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Tough Guy on Immigration?
FactCheck.org ^ | November 9, 2007 | Viveca Novak and Jess Henig, with Emi

Posted on 11/09/2007 6:22:08 PM PST by Doofer

Romney puffs up his record.

Summary

Mitt Romney casts himself as tough on illegal immigration in a new ad in which he says that, as Massachusetts governor, "I authorized the State Police to enforce immigration laws." He doesn't mention that his order never took effect. It came in the closing days of his administration and was rescinded by his successor, as we wrote back in August.

He also promises, "As president, I'll . . . cut funding for sanctuary cities." Maybe so, but as governor he took no action against several such towns in his state.

We find Romney misleading on both counts.

Analysis

Romney's ad began airing Nov. 1 and has run in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Cops on the Case

Romney claims he put state troopers on the trail of illegals in his state.

Romney: As governor, I authorized the state police to enforce immigration laws.

Well, yes. But, as we noted in August, he didn't do so until he had less than a month left in his term. He was already considering running for president, and the new governor-elect was expected to rescind the arrangement.

Romney began talking about giving troopers the power to make arrests on immigration charges earlier in 2006, but he didn't sign an agreement with the federal government - a necessary condition for that authority to be granted - until Dec. 13 of that year.

Romney was scheduled to leave office Jan. 4, 2007. Democrat Deval Patrick, who had won the race to succeed Romney, had already said the program was a "bad idea" because troopers were busy enough as it was.

Sure enough, Patrick rescinded the agreement within his first week in office so troopers could "focus on enforcing Massachusetts laws." The policy never had a chance to take effect, because those troopers chosen to carry it out hadn't yet begun a required six-week training course.

Gimme Shelter

Romney shifts to promise-making mode as he continues:

Romney: As President, I'll oppose amnesty, cut funding for sanctuary cities and secure our borders.

Romney might well get tough on sanctuary cities in the future, but he didn't when he was governor.

During his tenure, at least four Massachusetts cities enacted or renewed legislation declaring themselves sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. Brookline and Cambridge reaffirmed their longtime status as sanctuary cities in so many words.

Somerville and Orleans didn't officially deem themselves "sanctuaries," but Somerville affirmed its "long-standing policies in support of all immigrants," while Orleans forbade city officials from turning in illegal immigrants without probable cause.

We asked Romney's campaign if he had acted against these cities, but they didn't provide us with any examples. As far as we were able to determine in our own research, Romney made no attempts to penalize, censure, or cut funding to them.


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; aliens; election; elections; immigrantlist; immigration; mitt; muttromney; romney; willard
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To: Sun

I mention Romney and you respond with Guiliane, no wonder your guy’s candidates a losing.


21 posted on 11/09/2007 7:05:39 PM PST by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: TheLion

Sorry, but you don’t have to be snippy.

Re: Romney...........

Romney sanctuary cities

http://www.spectator.org/blogger.asp?BlogID=7617

Happy now?


22 posted on 11/09/2007 7:08:11 PM PST by Sun (Duncan Hunter: pro-God/life/borders, understands Red China threat, NRA A+rating! www.gohunter08.com)
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To: Sun
Did you see Duncan Hunter on Glen Beck's show tonight? He was fantastic...absolutely fantastic. You just wanted the show to last longer. What a wonderful President he would make.

My sources tell me that it will be up on YouTube shortly.

23 posted on 11/09/2007 7:11:30 PM PST by NordP (Such tough choices ahead, I'm now a "middle of the road" voter--somewhere between RUSH & Savage ;-))
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To: Sun

As I mentioned before no one was putting pressure on sanctuary cities then. Romney was one of the first Governors to get state police envolved with immigration. This issue has only recently become huge!

A couple of years ago, I thought we would be banned here for posting immigration threads.

I apologize, if I seemed snippy. Sometimes in the heat of the moment we react instead of think.


24 posted on 11/09/2007 7:13:42 PM PST by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: TheLion
Well we know Romney wasn’t worried about sanctuary cities.

He was gov. for 4 years and did nothing to end the MASS sanctuary cites.

He is a phony of the highest order.

25 posted on 11/09/2007 7:18:35 PM PST by JRochelle (I think marriage should be between a man and woman, and a woman, and a woman. Mitt Romney)
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To: JRochelle

Name a governor in this time period who went after sanctuary cities?


26 posted on 11/09/2007 7:21:01 PM PST by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: TheLion

Wow. You are easily fooled.

Romney only signed that bill into law during the last month of his term.

3 years and 11 months in office and he did nothing.

It shows his phony/sleazy/ slippery ways. Try to fool the people.

That damn law he signed didn’t catch one illegal. NOT ONE DAMN ILLEGAL.


27 posted on 11/09/2007 7:21:02 PM PST by JRochelle (I think marriage should be between a man and woman, and a woman, and a woman. Mitt Romney)
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To: AmericanInTokyo
I think it is more of a sales call for Mitt. He’s just pitching the potential customer what he wants to hear.

Mitt said his favorite book is Battlefield Earth. Which is pathetic.(Both the statement and the book)

I have never heard of, nor seen Mitt make any allusions to any serious writer, book, economist or philosophy. He is something of a blank slate, a cypher, politically. So, I think it is fair and acurate to say Mitt is not well read and unfamilure with ideas, conservative or otherwise.

Mitt had one, undistinguished term as Governor of a politially sick, near neigh one party state. He bought the Republican nomination, although the party was pretty desperate. The Democrats have so long been in charge, that they have become incestuous characters. They have long since left their working class roots and are now to the left of Hillary. Believe it or not, Ted is rational compared to the Mass Dem leadership. Think of a state size Berkeley.

Mitt was thinking of running for President, which I always believed was in his mind since his father ran, and lost. Mitt was pretty stupid. He should of been a conservative gadfly. He wouldn’t of lost anything, as he had no impact anyways, but at least he could of said he fought the good fight. It would of been cost free for him and cemented him as the wild man of Massachusetts.

But he didn’t. He kind of worked with in the system and the system won.

Massachusetts Laws of Political Physics.
Nothing on the level.
Every thing is a deal.
No deal too small.

28 posted on 11/09/2007 7:24:59 PM PST by Leisler (RNC, RINO National Committee. Always was, always will be.)
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To: JRochelle

Name one governor who went after sanctuary cities during this time frame?


29 posted on 11/09/2007 7:25:14 PM PST by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: TheLion

What? How about you show me one who did?

Romney sure didn’t. Yet he was a gov. who cared so much about illegal immigration? Hogwash.

He saw the trend and tried to put something on the books in MA that he would be ablt to tout as being tough on illegals.

Sorry, I can see thru a scam.

P.S. I can tell you Thompson and Hunter weren’t for sanctuary cities. Neither was Tancredo.

But McCain and Romney and Rudy all thought the amnesty was a good thing. Romney called “reasonable.”


30 posted on 11/09/2007 7:25:59 PM PST by JRochelle (I think marriage should be between a man and woman, and a woman, and a woman. Mitt Romney)
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To: Leisler
"Mitt said his favorite book is Battlefield Earth. Which is pathetic.(Both the statement and the book)"

That dumb comment made the rest of your post useless. This was one of the best pure sicience fiction books ever written....period....Being a sci-fi buff....I know.

31 posted on 11/09/2007 7:27:43 PM PST by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: Dane

Easy. Pro Immigration. Anti illegal. Pro law borders, security.

If Republicans can establish that first, I’d like to see the Dems work around it. Dems have been, rightly, getting whacked on law and order since Nixon.


32 posted on 11/09/2007 7:28:05 PM PST by Leisler (RNC, RINO National Committee. Always was, always will be.)
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To: JRochelle

“Romney sure didn’t”

....doesn’t answer the question. Name one governor during this time period who cracked down on sanctuary cities?


33 posted on 11/09/2007 7:30:33 PM PST by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: TheLion

I was ready to believe Romney on the life issue, for example, as people do change their minds, but Romney has changed his mind about so much stuff. That’s why I doubt him. Conservatives, including pro-lifers, have been burned, so we need to be very, very careful.


34 posted on 11/09/2007 7:31:00 PM PST by Sun (Duncan Hunter: pro-God/life/borders, understands Red China threat, NRA A+rating! www.gohunter08.com)
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To: TheLion

‘Pure’ science fiction. Ah ha. Right.


35 posted on 11/09/2007 7:31:35 PM PST by Leisler (RNC, RINO National Committee. Always was, always will be.)
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To: NordP

Since I don’t have cable, I’m REALLY looking forward to seeing the You-Tube.

I heard the Glenn Beck interview tonight was SUPER.


36 posted on 11/09/2007 7:32:28 PM PST by Sun (Duncan Hunter: pro-God/life/borders, understands Red China threat, NRA A+rating! www.gohunter08.com)
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To: Leisler

Obviously you no nothing about it whatsoever, but you do like to post.


37 posted on 11/09/2007 7:33:03 PM PST by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: TheLion

no=know
it? Mitt?
I live in Massachusetts and remember as far back as Humphrey/Nixon.
What else you got?


38 posted on 11/09/2007 7:35:10 PM PST by Leisler (RNC, RINO National Committee. Always was, always will be.)
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To: TheLion

What does that have to do with anything?

You make no sense.

I’m talking about the guys who are running for President.


39 posted on 11/09/2007 7:35:56 PM PST by JRochelle (I think marriage should be between a man and woman, and a woman, and a woman. Mitt Romney)
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To: Doofer

if Romney wins he nomination, Romney will not be able to stand up to the democrats for their support of amnesty, open borders, supporting an illegal invasion, sanctuary cities.....because Romney’s record will effectively give the democrats an out, and means to beat Romney by saying, We (democrats) supported the same policies Romney did. This is nothing more than a set-up to help the democrats win the White House....Then both the democrats and the republican nominees will go wild with promises of gift programs....different parties....same philosophy.....mho


40 posted on 11/09/2007 7:37:55 PM PST by no-to-illegals (God Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform, Our Heroes. And Vote For Mr. Duncan Hunter, America! TLWNW)
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