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.
Right.
UH huh
“Stab StG2 Black Jesau Cross on a white shield “
I thought this was quite enlightening on you page.
Guess we all know where you are coming from now...
If the man cannot string three coherent sentences together, how in the living heck can he expound on the merits of conservatism?
(IMO) Perry's "compassion" is based on Biblical concepts not the phony, political-pandering compassion used to implement big-government, big-spending solutions. His compassion is supported (IMO) by a Biblical premise that speaks to me as a Christian.
Matthew 25:40-46 NIV
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' "He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Certainly the above concept doesn't imply that our government should financially support illegals. It's intended for individuals. But I think it's where Perry is coming from when he says "through no fault of their own." He seems to consider those children "the least of these." I also think the above concept is what he meant by "heartless."
I've thought long and hard about this particular subject because I am totally against amnesty for illegals. In-state tuition should seem counter-productive to border security. But most illegals come to America looking for freedom and opportunity and to escape the corruption and violence in their country. Few, if any, cross the border with the immediate goal of sending their children to college.
Stopping illegal immigration must be a priority. Cutting off free benefits to illegals must be a priority. But what do we do with their children who know no home other than America? I don't know the answer, but allowing them to pay for a college education doesn't seem counter-productive to me. It seems productive.
I beg to differ. He’s just the opposite. I have a friend who worked in his guv’s office for 5 years...said he is one of the nicest and most conservative guys around.
He’s out of touch with Americans on their unwillingness to sacrifice more life and treasure so he can accomodate illegals and crown himself big hearted. The families and neighbors of Americans who have died for this kind of internationalist treason, are not cheering. The tax payers and the unemployed are not cheering.
But even in the face of the hue and cry, he sticks by his guns on that “high moral ground” of a treasonous ruler. We don’t have any more room for this arrogant game of political correctness. The elitists are oppressing the nation in the interests of foreigners and we are plum suckered out. Hopefully, he’ll figure out what is going on and recover. I appreciate his tenth amendment ideas.
That’s *exactly* what I was going to say.
So ditto.
Don't generalize...be specific.
If an 'illegal' pays the instate tuition, he is paying more than enough.
The bigger problem is the government 'unions', who are gaming the education system for their own greedy benefit.
Sorry but imo, Perry in on the winning side of the issue. He signed onto law, that was unanimously passed by the legislature.
If they continue their tuition and immigration attacks on Perry, Romney and Santorum will lose both arguments and their chance of winning nomination.
I’m not an expert in in-state tuition, but according to conservative talk radio host Howie Carr it’s on a sliding scale. The less your income, the lower your charges. Carr says most illegals report zero income. Do officials figures exist to affirm or contest his assertions?
Your rhetoric, if ever allowed to be included in the Republican platform, would be used against the Republican party in the most vile and diabolical way by Obama and will seriously jeopardize our chances of shoveling him and his ilk out of our government.
Fact is, this is not a simple black and white issue. It is absolutely the wrong issue to put at the top of the Republican ticket. Candidates trying to kill Perry as the front runner are creating a landmine for for us if they prevail in their tactics.
All of the screaming and blow-back by the mass deportation and border fence crowds is extremely over the top and will kill our chances of winning the general election.
The following article provides some good perspective on the Texas law, which is no different than at least another dozen states, including yours, which have the same law currently in effect:
No, if I did the same thing illegals did and entered Texas UNLAWFULLY and then attended a Texas school for three years, I'm pretty sure I would end up in prison when I was discovered, not awarded "in-state tutition" at their finest universities.
Or am I mistaken and the fugitives from the other 49 states all enjoying discounted tuition in Texas now?
You better get a grip on reality. Illegal aliens violate the law, that is why they are known as illegal aliens.
You may not be aware of this but you have to comply with US law in order to legally enter the country.
It doesn’t matter what the bill says just like it doesn’t matter what immigration law says. What makes you believe that illegal aliens will comply with in state tuition requirements when they don’t abide by any other law?
We don't want illegal aliens living in America no matter what they pay.
Giving them perference over citizens means that American citizenship no longer has value.
Here’s something I’m not sure many are thinking about. The fact is that most universities don’t have an endless enrollment. They only accept a certain number of students each year. There are hundreds, if not thousands of US citizens that are turned down in Texas every year by the school of their choice. Some of those positions are taken by ILLEGAL ALIENS!
I sincerely feel for those across the border who are unfortunate. In a perfect world, they would have the same opportunities. But the world isn’t perfect, nor is their conduct when they willingly break our laws. They’re not forced to break our laws, they choose to. And currently, when they do, they take positions from those US citizens that don’t break the law. Does that sound even remotely fair?
For crying out loud folks, it’s not like we’re sending the illegals to the gas chamber, we’re simply telling them to play by the rules like scores of thousands of immigrants do every year, or they can’t play. Simple.
Excellent points.
What the bill says (by now, "the bill" is "the law in Texas") matters as a point of comparison with what proponents CLAIM are the requirements to obtain in-state tuition. "On a path to citizenship" and "working toward citizenship" is, in actuality, filing a paper with the sate that says the person will apply for legal presence, when such an application is possible under federal law.
IMO, that act does not amount to "on a path toward citizenship."
PING for later response, got to head to work.
You'll have to forgive me for having no clue what you're babbling about. Is this some kind of Perrybot code? Drinking and Posting?
Who is the little boy holding the shield?
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