A Tuition Deal For [Illegal] Immigrants? (Huckabee)

The Washington Post ^ | December 18, 2007

[2ndDivisionVet]

Now that he has become a front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, Mike Huckabee is feeling the heat from other Republican candidates, who are scrutinizing his record as governor of Arkansas for evidence of "liberal" or "Democratic" inclinations. One leading rival, Fred D. Thompson, has accused Huckabee of having "championed" an effort to permit illegal immigrants to benefit from in-state tuition rates at state universities. Huckabee has denied the charge, saying that his support was limited to a much more restrictive scholarship program.

Huckabee's denials fly in the face of the record.

THE FACTS

During his annual State of the State address to the Arkansas legislature in January 2005, Huckabee proposed making "any student graduating from a high school in Arkansas" eligible for state financial aid. He said it was "terribly unjust" to deny such aid solely on the basis of a student's immigration status, "a status that he had no decision in and no control over."

"Huckabee plan would aid illegal aliens," the state's leading newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, reported the following day.

The wording of the governor's proposal was a little vague. A Democratic state legislator, Joyce Elliott, had already proposed legislation granting in-state tuition status to undocumented immigrants. During talks with the governor's staff, Elliott agreed to include a scholarship provision in her bill, which became known as House Bill 1525. She says both parts of the bill were fully supported by Huckabee. "I never had the slightest indication that he wanted any changes," Elliott, who no longer serves in the legislature, said. "He clearly supported the entire bill, and I never heard anything different from them."

[2ndDivisionVet]

Are there still FReepers supporting this guy?

[Just mythoughts]

NO!!!

What Huckabee has done for me though is finally answer that question, who were those in that 66% + (2/3rds) that kept the Clintons approval ratings so high. It was a religious thing.

[nyyankeefan]

A Tuition Deal For [Illegal] Immigrants? (Huckabee)...

the preacher president.......jorge bush light!!!!

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

Fred better watch out for those glass houses.

In 1996, removed higher fines for businesses which hire illegal aliens

Sen. Thompson, in committee consideration of S.1664 protected businesses from having to pay higher fines when they are caught hiring illegal aliens. Under the idea that current fines were not enough of a deterrent against businesses cutting their labor costs by hiring illegal aliens, the Senate immigration subcommittee approved higher fines. Various study commissions have found that the willingness of U.S. businesses to hire illegal aliens is the No. 1 incentive for foreign workers to become illegal aliens here. But Sen. Thompson voted with a 10-8 majority in the Judiciary Committee to remove the higher fines from the 1996 legislation against illegal immigration.

Tried to kill voluntary pilot programs
for workplace verification in 1996

Sen. Thompson voted IN FAVOR of the Abraham Amendment to S.1664. He was part of a coalition of pro-business conservatives and liberal civil libertarians who tried to use the amendment to kill the establishment of voluntary pilot programs in high-immigration states. The programs were intended to assist employers in verifying whether people they had just hired had the legal right to work in this country. Such verification is considered by many experts to be an essential tool for withdrawing the job magnet from illegal aliens. The verification system established by S.1664 did not involve an ID card. Rather it provided that when new workers wrote down their Social Security number on an application, employers could phone into a national verification system to help assure that the number was a real number and belonged to the person giving it. In earlier smaller pilot programs, businesses had hailed the verification system for making it easier for them to avoid hiring illegal aliens. Sen. Thompson was unsuccessful in stopping the voluntary verification system. The Senate tabled the by a 54-46 vote.

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

Fred, did you really do that?

Voted to grant amnesty to nearly one million
illegal aliens from Nicaragua and Cuba in 1997
Sen. Thompson voted to grant legal status to Nicaraguans and Cubans who had lived in the United States illegally since 1995, along with their spouses and minor unmarried children. The overall ten year impact of this legislation will be the addition of some 967,000 people to U.S. population. There was no separate vote on the amnesty, as it was included in the DC Appropriations bill. The only opportunity Senators had to vote in favor of or against the amnesty was the Mack Amendment to S.1156. The Mack Amendment passed 99-1.

[Kimberly GG]

Tell it like it is with Fred Thompson!!! I can’t believe anyone at FR would still be supporting him! Pro-illegal alien/Amnesty supporter, George P. Bush was invited to join Team Fred. Connect the dots. It’s not what Fred’s new illegal immigration plan says, just like with Huckabee, it’s what it DOESN’T say.

[donnab]

jorge bush light with a few mega doses of lib thrown in regarding national defense ...oh wait....
that makes him a democrat.

[Edit35]

Still?

Huckabee is the ultimate psycho. Did you read his speech on foreign affairs recently?

Huckabee is pure pablum.

And I say that as a proud Baptist.

[NavVet]

No, just a couple of campaign staffers assigned to post fluff. The scary thing is that he hasn’t crashed and burned yet, in spite of being exposed as a liar and a liberal on so many issues. I head one caller on Rush yesterday that said he supported the Huckster, when Rush asked him why the only reason was Huckabee’s religion. The caller had no idea where Huckabee stood on any of the issues important to conservatives.

[mtbopfuyn]

No, never did.

[Kimberly GG]

"It’s not what Fred’s new illegal immigration plan says, just like with Huckabee, it’s what it DOESN’T say."


"Just as the favorite Republican non-candidate gets near-constant news coverage, even for saying nothing, many of Thompson's policies are revealed more by what he does not say than by what he does say. "

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55776

[Carbonado]

"I head one caller on Rush yesterday that said he supported the Huckster, when Rush asked him why the only reason was Huckabee’s religion"

I think that's exactly right. So many religious conservatives have desperately yearned for the chance to vote for "one of their own" and because Huckabee comes across initially as a very credible and likable candidate, they flock to him because they believe he is what he initially appears to be. The first couple of debates I was very impressed with him - until I looked more closely that is. The more details I saw the less I liked him, and his position on illegals was the capstone on his illogical and confused political house of cards for me.

[rabscuttle385]

He said it was "terribly unjust" to deny such aid solely on the basis of a student's immigration status, "a status that he had no decision in and no control over."

Of course, that means that international students would become eligible for financial aid (grants and guaranteed loans) while the parents of U.S. citizens and permanent residents foot the bill.

How Mr. Huckabee gained any traction at all is beyond me.

[Travis McGee]

Huckabee promotes 'open door' policy at LULAC convention

"Pretty soon, Southern white guys like me may be in the minority," Huckabee said jokingly as the crowd roared in laughter.

Thursday, Jun 30, 2005

By Wesley Brown

Arkansas News Bureau

LITTLE ROCK - In a impassioned speech before hundreds of influential Hispanic civil rights leaders from across the nation, Gov. Mike Huckabee told a captive audience Wednesday that America is great because it has always opened it doors up to people seeking a better way of life.

"I would hope that no matter who we are, or where we are from, that America should always be a place that opens its arms, opens it heart, opens its spirit to people who come because they want the best for their families ...," Huckabee said as the largely Hispanic audience gave him a standing ovation.

Huckabee was the keynote speaker, along with Tyson Foods Inc. Chairman and CEO John Tyson, at a noon luncheon of the League of United Latin American Citizens, which is holding its 76th annual convention in Little Rock.

About 10,000 political, community and business leaders, along with exhibitors and speakers are in Little Rock attending the convention at the Statehouse Convention Center. The convention started Monday and runs through Saturday.

Although he never actually talked about the U.S. or Arkansas immigration policy, Huckabee made it very clear where he stood on the issue. In his opening remarks, he said the nation will need to address the concerns of the Hispanic community because of its growing influence and population base.

"Pretty soon, Southern white guys like me may be in the minority," Huckabee said jokingly as the crowd roared in laughter.

He told the LULAC delegates that their presence in the state's capital city was very important because Arkansas has one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the nation. "Your gathering is so very significant for our state," Huckabee said. "We are delighted to have you."

Despite several light moments, Huckabee did not stray away from several controversial issues that made him a target of criticism during the recently ended 85th General Assembly. He said Arkansas needs to make the transition from a traditional Southern state to one that recognizes and cherishes diversity "in culture, in language and in population."

"This is an issue that is going to require extraordinary efforts on both sides of the border, particularly those coming from Mexico," Huckabee said of verifying the status of illegal aliens. "But I am confident that our government will recognize that we should accommodate people who wish to provide the best opportunities for their families (and) employers so that we can make sure our economy has the necessary work force."

During the legislation session, Huckabee criticized an immigration bill by Republican senators Jim Holt of Springdale and Denny Altes of Fort Smith as un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life. Senate Bill 206, which died in the Senate, would have required proof of citizenship to register to vote and also force state agencies to report suspected cases of people living in the country illegally. Holt, R-Springdale, replied later to Huckabee's comments that Christian charity does not include turning a blind eye to lawbreaking.

[Juan Medén]

Yes.

[jrg]

between this and his son's dog murder, I think the Ol' Huckster is toast.

He was probably toast anyway, since I can't imagine a President of the United States called Huckabee.....

[OB1kNOb]

The Huckster giveaway to illegal aliens - ping.

[MrPiper]

I just emailed Fred’s website about this past support for illegals, I will wait to see if I get a response before saying anything. I did not know about it and thanks for putting it here.

[lone star annie]

Typical scam preacher if you ask me. He should be running one of those mega churches and use the cash to buy Harleys, private planes and mansions in California.

Robert Tilton is his role model. Maybe Benny Hinn could use him too.

[AmericanInTokyo]

"Typical scam preacher if you ask me. He should be running one of those mega churches and use the cash to buy Harleys, private planes and mansions in California."

LSA, the underlying principle of this phenomenon is the same, in terms of the same kind of bedrock middle-America, generally uneducated, naive but good-hearted simpleton with a benevolent heart of gold who marches out there to the ballot box and puts a Huckabee in office, and later that day mails off a $100 check to Benny Hinn without a scintilla of trepidation.

Talk about the lack of discernment.