Romney and the Arizona immigration model
Barb ShellyTonight’s debate thankfully gave people a chance to hear the candidates talk about some things that haven’t come up in the previous debates, like equal pay for women, gun control and immigration.
The immigration segment was fascinating. Romney hit Obama for not presenting a plan to Congress in his first year, as he indeed had promised. But really, the president was under fire for daring to fulfill another campaign pledge and tackle health care in his first year. Republicans would have gone apoplectic had he pushed a health care bill. Probably the Democrats also.
Obama fired away at Romney, claiming he had called the harsh Arizona immigration law “a model for the nation.”
Romney protested that he had only said the e-verify system called for in the Arizona law was a model. That sounded weak, but it turned out to be accurate. You can find the transcripts here.
Romney continued to move to a more moderate position than he adopted in the primary. At first he said he opposed the DREAM Act, legislation to provide a path to legal status for the children of illegal immigrations. Later he said he would support legal status for young people willing to serve in the U.S. military. And more recently, he said he might support green cards for undocumented kids who go to college.
The exchange really just showed what a thicket the immigration question is.
Mark Hastert
7 months agoDouble bonus/triple score! Mitt Romney AND Kris Kobach held up to ridicule in one answer.