Santorum, Casey Speak At Same Event In Downtown Pittsburgh
Candidates Take On Immigration Reform

POSTED: 2:57 pm EDT June 23, 2006
UPDATED: 3:24 pm EDT June 23, 2006

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PITTSBURGH -- Both candidates for U.S. Senate met in Pittsburgh Friday, where they talked about illegal immigration.

From one side there were accusations of being soft on crime.

From the other, there were accusations of being dishonest.

"The bill provides for 370 miles of new fencing. And about 500 miles of new vehicle barriers," Sen. Rick Santorum said.


Just weeks after the U.S. Senate passed an immigration reform bill, Santorum is out with one of his own.

He said the bill that passed doesn't go far enough to secure the border.

And he said a program that would let some illegal immigrants apply for U.S. citizenship rewards illegal behavior.

"We need to do border security first. Then we need to do something on employers. Then we need to create a true temporary-worker program," Santorum said.

Santorum spoke during a meeting of the Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities downtown Friday morning.

Minutes later, his opponent Bob Casey Jr. also made an appearance.

Their staffs kept the two men from being in the same room at the same time.

As for talking about the same issue, Casey said Santorum is misrepresenting the bill that passed in the Senate -- a bill Casey supports.

"It's not amnesty. And that's the big lie ... And he's using that to appeal to people's fears," Casey said.

Both candidates are now in the process of launching radio and television campaigns dealing with their stances on immigration reform.

"I've said for months the first step has to be securing the border. That's what this legislation attempted to do," Casey said.

"I've heard more about this issue than any other issue we've dealt with in years," Santorum said.

Casey continues to have a double-digit lead in the polls.