and Romney out of the picture ASAP!
I credit both, but Harding started the ball rolling.
There are links demonstrating his ongoing pandering to the open borders crowd, especially troubling is his pandering to La Raza.
I can tolerate some inconsistencies, every candidate has them, there is no pure candidate, but in the case of illegal immigration Perry is far closer to the open borders crowd than I feel comfortable with.
If he doesn't see the threat, and continues to pander as he has, he's simply a non starter.
” Perry is a complete bought and paid for LOON on the immigration issue. “
Yeah..BOUGHT & PAID for!
In fact, that image may contrast well with that of the Obamas in Martha's Vineyard and Michelle Obama's insatiable appetite to live it up at taxpayer expense. White House source: ITs DISGUSTING! as MICHELLE OBAMA blows a whopping $10 million in taxpayer money on ritzy vacations, THE ENQUIRER reports!
He is more effective in that role than Hillary, who tried to use that approach in the 2008 primaries: she tried to be the gun-toting redneck while he was the elite snob who used Grey Poupon.
I think there is enough leeway in the school inoculation issue to cut him some slack and I do not think it is terribly revealing anyway,
Yes, I don't like it, and it goes against his image as a fighter for individual freedom, but compared to Obama, as George Patton might say, "It shrinks to insignificance."
but immigration is life and death to conservatism and, I believe, ultimately to our democracy.
Indeed, and even to the world. I believe this is a special nation whose influence benefits all nations.
I don't know if Perry wants to, or has the ability to "succeed" with "comprehensive immigration reform," where GWB failed (but not by much), but if so, replacing Obama with Perry would be a Mephistophelean bargain to advance one politician's career. Perry needs to declare his intentions honestly and completely.
But who knows, maybe some skeleton will arise from Perry's closet and banish him from the race.
“Not worth a wooden nickel’’< No they ain’t!
Absolutely NOT.
Once they have crossed the border illegally they are criminals and ineligible.
Let them join in their home country. If they pass all the screens, then ship them to bootcamp.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.