Posted on 12/14/2007 12:52:41 AM PST by Fred
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is trying to hold off a challenge in Iowa from Mike Huckabee with criticism of the former Arkansas governor’s record on immigration, is using the same tactic in South Carolina, with one major difference.
Instead of targeting Huckabee alone, as he is doing in Iowa, Romney is taking aim in South Carolina at former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson as well as Huckabee.
A new mailer sent by the Romney campaign in South Carolina this week has photos of Huckabee, Giuliani and Thompson under the headline: “Compare the records on illegal immigration.”
The mailer’s caption for Huckabee reads “Special Benefits for Illegals; for Giuliani, “A Sanctuary City”; and for Thompson, “A Do Nothing Record.”
Romney, on the other hand, offers a “record of results” and provides “strong leadership on illegal immigration,” the mailer asserts.
The mailer makes no mention of Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was the key Republican sponsor of a broad immigration bill earlier this year that would have given a path to citizenship to many illegal immigrants and created a temporary worker program.
In the latest Mason-Dixon poll, which was released this week, McCain is running a distant fifth in the Republican presidential field with 10 percent. The leader in the poll was Huckabee (20 percent), followed by Giuliani (17 percent), Romney (15 percent), and Thompson (14 percent).
Romney on illegal immigration: W.I.M.B.Y.
(Work In My Back Yard)
He should save some of those hits for himself.
Man, what a terrible bunch we’ve got running.
Empty Suit.
So?
Romney has the best record of any Republican running on the issue of illegal immigration barring Tancredo. He should point it out.
Why, he won't admit how he tried to fool the world.
Hunter has the best record on the issue of illegals.
Romney better watch who he goes after on the illegals issue...it will blow up in his face.
Of course he would not dare go after Hunter or Tancredo on this issue
"NASHUA - In a flier that arrived in the mailboxes of New Hampshire Republicans this week, former governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts accuses three of his opponents of being soft on illegal immigration, as a fourth - former governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas - sounded a tougher tone yesterday on the issue.
The glossy mailer features an image of an American flag in the hazy backdrop behind a chain-link fence alongside assertions that former mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York, Senator John McCain of Arizona, and former senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee supported amnesty, benefits, and protections for illegal immigrants.
Representatives of the three campaigns said the document misrepresented their records on the issue, which polls suggest is of paramount importance to Republican primary voters.
"Mitt Romney's already changed his own position on illegal immigration, so it should come as no surprise that he's trying to change everybody else's position as well," Giuliani spokeswoman Maria Comella said in a statement yesterday.
"Romney has a record of twisting the truth about his own immigration record and is the last person to be criticizing anybody else on immigration," said Karen Hanretty, spokeswoman for Thompson.
The pamphlet did not mention the newly ascendant Huckabee, who has been criticized elsewhere by rivals for his 2005 proposal to let children of illegal immigrants apply for taxpayer-funded academic scholarships.
In a book published this year, Huckabee wrote that illegal immigrants should "pay a reasonable fine" for being here illegally and be able to apply for a "pathway to legal status and citizenship."
In a proposal released yesterday, Huckabee appeared to take a harder-line position, proposing a 120-day window in which illegal immigrants must register with the US government and return to their home country.
The individuals could then apply to immigrate without being penalized for their earlier illegal status. But those who do not return to their home country voluntarily would be not be allowed to apply for 10 years.
Huckabee, the last of the leading GOP contenders to unveil an immigration plan, also pledged to build a fence on the Mexico border by 2010, increase the number of border patrol agents, punish employers who hire illegal immigrants, and create a system to verify citizenship.
Romney's campaign had sent out a mailer to Iowa voters earlier in the year drawing contrasts with only McCain's position on immigration.
"We've heard all this before," McCain told reporters as he examined the new pamphlet while campaigning Thursday in New Hampshire, which holds its primary on Jan. 8."
I am here in NH, between the Mitt mailings and his TV ads, he makes me vomit with his line of BS
HAHAHA! Good one!
“’sanctuary mansion’”
uh, same BS story again from liberals. Romney hired a legal company and it is impossible and illegal to require immigration status in those cases. Even the employeers cannot check the status (for that you can thank Fred Thompson who voted against the bill that would have mandated employers to check immigration status - now fredhead insists that customers - not employers - should check the status).
Besides, every illegal has a good-looking green card and SSN card so there is little to be done, even if customer requires the documents.
If McCain is a distant fifth, why isn't Thompson a distant fourth, Romney a distant third, and so on? For that matter, why isn't Huckabee a distant first in the poll because 20% of anything in politics won't make anyone go out and learn to spell splendiferous just so he can write home about stature.
This sounds like more nonsense masquerading as news.
Willard, this is just over the top, keep your cheep labor in your own yard.
Willard has the stink of desperation on him now.
May be true, he probably has hired more illegals than the all the others, we know about his yard man, but what bout the house keepers?
SO true, so true, spent millions to have his clock cleaned by the dope from hope in the not worth mentioning Iowa half-ass caucuses.
How so? Do you believe the Dem slate is better? In terms of executive experience, intelligence, and substance, the Rep candidates are head and shoulders over the Dems. The MSM has been repeatedly trying to cast a negative image for all Rep candidates. It is pure propaganda and you seem to have been influenced by it.
In point of fact, this is one of the strongest Rep slates ever fielded.
Romney also got 287 [g] authority for state law enforcement.
Everyone else in the US and Massachusetts asks about
illegals who MIGHT be working on their houses.
But Romney cannot because HE is presidential candidate
and is a perpetual ‘victim’. What BS.
Romney is one sick slickster to have been caught twice
being OUTTHOUGHT, OUTplayed, by illegals.
Any criticism of Romney’s bad judgment, bad ideas,
bad conduct, and flipflop nature, continues to be
reportedly a direct violation of Romney’s religion
(according to Mitt and his supporters,
still eager to deflect the truth).
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