Free Republic

GOP candidates, convention steer clear of immigration BY REID J. EPSTEIN reid.epstein@newsday.com September 8, 2008 During the Republican presidential primary, immigration was such an important topic that candidates were tripping over each other to be seen as the toughest defender of the nation's borders. The issue became so hot that Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the GOP presidential nominee, was forced to disavow his own immigration reform bill because it was seen by many Republicans as too lenient. But a parade of Republicans came to the convention podium in St. Paul last week with barely a mention of immigration. On Wednesday...

ICE, Aurora Police Shift Blame Over Hernandez Kim Ngan Nguyen, Staff Writer POSTED: 5:33 pm MDT September 8, 2008 UPDATED: 6:23 pm MDT September 8, 2008 DENVER -- Victims' family members, police officers and several Republican lawmakers are wondering why an illegal immigrant who has had at least 16 arrests in the past five years was never deported, and ultimately allowed to be behind the wheel of a vehicle involved in a recent deadly hit-and-run. Police said Francis Hernandez, 23, was driving without a license when he ran a red light last Thursday and triggered a chain reaction crash that...

Laura Ingraham interviewed Danielle Bologna this morning. It was a tear-filled, emotional, gut-wrenching interview. Danielle was widowed on June 22 when Edwin Ramos, 21, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, allegedly gunned down her husband, Anthony, and two sons, Matthew and Michael, in a road rage incident when her family was returning from a picnic. Ramos was a felon. He was protected by Mayor Gavin Newsome and his San Francisco sanctuary policy and not reported to ICE for deportation. He was out walking free and was able to murder three Americans. The mayor, who is the champion of gay marriage,...