Thread: Rep. Chris Cannon flip-flops on immigration

Cannon flip-flops on immigration
By Sheena McFarland
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 02/22/2008 09:04:56 PM MST

Rep. Chris Cannon has a firm stance on immigration.

But it seems to shift depending on his audience.

Wednesday, he took a moderate stance on immigration during a meeting with the editorial board of The Salt Lake Tribune. He complained about uneven enforcement while talking up the importance of undocumented workers to the economy and the need for comprehensive reform at the federal level. [my add: Cannon supports amnesty]

But Thursday on a talk radio show and in a meeting with the editorial board of the Deseret Morning News, Cannon appeared to strike a much harder line.

He distanced himself from President Bush's immigration reform efforts and touted his support of a border fence and tougher enforcement.

"Did I really say that?" Cannon asked his spokesman about his comments published in a Tribune story.

Fred Piccolo, the spokesman, confirmed he did.

Still, the six-term Republican congressman on Thursday told conservative talk show host Bob Lonsberry "[The Tribune] was wrong on literally every point that is important to your listeners or to me. I think it's because they have a tendency to hear what they want to hear instead of what people said."

As Lonsberry pushed Cannon on the show, Cannon acknowledged he had made every comment except one. He disputed saying "Do we want to
identify them? Then we would paralyze business," when talking about identifying undocumented workers. He told Lonsberry "I don't know where this quote came from."

Piccolo, who attended the editorial board meeting, confirmed Cannon "indeed said those things."

"For our voters it would be very important to explain those perceived inflammatory quotes," Piccolo said. "He had to go out and put the quotes attributed to him - that he said - in context."

Jason Chaffetz, a Republican running against Cannon, said he's come to expect a "flip and a flop at every turn."

Chaffetz was listening to Lonsberry's program Thursday and contacted The Tribune about Cannon's denials.

"He can't fool the electorate anymore," Chaffetz said in a later interview.

Piccolo defended his boss as having strong opinions on immigration, but said it was a matter of stressing certain things more than others.

"Even I was shaking my head," Piccolo acknowledged . "What he should have done was put more emphasis on the larger context."

That's what Piccolo said happened in the editorial board meeting with the News, where Cannon's brother, Joe Cannon, is editor.

In that meeting, the congressman stressed that states should have a role in immigration law, but still said that immigration reform should be tackled by Washington. He also said he did not support President Bush's immigration reform bill "this term."

But the congressman was one of the strongest backer's of the President's reform proposal, which became the central issue of his 2006 re-election campaign.

http://origin.sltrib.com/ci_8339398

Here's the previous article wherein Cannon says states should butt out of immigration reform:

http://www.alipac.us/ftopicp-629254-.html#629254

Time to boot this fool out of Office

From the website NUMBERSUSA, showing how this traitorous, illegal alien loving, Hispandering clown really voted on important illegal immigration issues. When it comes to amnesty issues, he is given a grade of F-, on chain migration, a D-, and so on. And he now claims to be in favor of stricter illegal immigration controls and border enforcement?

Rep. Cannon:

Voted on House floor against amendment to end visa lottery in 2005

Cosponsoring legislation that includes provision to increase chain migration in 2005-2006

Voted against amendment requiring that aliens must be in the country legally to get citizenship based on military service in 2003

Voted against amendment to prohibit immigration increases in Free Trade Agreements in 2005

Cosponsoring legislation to increase H-2B workers who are present in the U.S. at any one time in 2005-2006

Cosponsored legislation to import additional low-skill foreign workers

Cosponsored legislation to import more low-skill foreign workers in 2004

Voted against American workers by voting in favor of worker-importation program in 2003

Voted against American workers by voting for worker-importation program in 2003

Voted in 2000 for importing
more foreign workers

Nearly doubled H-1B foreign
high-tech workers in 1998

Voted in 1998 to allow firms to lay off Americans
to make room for foreign workers

Tried to strip worker protections from House
Judiciary Committee's H-1B bill in 1998.

Voted in favor of "sanctuary cities" for illegal aliens in 2007

Cosponsoring bill to create an amnesty for illegal agricultural workers in 2007

Voted for sanctuary policies for illegal aliens in 2006

Voted against amendment to end special amnesty for certain Central Americans in 2006

Voted on House floor against amendment to clarify local law enforcement's authority to enforce immigration laws in 2005

Voted in favor of sanctuary policies for illegal aliens in 2005

Voted against amendment to fund program to deny driver's licenses to illegal aliens in 2005

Cosponsored bill to reward illegal aliens with amnesty in 2005-2006

Voted against amendment to increase interior enforcement in 2005

Cosponsoring bill to create an amnesty for illegal agricultural workers in 2005-2006

Voted against enforcing federal laws against sanctuary policies
to protect illegal aliens in 2004

Voted in favor of sanctuary policies to protect illegal aliens in 2004

Cosponsored amnesty for Colombians and Peruvians in 2003-2004

Cosponsored a guestworker program to create amnesty for illegal aliens in 2003-2004

Cosponsored bill to reward illegal aliens with in-state tuition rates and amnesty in 2003-2004

Cosponsored bill to reward illegal aliens with amnesty in 2003-2004

Cosponsored bill to reward illegal aliens with in-state tuition rates and amnesty in 2001-2002

Cosponsored legislation to grant amnesty to
over 2 million illegal aliens in 2002

Voted FOR Section 245(i), a form of amnesty
for illegal aliens in 2002

Cosponsored bill to create an amnesty for illegal agricultural workers in 2003-2004

http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfil ... &VIPID=818

On Thursday's show, Bob spoke with Congressman Chris Cannon about illegal immigration.

Listen to the interview:
http://www.570knrs.com/pages/bobs_blog.html