Posted on 05/23/2007 1:27:56 PM PDT by Coleus
While Rudy Giuliani cheers and John McCain smiles next to Sen. Ted Kennedy for a Senate amnesty photo-op, Flip Romney talks tough about illegal immigration – a departure from his 2005 position when he said a similar proposal was "reasonable." What a shock. Pick a subject, any subject, and the new-and-improved, rosy red-state Romney is a "true blue" lifelong liberal until two years ago. If you're having trouble keeping track of Romney's position's on abortion, marriage, gun control and immigration, here's a key: In 2005 and prior, he's a blue-state liberal – true "blue" in the non-traditional sense of the word. After that, he's hoping to appeal to the red-state conservatives with a short-term memory.
In 2005, Romney gave a nod to McCain (whose position on those who don't support amnesty is: "F--- you! I know more than anyone else in the room"). Romney then spouted the kind of language that's drawing "boos" for amnesty senators everywhere. "I don't believe in rounding up 11 million people and forcing them out at gunpoint from our country," said 2005 Blue-Romney. And what do you know? The Romney of two years ago he said he wanted to begin a "process towards application for citizenship." Now Red-Romney says the bill is "unfair to the millions of people who have applied to legally immigrate to the U.S."
Tom Tancredo had it right about Romney in the last debate: "I trust those conversions when they happen on the road to Damascus, not on the road to Des Moines." I'm convinced the "light" Romney saw was the spotlight – and the need for red-state voters in a Republican primary. According to the Heritage Foundation, over half of the 12-20 million lawbreakers are high-school dropouts who will tap into $50 billion per year in entitlements. That's cash and prizes of up to $4,400 per year without counting their education and school lunches. You can forget about your Social Security; it'll go to those here illegally who never paid into it. And forget that 854-mile fence that was mandated by the "Secure Fence Act." The Senate thinks 370 miles of fence will be enough to secure our borders. What stops people from walking around it again? If there had been a 484-mile gap in the Berlin Wall, Mr. Gorbachev wouldn't have had to tear it down.
Forget the law-abiding immigrants who've been standing in line to come here; the Senate is putting out the welcome mat to those who shoved their way ahead of them and began their lives here in America by first breaking the law. And according to the Center for Individual Freedom and Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, many of those illegals keep breaking the law once they get here:
Illegal aliens murder 12 people every day – 4,380 people each year (21,900 since 9-11).
Illegal aliens driving under the influence kill 13 people every day – 4,745 per year (23,725 since 9-11).
Illegal aliens molest eight children every day – 2,920 per year.
Atlanta's Violent Crimes Institute reports that around 240,000 illegal aliens are sex offenders. In 2005, more than 10 million Mexican-born people were living in the U.S. – that's one-tenth of the total population of Mexico. One-seventh of the Mexican workforce is now working here in the United States. Jobs anyone? The Senate amnesty bill will bring in even more.
Welcome to "Amexica."
You know what? We couldn't possibly round up all the bank robbers at gunpoint, either. And "bank robber" and "lawbreaker" are such harsh words. Let's just call them "undocumented borrowers." Let's give them a "process" or "pathway" to their own bank account by withdrawing $4,400 from yours every year. And while we said we'd build a wall around the vault, we're only going to build half of it. That ought to do the job. Don't worry – rewarding bank robbery couldn't possibly inspire more. Oh, and don't plan on spending your IRA – the undocumented borrowers have families!
McCain is leading it, Giuliani loves it, and Red Romney is talking tough. Sen. Sam Brownback refuses to support McCain's bill, but Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter are leading the charge against it. Far from chameleons, they have always believed in securing our borders and didn't just "turn red" on the road to Des Moines.
We accept converts. that is how we win. I was not always pro life. Accept him at his word. Rudy at the top of the ticket would be a disaster.
WND Rule: the truth is the exact opposite of what WND says.
He’s just someone for the democrats to beat.
True, we accept converts. But we, at least I, don’t trust professional politicians who change positions on numerous core issues when it is politically convenient.
Accept Romney -yes. Welcome him to use his political capital to help defeat this amnesty bill - absolutely. I hope that Rudy will also help to defeat the bill. We need all of the help we can get - and I was pleasantly surprised to see that a higher percentage of Democrat voters are opposed to this amnesty than Republican voters. I hope they can deliver pressure to their representatives as well.
However, should I trust Romney to stay consistent on these core issues enough to elect him president? - hell no! Every single person who is strongly pro-Romney is either delusional, a RINO, or pushing another agenda.
I bet we would all LOVE IT if George Bush changed his mind about immigration!!!!!!
In the current race, good guys finish last.
Biting the reality bullet always leaves a bitter taste.
Romney allowed “sanctuary cities” that refused to recognize federal immigration laws to flourish in the state he presided over. Who could actually believe that he’d enforce the law while presiding over the nation?
Heck, I'd love it if Ted Kennedy changed his mind about illegal immigration.
Although the new one never seems to work any better than the old one.
What kind of drooling moron accepts any politician at his word? especially a politician whose word changes based on what audience he's pandering to?
The Amnesty Battle is joined, and we are at the barricades. McCain is with the enemy. Giuliani, Huckabee and Brownback have wandered off somewhere. Joining us on the barricades are Romney, Tancredo, Hunter and Thompson.
If a candidate is helping lead the troops against the enemy now, I am not going to worry myself over some quote from 2005.
Heck, I'd love it if Ted Kennedy changed his mind about illegal immigration.
Yes, we would welcome any help to stop this sellout, but I wouldn't trust either of them enough to vote for them for any office.
I agree there.
However, if the same candidate is also running for the GOP nomination, it is quite reasonable to try and determine just how sincere his newfound conservatism is, given his past.
After all, Rudy tried to say he would be good for pro-lifers by appointing strict constructionists. That was trumpeted as proof that we should support Rudy.
Rudy then turned around and said that in his opinion, a strict constructionist could uphold Roe. And then he had a complete meltdown in his attempts to be even remotely pro-life.
So yeah, it does matter, if Rudy is any indication. The politician telling folks want they want to hear to get their votes is one of the oldest cliches in the book. I don't care to vote for a cliche.
Cambridge at a guess; where else?
Romney should have censured Cambridge and any other Massachusetts city that declared themselves to be a sanctuary for illegals.
I bet he would in 2007!
And only a different flavor of unthinking idiot would uncritically accept a position shift from a politician as sincere without more proof than election-year spin.
So that pretty much leaves Romney as the last man standing. His flips on issues (I haven't yet seen him flop back on any) have been to the right. Compare that to McCain and Rudy who have led the charge against conservative principles on free speech, gun control, etc. and are still proudly doing so (McCain) or make lame equivocations as to why those positions don't really matter (Rudy). Better a new and possibly weak (or maybe not) ally than an enemy.
“Accept him at his word.”
Accept him at his current word?
Given the number and depth of Romney repositions I’ll look pretty hard at his current word and compare it to his past words. He wants something from us and has calculated how to get it.
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