Article published May 22, 2007
McCain says Romney flips on immigration; race getting personal

Washington | Republican John McCain accused presidential rival Mitt Romney of flip-flopping on immigration Monday and said with sarcasm: "Maybe his solution will be to get out his small varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his lawn."
Romney's campaign said the Arizona senator's remarks showed a candidate on the ropes over a politically volatile issue.
The immigration spat comes as the GOP presidential race turns increasingly contentious and as former Massachusetts Gov. Romney shows signs of gaining steam in Iowa and New Hampshire, two early primary-season states.
After months of behind-the-scenes aggression between the two campaigns, McCain and Romney openly sparred last week during a debate at the University of South Carolina.
In a conference call with bloggers on Monday, McCain turned up the heat when he took Romney to task for opposing Senate immigration legislation.
McCain is a co-sponsor of the measure that would meld stronger border security with a guest-worker program and an eventual path to citizenship for many of the 12 million immigrants in the country illegally.
Neither the measure nor McCain's backing of it sits well with hard-line Republican conservatives.
Romney, who has sought to position himself to the right of McCain on this and other issues, says he opposes the measure because it would allow virtually every illegal immigrant to remain indefinitely, and, thus, "is a form of amnesty."
A year ago, he sounded more open to some illegal immigrants gaining legal status, telling a New Hampshire newspaper: "Those who've been arrested or convicted of crimes shouldn't be here. Those that are here paying taxes and not taking government benefits should begin a process toward application for citizenship, as they would from their home country."
McCain made his comments after he was asked his opinion about GOP rivals opposing the Senate measure.
Referring to Romney's stance, McCain said: "Maybe I should wait a couple of weeks and see if it changes because it's changed in less than a year from his position before."
Then, with a chuckle, he made his cutting quip that referenced two embarrassing episodes for Romney in the past six months.
Romney has faced criticism for calling himself a lifelong hunter even though he joined the National Rifle Association in August and officials in four states where he has lived said he never took out a hunting license.
Defending himself, he said in April, "I've always been a rodent and rabbit hunter, small varmints, if you will."
Also, The Boston Globe reported late last year that several illegal immigrants, including at least one from Guatemala, worked at the lawn care company that worked on Romney's 2 1/2 acre property in a Boston suburb for a decade. His aides have said that Romney was not aware of the workers' status, and that the owner was in the country legally.
Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said his boss' opposition to the immigration measure has been clear. Madden also counter-punched McCain, saying: "It seems that certain candidates who brokered this flawed plan are having a very difficult time grappling with or coming to terms with the political fallout that has ensued in a substantive manner."
McCain also criticized former Sen. Fred Thompson, who is considering running for president, for opposing the immigration measure but didn't get nearly as personal as he did with Romney.

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs ... 8/-1/State
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