Both McCain and Huckabee would legalize 30 million illegal aliens — and since “doing the jobs Americans won’t do” doesn’t pay very well, that constitutes an immense expansion of Foodstamps, Welfare, Medicaid, etc. to cover all those newly “legal” low-income workers. $400B/year worth.
McCain knows nothing about the economy, not even enough to see the connection above. McCain actually thinks cutting a $200 million earmark for a “Bridge to Nowhere” is a big deal while pushing amnesty that will cost a THOUSAND times as much EVERY year.
Huckabee used taxpayer money as though it was his own while governor. His Christians-help-the-downtrodden attitude becomes pure Socialism when it is taxpayer money he is using instead of his own. His Christians-turn-the-other-cheek attitude resulted in a THOUSAND pardons for murderers and rapists as governor. His support of the FairTax shows he doesn’t understand the economy — he claims it is a tax on the wealthy and everyone else will get lower taxes, which is bad enough since it constitutes class-warfare vote pandering, but ignores the fact that it frees up the really wealthy to AVOID taxes completely by spending their money outside the country.
Romney understands the economy. He understands the effect taxes have on the economy. He understands the danger of legalizing 30 million low-income workers and the crushing burden it would have on taxpayer funded social programs.
I know some trust Romney about imigration, but I wouldn’t be so sure. Larry Craig was one of the first to join his campaign, Big business needs illegals, don’t be fooled.
mcCain also thinks reforming medicare, medicaid, social security, UI and even going into the defense budget to close down useless bases (congressmen like them to keep jobs in their districts) is a big deal. He’s a hard core balance the budget, pay off the debt guy.
The Concord Coalition and Citizens Against Government Waste absolutely love him.
But when it comes to immigration (and free trade), he will be on the side of libertarians like Reason.com and Reagan who said
“I’ve spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don’t know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That’s how I saw it and see it still.”
Reagan wasn’t just for amnesty. He passionately defended it on the basis of his principles. So we have a lot of work cut out for us if we are to make a case against illegals. The GOP has very little precedent for such a position.