Romney: No 'special pathway' for unlawful immigrants

Boston Globe ^ | June 28, 2007 | Ramesh Santanam

[Altura Ct.]

CORAOPOLIS, Pa. --Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said the U.S. Senate's failure to pass an immigration bill backed by President Bush was a "victory for the people."

People-one, Washington politicians-zero," the former Massachusetts governor told reporters near Pittsburgh on Thursday. "I think the failure of this bill is related to the Washington politicians' failure to connect with the American people."

Romney said he doesn't favor deporting the 12 million unlawful immigrants in the United States but also doesn't want them to receive a "special pathway" to citizenship.

[Altura Ct.]

He obviously has trouble with the word amnesty like too many others in DC. He also is not listening

[JoanneSD]

What is wrong with these politicans.. illegal is illegal..if 20 million legal people did not pay taxes we sure would find out quickly if it was wrong...gotta get his phone number off his web site.. Just checked him off my list... Go Duncan Hunter..

[RightWhale]

Amazing so many politicians can’t hear, or won’t hear. Something happens to ordinary people when they win election to major office, or even minor local office in many cases. They cease to think of themselves as the lesser evil and assume whatever they come up with is right and will be accepted by those who cannot think anymore since the election.

[indcons]

"Romney said he doesn't favor deporting the 12 million unlawful immigrants in the United States but also doesn't want them to receive a "special pathway" to citizenship."
[snip]
"Unlawful immigrants, he said, should "get in line with other immigrants waiting for permanent residency."

Hmmm...I call BS on Mitt's ham-handed attempt to get points from both sides - Americans and illegals/their lobbyists. Looks like Mitt's only problem with the legislation was that he didn't like parts of it. Not a word about a fence or illegal felons.

[truthkeeper]

"I'm not looking to reduce the number of immigrants that come to our country or reduce the number of immigrants who are in our country," Romney said.

Meaning...?

[Defiant]

Enforce the law, Mitt! If you want to be President, you will really help yourself by simply declaring that you will enforce the law, that you will fine and imprison employers, imprison illegals who steal social security numbers, deport those who are apprehended, secure the border, build the fence, work to eliminate anchor babies and to prevent the use of public funds to educate and provide health care to illegals. Whichever candidate has that platform will have all the GOP and a big chunk of the mushy middle, and will win the election. I just hope that Hillary doesn't figure that out and run as an anti-illegal candidate.

About the most I would offer to the illegals is that if they go home voluntarily, we will not hold it against them that they were here illegally, if they were otherwise law abiding, and if they apply to return and get in the back of the line. Those that are truly needed, we can institute a temporary worker program for, but it would be for the worker only, not the entire family, he would not be entitled to any social benefits, and we would have to have absolute assurance that they return home. Restore construction jobs to American workers! Restore fast food and department store jobs to teenagers! Restore local schools to American children, and teach the ENGLISH!

[Sister_T]

Romney said he doesn't favor deporting the 12 million unlawful immigrants in the United States but also doesn't want them to receive a "special pathway" to citizenship.

And why not? If the current laws says that illegals are to be deported, then what's the problem? It is not that we don't have the ABILITY to do it; these pols lack the SPINE to do it. I'm tired of hearing how it will be bad for them. I don't care. They are criminals; they are lawbreakers. The law says deport them. Then DEPORT THEM! Secure the borders to prevent any new lawbreakers from entering the country THEN deport the lawbreakers who are already here.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

It is amazing how many opinions are only coming in to the light AFTER the fact. What would his opinion be if the vote had gone the other way?

[stm]

De only patway Pedro is back sout uv dee board-uur

[Lurker]

So let me get this straight. Here we have a man who is running for the Presidency of the United States announcing that if he is elected he won't do the job.

"He shall take care that the laws of the United States are faithfully executed" and all that.

Well at least he has the courtesy to tell us before he takes the Oath of Office that he has absolutely no intention of fullfilling it.

So that's refreshing...

L

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Someone should say, “Not only will there be no pathway to citizenship for illegal entrants into the United States in the near future, but if I am elected, I will insist upon taking biometric information—both fingerprints and iris scans—of every individual who is deported. Those individual will be denied entry into the United States for any reason for 30 years. I will seek to change the law to make being here illegally a second time a felony punishable by 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and deportation to Afghanistan.”

[Cicero]

Sheesh. I just said on another thread that Romney gave a shifty answer to a question, and here he is doing it AGAIN.

>>Romney said he doesn’t favor deporting the 12 million unlawful immigrants in the United States but also doesn’t want them to receive a “special pathway” to citizenship.
<<

So, he’s against amnesty, but he’s also against enforcing the rule of law? Hey, that’s what a President signs up to do. Two of his most basic duties are to protect our borders against invasion and to enforce the rule of law. And he thinks it’s enough to pretend to be against amnesty but promises not to do anything about it if he’s elected?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Romney said he doesn't favor deporting the 12 million unlawful immigrants in the United States but also doesn't want them to receive a "special pathway" to citizenship.

Sticking the ole finger in the air. Romney is the ultimate politician.

[taxed2death]

yup... just one more a-hole who will not abide by the
Constitution.

We’ve had more then enough of “selective law enforcement”.

Selective law enforcement is what got us into this mess.

That’s all I need to read on this clown.

[Dutch Boy]

No “special” pathway?????? Why not say, NO pathway for illegals and we will hunt you down and send you back.....

As for the crying children that keep popping up on the tv about how their illegal mothers and fathers got sent back home... too bad. Instead of blaming the government the should be blaming the parent. They were the ones that broke the law and came here illegally. I highly doubt the US government raided Mexican villages, kidnapped 12 million people and forced them to move to the US..... They are here illegally by choice. The first act for them on American soil was breaking a law.

[Savage Beast]

"The will of the Senate will prevail."
~Senator Arlen Specter~

"Think again, Arlen."
~The American People~

[umgud]

Seal the border, turn off the magnet, make employers afraid to employ illegals and most of them will go home.

[DieselHoplite]

The part about not deporting illegals is not part of what he said. That’s Boston Globe speculation.

Romney made it cleat that he is in favor of deportations by attrition:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2007/06/06/VI2007060602826.html

But I guess the facts don’t really matter...