Posted on 12/17/2015 5:11:37 PM PST by VinL
[On Hannity] Sen. Mike Lee dismissed the suggestion that his GOP colleague Ted Cruz, a candidate for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, was a proponent of the so-called “Gang of Eight†bill during the legislative process in 2013.
Lee, who was on the Judiciary Committee with Cruz at the time the legislation was being debated in that committee, argued Cruz's efforts to introduce amendments was in no way a gesture that he supported the bill.
He went on to add that that accusation, which would have meant that he and Marco Rubi... had similar positions on immigration reform at that time were "absolutely false."
"Well, look, as you just pointed out, I'm friends with both these guys," Lee said. "I have enormous respect for both of them. I will tell you this: I serve on the Judiciary Committee with Ted Cruz. I was there with Ted Cruz the entire time as we spent weeks on the 'Gang of Eight' immigration bill. I was there as we both drafted and presented amendments trying to make this really bad 'Gang of Eight' amnesty bill not as bad."
"And at no time during that process, at no moment did I ever see Ted Cruz take any action that was tantamount to saying he was embracing amnesty,†Lee continued. "He filed amendments designed to make the bill less bad. But that didn't mean and does not mean now and never will mean that he was going to vote for that bill. He was just trying to make it less bad. And insofar as anybody is trying to suggest that Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio had the same position with regards amnesty or with regards to the 'Gang of Eight' bill – that is absolutely false. One-hundred percent false.†.....
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
I just listened to Cruz’s St Paul stump speech and he promised to “deport all *criminal* illegal aliens”.
I’m not as hard core on illegal immigrants as many.
But you can’t blame those who are for being dissatisfied when Cruz makes such a statement.
In Brett Baier’s questioning last night, but especially in his roundtable at the end with Charles Krauthammer and Steve Hayes, the 3 of them pretended. They pretended as they spoke of Cruz’s support for amnesty having come out. They pretended as they acted as if they couldn’t think of an alternative explanation.
Their pretense was intended to accomplish something. That is why people pretend. They were attempting to knock down Cruz and elevate Rubio would be my guess.
Let me assure them for the future. Cruz support at this point will go to Trump.
We will not go establishment. Period.
Cruz’s approach is to deport illegals as they come into contact with government agencies. Naturally that makes those who have committed other crimes a priority. As all aspects of his illegal immigration plan are implemented, many illegals will self deport.
Cruz says he is for enforcing our laws and I believe him.
‘Cruz support at this point will go to Trump.’
At this time Trump’s support may not go to Cruz but later most of it will I think.
Their positions are just too similar.
And even though Trump’s position on illegal immigrants may be arguably tougher than Cruz’s I think they both would effect about the same *good* changes if elected.
Not even Mike Lee & Jeff Sessions can be right 100% of the time. Both are right 99% of the time. No human is perfect. Only God is perfect.
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Sorry entropy12 (thou taker of shots at Ted Cruz, Senator Lee’s & Senator Sessions’ recognized true constitutional conservative), as much as I want to trust you (an anonymous user on the Internet) I’ll take the knowledgeable judgement of Lee & Sessions over your judgement any day. Particularly since I’ve seen your judgement way off the mark in the past.
But it is good to know that you think high enough of yourself to think you can recognize the 1% of the time when Lee & Sessions are wrong.
Nice to see them exposing the scum-bag Rubio.
And even though Trump’s position on illegal immigrants may be arguably tougher than Cruz’ I think they both would effect about the same *good* changes if elected.
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I agree...simply enforcing current law would be 1000% better than now. Add to that the changes they’d give Congress the courage to pass, and it would be even better.
Of course, if conservatives start to war with one another now, those happy days will never arrive and we’ll continue the descent into a darkness from which the Republic will never recover.
I meant if the establishment succeeded in injuring Cruz
The thing is he has no leeway and he’s going to be hammered on this. This is a ‘yuge’ issue.
The evangelical pressure groups that support him are all ‘bleeding heart’ on immigrants. But he can’t move toward them.
He absolutely HAS to attract moderates but he’s already gone as far as he can on this issue. He’s in a straightjacket.
BTW, the next media meme:
An employed illegal immigrant father of three gets busted, would Cruz send him off? And would Trump?
I’ll believe Sen. Jeff Sessios over Rubio any time. Rubio is as slick as Billy Jeff Clinton was, and that is not a compliment.
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On Wednesday, I saw former GE CEO Jack Welch interviewed on Fox News by Cavuto. When asked what he thought about Rubio, Welch said something like “no way” and said he thought Rubio was much too slick by a half!
Anytime any move is made by any politician for giving a path to LEGAL status for ILLEGALS, it is bad bad bad. It is against the welfare of hard working American middle class. It is not complicated. And it does not need a genius IQ to understand that. Actually Santorum is correct in saying even legal immigration needs to be curbed.
May be Lee & Sessions wrongly figured in 2013 that some type of reform legislation for illegals was necessary to win elections. Things have obviously changed Since then. Trump was the first to be brave enough to declare ALL illegals must be deported and we have seen his poll numbers go much higher than others.
Mike Lee must be a liberal, obviously.
No, I don’t think there is such a rule. Why?
You mean the Cruz amendment to make the bill LESS illegal-friendly, the one to remove the very provision without which Upchuck Schemer, the leader of the Gang of Eight, said there could be no reform?
Yeah, that amendment. Good for them.
Since you can’t deport all of them “on the first day”, yes, you try for the ones who have committed other crimes first.
Trump has supported legalization as recently as a few months ago.
An employed illegal immigrant father of three gets busted, would Cruz send him off? Yes, undoubtedly.
And would Trump? Only if he can slip him back in labelled “terrific.”
Others ahe said that, and for a long time.
As recently as a few months ago, Trump was talking about "a path" and having illegals who are sufficiently "terrific" back in the country.
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