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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 It came in the closing days of his administration and was rescinded by his successor, as we wrote back in August.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Sure enough, Patrick rescinded the agreement within his first week in office so troopers could "focus on enforcing Massachusetts laws."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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1 posted on 11/09/2007 6:22:09 PM PST by Doofer
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To: Doofer

“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.”

He “changed his mind” on a lot of issues, just in time to run for POTUS.


2 posted on 11/09/2007 6:28:05 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: Doofer

Could it be that Saint Romney is a liar?

**gasp**


3 posted on 11/09/2007 6:30:37 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: Sun

What is it with Mass. and flip-floppers?


4 posted on 11/09/2007 6:30:48 PM PST by SmoothTalker
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To: Doofer

Hunter’s criticism of Romney over this issue is well aimed. We need someone in the white house who isn’t a johnny-come-lately on this issue.

Road to Des Moines Conversions on Immigration (Hunter Press release)
News Which Cannot Lose ^ | 10/25/07 | Duncan Hunter/staff
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1916889/posts


5 posted on 11/09/2007 6:30:51 PM PST by Kevmo (We should withdraw from Iraq — via Tehran. And Duncan Hunter is just the man to get that job done.)
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To: SmoothTalker

“What is it with Mass. and flip-floppers?”

lol, regardless of party affiliation.


6 posted on 11/09/2007 6:36:59 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: Doofer

GWB-part II. No thanks, dude...


7 posted on 11/09/2007 6:38:09 PM PST by reuben kincaid
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To: Doofer
It, too, think he is BS'ing us on this, and he thinks we are too stupid to dig deep for the facts.

Well, somebody just dug.

8 posted on 11/09/2007 6:39:41 PM PST by AmericanInTokyo (Visit this thread 1-hour from now. In that time, an average of 416.6 more ILLEGALS will be in the US)
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To: Doofer

Yeah, and he’s a lifelong hunter too ... if you consider twice in 50 years to be lifelong. It’s all just a matter of one’s perspective. I won’t be voting for Romney-come-lately.


9 posted on 11/09/2007 6:39:47 PM PST by JustaDumbBlonde
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To: Doofer

Most of us went hook, line and sinker for this crap with Bush II, the first time out. Not again. This guy’s conversion was waaaaay too late in the game.


10 posted on 11/09/2007 6:40:47 PM PST by AmericanInTokyo (Visit this thread 1-hour from now. In that time, an average of 416.6 more ILLEGALS will be in the US)
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To: Doofer
Romney is just taking the clinton/liberal media bait. Clinton/obama are setting up the stage to make immigration an issue and bring out the blowhard buchanan/tancredo types on FR with their bomnast. Immigration didn't work for the GOP in last Tuesday's election Virginia election and the democrats know it, but like the definition of insanity of doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, the blowhard kneejerk wing of the GOP still uses the same tactics.

DES MOINES, Iowa--Barack Obama said publicly Thursday what many Democrats are fretting about privately these days, which is that the Republicans will be coming after them next year on the issue of immigration and they'd better get ready. Obama made that observation when my colleague Shailagh Murray and I asked him about immigration during an interview aboard his campaign bus in Iowa. "My estimation is that the Republicans will run on two issues, and two issues only," he said. "Terrorism and immigration. That is going to be their campaign." During two days of town hall meetings in southeast Iowa, before otherwise friendly audiences of Democrats, Obama was repeatedly challenged on immigration. The sense of frustration and anger about illegal immigration was evident at virtually every stop and it seemed a harbinger of what could be the Democrats most difficult challenge in 2008. Obama said Democrats must do two things. First, make "absolutely clear" that their party is determined to shut down the flow of illegal immigrants into the country, but, second, to do so in a way that shows the United States can be a "nation of laws and a nation of immigrants at the same time." Obama accused Republicans of trying to demagogue the issue but sounded wary about whether Democrats are equipped to counter GOP attacks. "There's no doubt there will be attempts made to hit whoever the Democratic nominee is on this issue. And we have to stand our ground and not be defensive." On this subject, Obama and former President Bill Clinton agree. The former president is known to believe that of all the issues likely to be at the forefront of the 2008 campaign, immigration holds the greatest potential peril for the Democrats

I posted this Dan Balz, Washington Post writer article, but it was deemed as flame bait.

11 posted on 11/09/2007 6:41:00 PM PST by Dane ("Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall" Ronald Reagan, 1987)
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To: reuben kincaid

CAVEAT EMPTOR everyone!!!!


12 posted on 11/09/2007 6:41:36 PM PST by AmericanInTokyo (Visit this thread 1-hour from now. In that time, an average of 416.6 more ILLEGALS will be in the US)
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To: Kevmo
Hunter’s criticism of Romney over this issue is well aimed. We need someone in the white house who isn’t a johnny-come-lately on this issue.

I'm not a Hunter supporter but one test I have in determining if I'll vote for a candidate is that I'm able to believe the words coming out of their mouths and Romney fails that test for me unfortunately because is if was more trustworthy I could get behind enthusiastically if my chose fails in the primaries.

13 posted on 11/09/2007 6:42:23 PM PST by Doofer (Fred Dalton Thompson For President)
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To: Doofer
Only two men in the race with the authority to talk to me about immigration.

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
14 posted on 11/09/2007 6:45:54 PM PST by cripplecreek (Greed is NOT a conservative ideal.)
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To: AmericanInTokyo

He’s laying his bets on spending mass amounts of money on fooling the masses. He’ll show up in a state, buy up as much ad space as he can and then say whatever he needs to say to push his poll numbers way up.

It’s why he’s doing well in Iowa, NH and SC but not the rest of the country. That’s where he’s dumped a whole lot of cash.


15 posted on 11/09/2007 6:46:02 PM PST by jmyrlefuller (The Associated Press: The most dangerous news organization in America.[TM])
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To: Doofer

My dilemma is, could I vote for him over Hillery, I hope I do not have to make that judgment.


16 posted on 11/09/2007 6:48:26 PM PST by TheHound (You would be paranoid too - if everyone was out to get you.)
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To: SmoothTalker
The state is a mental mess. There are few if any real ideological stars. The institutions are all old and their main function is to keep funding, to keep themselves going.
The state is literally growing old.
It is losing population.
The people that stay are elderly, government hacks and their wards, and illegals.
Everything is basically, illegal, unless you kiss some government functionary arse.
Many of the old mill towns are mini Detroits.
There’s lots of money to be made by ‘reform’ plans that channel gov money into the usual suspects pockets.
Many state employees, once they get their pension, or second pension, or third state pension, leave the state for Florida. I could go on. On the bright side, I think I'll live long enough to piss on Ted's grave.
17 posted on 11/09/2007 6:56:32 PM PST by Leisler (RNC, RINO National Committee. Always was, always will be.)
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To: Doofer; Sun; JRochelle; SmoothTalker

Who else was worried about “sanctuary cities” or getting police involved in immigration, at this time? Actually Romney was a little ahead of the curve!


18 posted on 11/09/2007 6:57:40 PM PST by TheLion (How about "Comprehensive Immigration Enforcement," for a change)
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To: Doofer

But at least Romney didn’t have illegals working at his home for most of the last ten years has he?

That would indicate a crack in his record of perfect consistency on issues dear to the conservative movement.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/12/01/illegal_immigrants_toiled_for_governor/?page=1


19 posted on 11/09/2007 7:00:52 PM PST by ansel12 (Proud father of a 10th Mountain veteran. Proud son of a WWII vet. Proud brother of vets, Airborne)
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To: TheLion

“That’s bad enough. But, as Michelle Malkin has revealed, under Giuliani, New York was an illegal alien sanctuary and “America’s Mayor” actually sued the federal government in an effort to keep New York City employees from having to cooperate with the INS:

“When Congress enacted immigration reform laws that forbade local governments from barring employees from cooperating with the INS, Mayor Rudy Giuliani filed suit against the feds in 1997. He was rebuffed by two lower courts, which ruled that the sanctuary order amounted to special treatment for illegal aliens and were nothing more than an unlawful effort to flaunt federal enforcement efforts against illegal aliens. In January 2000, the Supreme Court rejected his appeal, but Giuliani vowed to ignore the law.”

If you agree with the way that Nancy Pelosi and Company deal with illegal immigration, then you’ll find the way that Rudy Giuliani tackles the issue to be right down your alley.”

excerpt: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=16762


20 posted on 11/09/2007 7:03:06 PM PST by Sun (Duncan Hunter: pro-God/life/borders, understands Red China threat, NRA A+rating! www.gohunter08.com)
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