Thread: Fred Thompson raps rivals on immigration

Thompson raps rivals on immigration
By SHANNON MCCAFFREY, Associated Press Writer
26 minutes ago



Fred Thompson accused Republican campaign rivals Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney of being soft on illegal immigration Thursday, dismissing them as latecomers to the issue as they strive for the presidency.

"I was walking the walk when others weren't even talking the talk yet," Thompson said at an appearance with supporters in Georgia.

He said he voted in 1996 to outlaw sanctuary cities, where city employees are not required to report illegal immigrants to federal authorities.

"Along about that same time, Mayor Giuliani was supporting the concept of sanctuary cities," Thompson said. "Governor Romney certainly didn't say anything against sanctuary cities until recently."

Romney, who was campaigning in South Carolina, answered back, arguing that as Massachusetts governor he authorized state police to enforce federal immigration law and threatened to veto a measure allowing undocumented immigrant students to pay the same in-state tuition at state colleges as residents.

"I've been running for president a lot longer than he has," Romney said derisively of Thompson. "I've been talking about sanctuary cities and illegal immigration from the very beginning. I welcome Fred Thompson into the race, but he needs to get in a little longer and look at the records of those of us who have been talking about these issues for some time."

Thompson, who has spent little time on the campaign trail since a GOP debate in Michigan Oct. 9, is planned a four-day trip to Florida beginning Saturday.

In a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, he acknowledged he was caught off guard during his last visit to Florida when he responded to a question about oil drilling in the Everglades by saying, in part, "I'm not going to start out by taking this, that or the other off the table."

His answer prompted Florida Gov. Charlie Crist to later say, "I wasn't completely overjoyed" with what Thompson had to say about Florida issues.

Thompson said, "I didn't think there was a serious proposal out there with regard to the Everglades and I probably treated it as such, but it's certainly not something that I would not be for."

In 2002, when Thompson was in the Senate, President Bush agreed to spend $120 million to buy oil and gas rights on 390,396 acres of federally protected land in the Everglades. The move prevented drilling on the land.

"It's a national treasure and it's not to be messed with and I can't imagine anybody doing so," Thompson said.

In Georgia, Thompson said that to know where he would be on bedrock conservative issues, people need only look at his record.

"I was a conservative then, I am a conservative today and I will be a conservative tomorrow," he said.

The Giuliani camp responded by saying Thompson had voted as a senator against a stricter employment verification system and a measure that would have blocked illegal immigrants from receiving certain benefits.

"Senator Thompson's missing a few pages from his screenplay," Giuliani spokesman Elliot Bundy said, a reference to Thompson's career as an actor as well as his years as a senator from Tennessee.

Giuliani is a former mayor of New York.

In his first visit to Georgia since announcing he was entering the presidential race, Thompson emphasized conservative stances on taxes, national security and welfare — and strong opposition to abortion.

Asked by a reporter about the lobbying work he did on behalf of National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, an abortion rights group, Thompson said Thursday he had no regrets.

"That was private life," Thompson said.

"Those people now are coming out of the woodwork now because I'm their worst nightmare," he said. "I proceeded to go to the United States Senate and vote against them consistently for eight years so now they're trying to defeat me."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071018/ap_ ... igration_4

"I was walking the walk when others weren't even talking the talk yet,"

So you say fred, but your voting record proves otherwise. You voted against clamping down on illegals back in the mid 90's. Your a liar and a power hungry meglomaniac.

You still think you have a chance after your pathetic showing at the debates, your a laugh. Get back to hollywood old man, you bring nothing new to the table but the status quo we Americans are tired of.

"I've been running for president a lot longer than he has," Romney said derisively of Thompson. "I've been talking about sanctuary cities and illegal immigration from the very beginning. I welcome Fred Thompson into the race, but he needs to get in a little longer and look at the records of those of us who have been talking about these issues for some time."

You don't have any room to talk flip flopper. Neither you, Freddy, or Rudy will do anything to stop illegal immigration.

Numbers USA

Session 107 ('01 - '02) Grade A-

1996: Voted in favor of S. 1644 to reduce illegal immigration with interior enforcement Sen. Thompson voted in favor of S. 1644 a bill with dozens of provisions aimed at reducing illegal immigration. It included interior enforcement provisions such as restrictions against sanctuary policies for illegal aliens and employer sanction provisions. S. 1644 passed by a vote of 97-3.

He also voted against in-state-tuition and most all forms of welfare for illegals. His votes relating to visas, etc. has brought his overall grade down. He also voted against some stiffer fines for employers in the earlier days. What is to be noted is that his grade improved greatly toward the end of his Senate career.

http://grades.betterimmigration.com/tes ... &retired=1

Well, the one positive thing about this is they are all trying to sound like Tom Tancredo! The only question is will any of them be like Tom Tancredo if elected?