Thread: Romney, McCain set to clash over immigration tonight

Romney, McCain set to clash over immigration tonight
By John Yemma January 6, 2008 10:22 AM
By Michael Kranish
Globe Staff

MANCHESTER, N.H. _ As candidates prepare for tonight's Republican debate on Fox News, the issue of illegal immigration has again become a major point of contention.

Last night's lengthy debate on the issue almost certainly left significant questions about the matter in the minds of New Hampshire voters two days before the New Hampshire primary.

During the ABC News debate, Senator John McCain denounced an ad paid for by Mitt Romney's campaign that characterizes McCain as favoring amnesty for illegal immigrants. McCain, as he has for months, insisted he does not support amnesty. Romney then made a surprising comment.

"I don't describe your plan as amnesty in my ad," Romney said. "I don't call it amnesty."

Minutes later, viewers of New Hampshire's ABC affiliate, WMUR, saw the Romney ad. It featured people describing McCain's plan as "amnesty" and the ad had the standard statement that it was approved by Romney. While Romney himself isn't heard saying the word amnesty in the ad, he uses others to utter the word and it is his ad. As voters watched the ad, they might have wondered how Romney could say in the debate "I don't call it amnesty."

Moreover, Romney is airing another ad that in which an announcer quotes a publication saying "McCain supported this year's amnesty bill."

At the same time, McCain may also have some explaining to do on the matter.

At issue is McCain's support for a bill proposed by President Bush, under which illegal immigrants would pay a $5,000 fine, take English classes, and then get in line behind legal immigrants to apply for a pathway to citizenship. Critics said that would in effect grant amnesty to 12 million illegal immigrants. Asked whether he still supports the Bush plan, McCain replied, "Sure."

But he went on to explain all of his caveats: He first wants to secure the border, send back an estimated two million illegal immigrants who have committed crimes, and he wants the nation's governors to sit down and help work out a solution.

"If you have 12 million people here illegally, then obviously you have de facto amnesty," McCain said. "It is a federal responsibility. The federal government's -- government must act. I will act as president."

Making the matter more complicated, Romney, in a 2005 interview with the Boston Globe, described McCain's plan as " very different than amnesty, where you literally say, 'OK, everybody here gets to stay.' It's saying you could work your way into becoming a legal resident of the country by working here without taking benefits and then applying and then paying a fine."

Romney called the plan "reasonable" and, like McCain, said it is not practical to round up 12 million illegal immigrants and send them back home. Romney has since said that he didn't like the details of the plan, which became increasingly unpopular and failed to win congressional approval.


www.boston.com



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By reasonable Romney meant worthy of consideration. Just because you consider something does not mean that once you have done so you decide it is a good idea.

All I saw out of McCain last night was arogance and amnesty.

Originally Posted by Paige

All I saw out of McCain last night was arogance and amnesty.

I missed the darn thing
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