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12-08-2007, 02:39 AM #1
Huckabee tries to fend off attacks on immigration stance
I still have major concerns about Huckabee regarding illegal immigration. He's going to have say a lot more to convince me he is serious about enforcing the laws and rejecting all forms of amnesty.
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Huckabee tries to fend off attacks on immigration stance
GOP candidate releases nine-point plan but could be haunted by previous support for taxpayer-funded scholarships for immigrant children.
By Eunice Moscoso
WASHINGTON BUREAU
Saturday, December 08, 2007
WASHINGTON — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who has been charming his way into conservative hearts in his quest for the Republican presidential nomination, may have a major problem: immigration.
In an effort to quash concerns that he is soft on the issue, Huckabee released a nine-point plan this week that calls for fencing the border, eliminating categories of legal immigration and other security measures.
But some think the issue could still haunt him, especially because he supported an Arkansas bill that would have provided scholarships funded by taxpayers for illegal immigrant children.
Huckabee defended the measure at a recent GOP debate, saying it "would've allowed those children who had been in our schools their entire school life the opportunity to have the same scholarship that their peers had."
"We're not going to punish a child because the parent committed a crime," he said.
Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that advocates stronger immigration controls, said Huckabee will have to talk a lot about immigration to convince conservatives that he is serious about enforcement.
The challenge is similar to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's attempt to convince primary voters that he is solidly anti-abortion after he previously supported abortion rights, Krikorian said.
Huckabee's plan also calls for empowering local police to enforce immigration law, imposing stiff fines on businesses for hiring illegal immigrants and eliminating a legal immigrant category that allows U.S. citizens to petition for adult siblings.
The plan is based on a list put together by Krikorian in 2005 and published in the National Review, a conservative magazine.
Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, a group that advocates lower levels of immigration, said that Huckabee's record on immigration as governor was "disastrous" but that he has redeemed himself with the new plan and more recent positions.
Huckabee is right on the most important aspects of the immigration debate, Beck said, such as opposing amnesty, supporting local law enforcement efforts to enforce immigration laws and supporting mandatory workplace verification of the legal status of employees.
John J. Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif., said Huckabee's support for giving scholarships to illegal immigrant students will hurt him among GOP voters.
Not all Republican primary voters make immigration their top priority, but they are skeptical about proposals to give aid to illegal immigrants, Pitney said.
He also said Huckabee should prepare for attacks on this and other issues now that he is gaining in the polls.
"Right now ... the other Republican candidates are sifting through his record, looking for information that will damage him among primary voters," Pitney said.
Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State University, said that Huckabee's stance on scholarships could hurt him with some voters in Iowa but that many probably will ignore it if they like him for other reasons.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/n ... kabee.htmlJoin our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)
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12-08-2007, 03:09 AM #2Huckabee defended the measure at a recent GOP debate, saying it "would've allowed those children who had been in our schools their entire school life the opportunity to have the same scholarship that their peers had."
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12-08-2007, 03:39 AM #3
Mike Huckabee did support AMNESTY for illegal aliens in his home state! He threw a complete fit about ICE raids on chicken plants hiring illegal aliens in Arkansas.
His record on immigration is one of the worst of the GOP field beside John McCain.
John McCain, Rudy, and Mike Huckabee have records in support of illegal immigration.
WJoin our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)
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