Sorry, had too.
Posted on 08/09/2007 2:40:03 PM PDT by CheyennePress
(CBS/AP) In a surprisingly strong attack, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said Republican rival Rudy Giuliani had turned New York City into a sanctuary for illegal immigrants during his two terms as mayor.
Immigration is a hot-button issue in the GOP and may play especially well in Iowa, an early battleground state where the federal government has raided meat processing plants employing illegals, and where some longtime residents feel their pay is being undercut by cheaper-working immigrants.
"If you look at lists compiled on Web sites of sanctuary cities, New York is at the top of the list when Mayor Giuliani was mayor," Romney said at while campaigning in Iowa. "He instructed city workers not to provide information to the federal government that would allow them to enforce the law. New York City was the poster child for sanctuary cities in the country."
Giuliani, also campaigning in Iowa, offered this response: "Frankly, that designation would not apply to New York City. What you got to look at in fairness to is the overall results — and no city in terms of crime, safety, dealing with illegality of all different kinds has done a better job than New York City."
For contrast, Romney has pointed to his own performance on immigration as the governor of Massachusetts. Romney deputized state police to enforce immigration laws and denied driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
Romney's attack on Giuliani came just three days before the Iowa Straw Poll, a nonbinding beauty contest among the Republican presidential contenders.
In the days leading up it, Romney is airing a new television ad in the state in which he encourages supporters to attend the event, portrays himself as an outsider to Washington and takes swipes at both Republicans and Democrats on the immigration issue.
"Washington politicians in both parties have proven they can't control spending, and they won't control our borders," Romney says in the ad. "I will, but I need your help to do it."
Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain are not participating in the straw poll.
“This order was issued seven years by Mayor Ed Koch and reissued by my predecessor, Mayor Dinkins, and by me.” (emphasis mine)---Rudy Giuliani
If you come here and you work hard and you happen to be in an undocumented status, you're one of the people who we want in this city. You're somebody that we want to protect, and we want you to get out from under what is often a life of being like a fugitive, which is really unfair." ABC News August 8, 2007
---Rudy Giuliani
Yep, just another bad issue for Rudy - that quote there is sickening, btw - he needs just to get out of Fred Dalton Thompson’s way.
Kudos to Romney for thinning the herd. The sooner Rudy is booted from the primaries the better.
Rudy also said he opposed building a wall. He would be unable and/or unwilling to handle WOT. Our biggest threat comes from the open border and the illegal aliens and immigrants from enemy countries.
Demand a border fence! Build it NOW!! Beef up the border patrol and close our borders! Stop the DREAM Act!!
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Sorry, had too.
If Rudy thinks its critical for illegals to be protected from the Federal government as mayor, he won’t be eager to protect our borders as President.
Giuliani is a fraud. If he had said that he was wrong about his stance toward illegal immigration, and now after 9/11 he had changed his approach, I would at least have to give him points for admitting the mistake.
As it is, he’s shamelessly denying a matter of crystal-clear public record. His supporters keep citing his chutzpah as a positive — and this lie of his is brazen, all right. But as we saw with the ‘toon, brazen shamelessness combined with a willingness to lie and a complete lack of respect for Constitutional restraints is very dangerous.
Meanwhile, as the illustrious Dr. Phil says, you can’t change something you don’t acknowledge. Since he won’t admit that he took a wrong-headed and dangerous approach in NYC (which may have prevented us from stopping at least one of the 9/11 attackers), then what he’s telling us is that he will pursue the same policy as president.
While I respect Rudy for cleaning up NYC and the leadership he showed after 9-11, anyone unwilling to address border security in a meaningful way disqualifies themselves from the presidential pool, IMHO.
While it is entirely possible that Rudy's attitude was based on getting more federal goodies for his city (since many funds are distributed based on population), this also makes him a less than worthy candidate since such formulas cheat states with mostly legal residents.
When distibuting federal goodies and congressional seats, illegal aliens need to be excluded from the count. If the locality is unable or unwilling to cooperate in getting the proper count to be excluded, campling can be made at places like prisons, welfare offices and hospital ER's. Since the open borders advocates often claim illegals do not use these services any more than the general population, there should be no problem with sampling in the same way.
Good move on Romney’s part. Rudy needs to be brought out into the open on the immigration issue. His history is that of just another open borders Republican.
I like Rudy in many ways, but his past positions on many social issues and immigration will cost him many votes. And there’s no guarantee that he could win a single blue state in a general election.
Smart rhetoric from Mitt.
BUMP
Good points.
I agree he was tough on crime in NYC and a good leader in the face of the terrorist attacks.
But his liberal views will get him every time and we need to be tough on the border issue.
That’s the first step in dealing with the illegals. Seal the border.
Still uncommitted on my choice for president but wanting a real conservative nonetheless.
While I’m no Rudy supporter we need to take into consideration that he was Mayor of New York City. To think he could get elected in New York City as a conservative is not realistic. I just heard on Fox that Romney was not to rough on illegals when he was governor. I intend to let the chips fall where they may but job one for me is to make sure there is no President Hillary.
Romney is on the attack and is from outside DC.
But I think he is ultimately a “moderate” who plays both sides.
In Mass he came up with “Hillary Lite” making everyone buy health coverage from a private insurer.
That’s a baby step that the next politician can take into making a Canadian-European government medical system here in the United States.
I am uncommitted but not excited by Romney or allowing myself to be excited by him.
Look at the whole record, not just some TV performance.
Time for the other candidates to go for the jugular and start talking about Rudy’s love for abortion.
Gulian1 seems to understand the “broken window effect” perfectly well for most crimes but not for violations of immigration law.
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