Posted on 02/14/2015 3:04:05 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Andrew Johnson of NRO reports that in 2002, as executive of Milwaukee County, Scott Walker signed a resolution that expressed support for “comprehensive immigration reform” that will “provide greater opportunity for undocumented working immigrants to obtain legal residency.” The author of the resolution says that Walker definitely supported it. Having signed it, he should be presumed to have supported, in any case.
Will this news harm Walker’s chances of becoming the GOP presidential nominee? Standing alone, it shouldn’t.
It’s one thing to sign a non-bonding resolution passed by the legislature in favor of “greater opportunity” for legal residency. It’s quite another to work with Chuck Schumer, as Marco Rubio did, to propose and guide to passage a Senate bill that confers both legal residency and a path to citizenship.
The potential problem I see for Walker resides not in his 2002 executive action, but in much more recent statements the governor has made in which he appeared to support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. In a Republican primary, I could vote for a candidate who, years ago, signed a resolution like the one from Milwaukee. I doubt that I could not vote for a candidate who backs a pathway to citizenship for immigrants who entered the U.S. illegally.
Let’s look, then, at the two statements I know about in which Walker is said to have backed a path to citizenship. One was made in mid-2013 at an editorial board meeting of a newspaper in Wassau, Wisconsin. Walker agreed that if the immigration system is fixed, he “can envision a world where the people who are here [illegally] can get citizenship” and he added that this “makes sense.” This statement doesn’t amount to advocating a path to citizenship under current conditions, but it’s not the “hell no” position many of us would have preferred.
The other statement was made to Politico in March 2013. Walker said that once people who are “waiting in line” have been processed for citizenship, “if there’s a way to set up a process to enable people to come in and have a legal pathway, that’s something we have to embrace.”
There is wiggle room in this comment, but not much. Again, Walker comes across as “squishy” at best about a path to citizenship.
I’ve characterized Scott Walker, as well as Marco Rubio, as a “bridge candidate” — i.e., as occupying the space between center-right “establishment” candidates like Jeb Bush and down-the-line conservative candidates like Ted Cruz. One potential virtue of bridge candidacy is the ability to win centrist votes in a general election without being as centrist as, say, Jeb Bush.
Walker’s squishy statements about illegal immigration are not inconsistent with being a bridge candidate. But they do raise doubts as to whether Walker truly is less centrist than Bush on one of the two issues that make people think of Bush as a centrist (the other is Common Core). Accordingly, Walker’s comments could cost him the ability to continue making major inroads with the conservative base in states like Iowa.
Walker is going to have to think hard about exactly where to position himself on amnesty and a path to citizenship and, if he moves towards a harder line, how to square his position with past actions and statements.
Walker is Plan B for the Cheap Labor Express
Walker has made more extreme statements on immigration than those quoted here.
He’s worse on the issue than Jeb and Marco.
You’re about to get flamed in 3 ... 2 .... 1
Unfortunately, Walker is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the US Chamber of Crony-Fascists, so his position on illegal-alien amnesty is a foregone conclusion.
I keep believing that somehow the truth will eventually win out on FR, but yes, I imagine the flying monkeys are swarming as I type.
I think you’ve called that just right.
In that case he could just be running for VP.
And he's tying himself in knots on evolution and amnesty so as not to screw up with Uncle Jeb.
These were just statements.
Did Walker co-sponsor or voted in favor of amnesty legislation?
I trust Walker to secure the borders more than I do Bush, Christie, Huckabee, or Paul.
What are you talking about?
That evolution question was the equivalent of the phony war on women narrative. Walker was right to dismiss such a question.
My main issue is how is he going to debate Clinton if he is clueless on immigration?
He’ll end up agreeing with Clinton on most issues and look like a fool.
Romney just gave up on debating immigration in the general.
Every candidate is a problem for immigration. I don’t believe anybody who says they are going to round up 30 million and kick them out of the country. If they say that, they are a liar who I wouldn’t trust. I also don’t want anyone giving a blank check either. What I want is to stop all money going to them period. If they come here illegally then they must figure a way to survive without any help from America. That would be great if they would just do that. The only one speaking in that language is President Walker.
It is such a shame to see bashing done to Governor Walker who is our second President Reagan.....the similarities between the two are astonishing. President Walker will be as good if not better than President Reagan. He is simply amazing. The results he has done in Wisconsin are miracles. He is the ONLY conservative in the group and should be respected and cherished and not ridiculed like is being done on every thread. He has been vetted so many times that I could care less what you naysayers say. You all are worse then Democrats with knocking down Walker.
Walker would give amnesty, followed by citizenship, to illegals here currently, and then open our borders to let in legally everyone from any country who wants to move here.
He would thus present the end of anything resembling conservatism in the country, and for you to suggest he would contribute to the US the way Reagan did is completely wrong.
I’ve posted my links for your benefit previously, but clearly you just like to pretend things, including Walker’s positions, are different than they are.
Surely you know that the governor of WI is not in a position to co-sponsor or vote on federal immigration law.
But he has plain out stated that he favors amnesty and citizenship for those here, and any thoughts of his securing the border are made moot by his advocating than anyone who wants to come here legally be permitted to do so with such ease that there’d be no incentives for anyone to enter illegally.
You would be bashing Reagan today like you are Walker. And I mean that 100 percent. Reagan is the only President in history to give amnesty to millions. And Walker has stated he is not for Amnesty and I believe him.
Scott Walker needs a “come to Jesus” moment on immigration.
Well, since Huckabee is an obvious amnesty supporter and asked the Mexican government for an Arkansas consulate...
Do you actually believe in “death bed confessions” like that?
You’d believe him if he told you he was a space alien or that he had a cure for cancer in his kitchen.
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.