Got a photo of Sarah speaking at LaRaza? I thought not...
Posted on 09/25/2011 10:37:58 AM PDT by Clairity
In this week's GOP Presidential debate, Governor Mitt Romney and Senator Rick Santorum both repeated untruths about Governor Rick Perry's immigration position. It is time to set the record straight.
First let me say, I've not endorsed a candidate and though I've predicted a Perry win in 2012, it is not based on a personal desire, but rather the assessment of all the data that I believe the general election race will be dependent on. I did the same thing in 2006, predicting a Barack Obama win, but by no means endorsing his candidacy.
Second let me also say, this week's debate performance by Governor Rick Perry was bizarre and seemed to run out of complete steam in the final thirty minutes. In fact I was so curious as to the Governor's performance down the stretch I inquired to the Perry campaign to see if the Governor had taken ill, or had some other medical issue arise in the final half hour.
But on Thursday evening it did become clear that the GOP opponents intend to rhetorically bloody Governor Perry as best they can until they begin to be eliminated from the race.
In the debate, Chris Wallace asked a direct question to Mitt Romney regarding the in-state tuition rates of children who live in the state, but happen to have parents who came here illegally.
Mitt Romney replied, "I don't see how it is that a state like Texas--to go to the University of Texas--if you're an illegal alien--you get an in-state tuition discount. D'you know how much that is? It's twenty-two thousand dollars a year. Four years of college you're almost a hundred thousand dollar discount if you're an illegal alien--if you go to the University of Texas. If you're a United States citizen, from any one of the other forty-nine states, you have to pay a hundred thousand dollars more. That doesn't make sense to me. And that kind of magnet, draws people into this country, to get that education, to get that kind of hundred thousand dollar break, it makes no sense..."
I was disappointed that Chris Wallace didn't stop him and make him answer the question he had actually asked him.
Maybe Mitt Romney doesn't realize that many children of illegal aliens aren't illegals themselves. And as long as birth-rite citizenship is the law, anchor babies are protected under the law with equal benefits to all other American citizens.
Maybe Mitt Romney doesn't realize that nearly all of the rest of children of illegals had no choice in whether to live in Texas or not. If they were brought there by parents who were illegal--how is that the child's fault? Is Romney ready to charge those children with crimes? Mass deportations? Even Romney has not pledged to go that far.
Maybe Mitt Romney somehow missed the point that Governor Perry's problem is one that the Federal Government created for him. By refusing to enforce current immigration law, the Obama administration has made life for border states unbelievably difficult. And in some cases the Federal Government is even attempting to choke out state's rights to react to border issues in any way whatsoever.
Maybe Mitt Romney is completely ignorant of what the reality of dealing with the border actually means--in real terms. Gov. Perry had to raise $400 million in state taxes to attempt to shore up the border and do the job that the Feds should be doing.
Or maybe Governor Romney believes he doesn't need any votes from legal Hispanics and legal immigrants who are wrestling with the real issue of being in a position where their family's future is in question.
But to set the record straight, it was the state of Texas, and most specifically its lawfully elected legislature that drafted the legislation and passed it with only 4 votes of 181 possible to vote against it. Yes, Governor Perry signed it into law, but it was a definitively bi-partisan initiative that the people of Texas clearly wanted to see become law.
Additionally, Governor Perry has actual compassion for these children who ended up in his state, outside of their own doing. Educating them gets them working and contributing to the state's treasury faster, and is more meaningful than letting them sit on the sidelines.
And despite what the unusually angry Rick Santorum offered, all the legislation did was allow those children (NOT ILLEGAL ALIENS AT LARGE) to get the same "starting point" in state institutions that all of their classmates got. The stupid argument that Romney and Santorum grew red-faced and spittle-spewing over didn't seem to hold true against Texas where non-Texan students would have to pay $88,000 more than other Texas-raised children. And states discriminate that way against other children from other regions of the country--all the time.
President Obama will need to re-energize the American Hispanic vote in order for him to win re-election. They had left him on the economy, and they were never with him on his values. But Mitt Romney--who vows allegiance to a church that had at its core a racist doctrine until only a couple of decades ago--is verging on alienating other ethnic groups, in part because he is not telling the truth about the Texas legislature's law to allow children (not illegal aliens who crossed the border--the children of) to simply pay the same amount of tuition as the kids they sit next to in class.
In short Perry knows this problem intimately. And it will be a cold day in Hades before he ever signs a federal version of the DREAM Act. He believes in fencing, technology, state's rights, and workplace incentives.
Which more or less means he believes in the same enforcement techniques as all the rest of the GOP field.
And for Santorum and Romney to pretend otherwise is sanctimonious and dishonest.
I found this as a position on illegal immigration by Sarah Palin. "Sarah supports citizenship for illegal immigrants but feels there is no amnesty for the illegal immigrants."
What does this mean?
Ever hear of pumps, or viaducts, submarine fences, damns or bridges.
The only thing that seems to be universally UN fixable is Illegal immigration, strange don’t you think?
It is a federal issue.
It is not Texas’s job to secure the border for folks in Peoria, but we do.
And what do we get for it? We get flak from people that don’t pay or patrol.
Amen.
and that is up to the FEDERAL Government
The in state tuition was passed by Texas. THEY need to turn off their spigot.
Eleven states also permit illegal immigrants to obtain in-state tuition.
NY is liberal la la land.
100% agree.
I’d love to see, for example, a Rick Santorum, who as a Catholic claims obedience to his Church, propose that the children of illegals, whether born here or not, be mass deported.
Or Romney, who knows nothing about governing a border state like Texas, tell the children of illegals, or even children dragged across the border by their illegal parents that at they must pay Baylor University rates to attend a 4 year public university. This after spending years in our public schools and making the grades to pursue college.
I dare any one of them to look these people in the eye, on camera, during the next debate, and tell this community....”Thanks for your parents hard work and allowing the rest of us to enjoy a very affordable roof job, frame job on my new house, cheap mfg labor rates, and all the other great benefits we enjoy off of your parents backs, but guess what, now that you want to pay $20k a year to go to A&M, tough crap. You, little Miss daughter of an undocumented construction worker, now that we used you and your family, you get to pay $42k per year to go to A&M.
I dare any one of these other hypocrits to look America in the eye and make the above comment.
Rick Perry sent Obama a $300,000,000 invoice for services rendered by and paid for by Texas citizens to do the job that this jackass in the White Wouse did not do. Santorum and Romney are only helping the Obama campaign with these over the top attacks on Perry and making republicans look anti-hispanic jerks.
LOL - right?
I like a few of the candidates and Perry's one of 'em. He really needs to clarify his positions on these things with more strength and frequency.
I'm getting tired of seeing the media (and several FReepers) distorting Perry's policies and so many people just lapping it up because there aren't any strong rebuttals coming from Perry.
[And for Santorum and Romney to pretend otherwise is sanctimonious and dishonest.]
Yes, it is. Too bad Perry seems incapable of articulating that position. Also, calling those that disagree with him “heartless” was really stupid. There are LEGITIMATE reasons to disagree with his position. For instance, every one of the slots in a TX university that goes to one of these illegals aliens is taking that spot that could have gone to a legal citizen.
That said, I don’t think Perry’s position of border security and what to do with the illegals already here is any different than Sarah Palin’s.
“”Thanks for your parents hard work and allowing the rest of us to enjoy a very affordable roof job, frame job on my new house, cheap mfg labor rates...”
If they are illegal, they cannot work here as a roofer with or without a college education.
So, why should we provide college educations to those who will never be able to work legally in the US?
Not all the states who have passed this are liberal. Eleven states permit illegal immigrants to obtain in-state tuition. They are Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin.
Educating them gets them working and contributing to the state's treasury faster, and is more meaningful than letting them sit on the sidelines.
Illegals cannot legally work in the US and thus do not pay taxes. At least until Perry becomes Dictator and declares Amnesty.
Can you clarify this statement by Palin? “Sarah supports citizenship for illegal immigrants but feels there is no amnesty for the illegal immigrants.
Dp you support amnesty for illegal aliens?
What about Palin? “Sarah supports citizenship for illegal immigrants but feels there is no amnesty for the illegal immigrants.”
Got a photo of Sarah speaking at LaRaza? I thought not...
The idea is that these kids are here, and they have done nothing other than being born, to make us shun them.
The idea is that if we do shun these kids, who are here “through no fault of their own”, Kids that have demonstrated that they want to excel and who can prove that they are working on citizenship and wish to be productive citizens, we would relegate them to hopelessness which could ultimately cost us more if they end up on the dole.
The notion is that a working citizen is better than an illegal sitting in jail on our dime.
So if we haven’t made up our mind we are braindead? I like to study candidates during the early stages and see how they are under fire, and find out more about how they really sit on the issues. That makes me braindead?
I do know and care how bad Obama is. I supported RINO McCain who also insulted me on the border issues- trotted right down and voted for him anyway because I was not so braindead as to want Obama.
If we are not allowed to ask questions, voice our concerns on all issues at this stage then when is it ok? I guess you are telling me to just shut up and vote for the candidate you support, that really would make me braindead.
Maybe just maybe Perry should not insult people he needs votes from. At some point the candidate is responsible for actions that cause voters to question him as a candidate. Some candidates can deal with those that don’t totally support them in a way that still gets their support and votes. To me that is real leadership, very important to being President.
Heck no, but Palin does.
NUMBERSUSA did a knockout job giving away states rights on immigration enforcement.They pushed 2885 Smith’s E-Verify bill so hard even though it will preempt states from enforcing against businesses hiring illegals. I no longer listen to this nutty organization.
Texas has had 39 Democrat Governors, 6 Republicans, 1 Unionist and 1 Independent. I don't think it's exactly a conservative mecca either.
Amen.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.