Mel Martinez: immigration 'nuances' separate me and Mitt Romney

November 28, 2011

Former Florida Sen. Mel Martinez used a conference call this afternoon to defend Romney's harder shift on immigration, saying himself and other architects of the failed comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2007 misread public sentiment.

"We really, at the time, I think made a mistake in not understanding just how passionate the American people felt about the issue of securing the border," said Martinez, who has participated in White House talks this year on immigration.

Romney at one point lined up with Martinez, but his position changed as he ran for president in 2008, according to a Bloomberg story today. Martinez, who was backing John McCain, even criticized Romney and Rudy Giuliani. “They are wrong on that and they are wrong in just criticizing,â€