Walker defends rightward shift on immigration

By Jonathan Easley - 05/19/15 08:17 PM EDT

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) defended his rightward shift on immigration against charges of flip-flopping leveled by Fox News anchor Brett Baier in an interview Tuesday.

“If you’re willing to flip-flop, for lack of a better word, on such an important issue like this, how can voters be sure you’re not going to change your position on some other big issues?,” Baier asked Walker on Fox News Channel's “Special Report.”

“There’s not a flip out there,” Walker responded.

The Wisconsin governor argued that when he previously voiced support for a pathway to citizenship for those in the country illegally, it was years ago, first as a county official, and later as governor.

He argued he had no “impact” on federal immigration policy in those roles and was merely “giving a quick momentary reaction” to a question from a national reporter.

“A flip would be someone who voted on something and did something different,” Walker said. “These are not votes. I don’t have any impact as a governor and I don’t have any impact as a former county official.”

“I would [have an impact] if I were to run and ultimately be elected as president,” Walker continued. “And so I spent the time talking to border state governors, I’ve talked to members of the Senate and the House, I’ve talked to people who care about this issue all across this country and what’s clear to me is … we need to make sure we have a system that makes sure that American workers and wages are at the top of our list of priorities.”

In March, Walker said on Fox News Sunday that his views on immigration had changed and that he no longer supports “amnesty,” a word many conservatives have adopted as shorthand for a pathway to legal status for the estimated 11 million people presently in the country illegally.

In April, Walker, who is expected to join the race for the Republican presidential nomination as early as next month, moved even further to the right, saying he supports further limiting legal immigration to the U.S. as a means of preserving jobs in the nation for current citizens against a potential influx from abroad.

“As a legal pathway forward, not for people here, but for people who want to enter the country legally … it should be based on standing up and making priority number one, American workers, American wages and a strong way to improve the American economy,” Walker said Tuesday.

Walker’s positions could bolster his reputation among immigration hard-liners on the right and potentially boost him in the Republican primaries, but he’s opened himself up to criticism that he’s pandering to the base.

Walker was in Washington on Tuesday courting Republican lawmakers and representatives from prominent social conservative groups that are familiar with his record and positions, but in many cases were meeting or hearing from him for the first time in person.

“I love the people who come here from other places around the world and want to live the American Dream, that’s great,” Walker continued with Baier.

“But we have a broken system today that needs to be fixed, and you need to secure the border … and you need to do so in a way that allows us to enforce the law. And for legal immigration, we need to make sure we have a system that makes sure that American workers and wages are at the top of our list of priorities.”

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign...on-immigration

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In April, Walker, who is expected to join the race for the Republican presidential nomination as early as next month, moved even further to the right, saying he supports further limiting legal immigration to the U.S. as a means of preserving jobs in the nation for current citizens against a potential influx from abroad.

“As a legal pathway forward, not for people here, but for people who want to enter the country legally … it should be based on standing up and making priority number one, American workers, American wages and a strong way to improve the American economy,” Walker said Tuesday.

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Yes, that is and should have always been the priority which means at this point in time, since no Congress or President has made that a priority in several decades, we must have at least a 10 Year Moratorium on Immigration to give US time to stop illegal immigration, remove illegal aliens, and reset the system so what has happened to the United States never ever happens again.

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“I love the people who come here from other places around the world and want to live the American Dream, that’s great,” Walker continued with Baier.

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Yeah, yeah, yada, yada. Stop pandering. There's no need for it. We have 70 million Americans on Medicaid, because they have a net worth of less than $2,500, because they can't even survive without government assistance because we don't have enough jobs that pay sustainable wages or hours, let alone live the American Dream. Do you love them? I certainly hope so, because these 70 million and another 180,000,000 struggling Americans, are the ones who need the help of a President of the United States and the focus of the United States Congress.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't our realistic choices limited to Walker and Santorum right now? Isn't everyone else vocally stating they support a path to legalization (amnesty) for illegal aliens? I'm not sure where Bobby Jindal stands right now, but I think he supports an increase in visas for guest-workers.

I think Walker is making a lot of sense. I just hope he is sincere and remains consistent with his message.

We need a candidate that there are no doubts about. We have never seen a candidate that supported amnesty honestly convert to our side before. We have only seen candidates that supported amnesty pretend to abandon amnesty to win a race then flip back.

America' future is too important to entrust to someone that every supported amnesty before they needed to win a national GOP primary.

Now, I realize that many Americans have Stockholm Syndrome and are desperate to place their trust or belief in one of these candidates. But Walker is obviously telling GOP voters what they want to hear now that his path forward depends on it.

W

I see some attempt at cover-up through falsehood. He claims that as county official and governor he had no impact. I disagree, as an elected official of anything he had followers, and those people listen to him and some would be influenced by his guidance because they had decided to trust him. His statement would not be entirely correct, at minimum he influenced others who obviously vote and voted for who because they respected Walker?

Might be called by some a white lie, but that is where dishonesty begins, usually. No thanks, Mr. Walker, remain in Wisconsin, the nation needs no more dishonest chief executives. As governor you had enough influence to have impact!

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Originally Posted by Jean

"But we have a broken system today that needs to be fixed, and you need to secure the border … and you need to do so in a way that allows us to enforce the law. And for legal immigration, we need to make sure we have a system that makes sure that American workers and wages are at the top of our list of priorities.”

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The best way to ensure that American workers and wages are at the top or our list of priorities is to enact Universal E-Verify.

Most illegals who sneak into the United States do so, to get better jobs or better pay for the jobs that they are already doing in their own countries. Shut off the jobs magnet and we will shut off most illegal entry in our country.
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Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

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Originally Posted by ALIPAC

We need a candidate that there are no doubts about. We have never seen a candidate that supported amnesty honestly convert to our side before. We have only seen candidates that supported amnesty pretend to abandon amnesty to win a race then flip back.

America' future is too important to entrust to someone that every supported amnesty before they needed to win a national GOP primary.

Now, I realize that many Americans have Stockholm Syndrome and are desperate to place their trust or belief in one of these candidates. But Walker is obviously telling GOP voters what they want to hear now that his path forward depends on it.

W

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I would respectfully disagree because I know for a fact it is possible for someone to evolve on specific subject matter. Heck, I've done it myself on a few issues over the years. I don't believe everyone should be judged based on idiots like McCain and Rubio. McCain has actually co-sponsored amnesty legislation several times that I'm aware of. Heck, didn't he actually help write the Kennedy amnesty bill? Of course we know he helped write the gang of eight bill. As for Rubio, he helped write the gang of eight amnesty bill and was key in halting several pieces of 'get tough on illegals' legislation in Florida before being elected to the U.S. Senate. Walker has never really been intimate with the subject and has not pushed amnesty like those quacks. Yes, he said a path to legalization made sense a while back, but he is now learning more about the issue from conversations with the right people and they've obviously convinced him of the errors of his ways.

Why do we constantly pound politicians with protest, emails, letters, phone calls, etc. if we have absolutely zero hope of changing their minds? Why can't folks like Gov. Abbott, Sen. Sessions, etc. have changed Walker's mind? I hope you're wrong because we are in serious need of someone that will quickly alter the landscape where illegal immigration and border security are concerned. Oh, and no I don't have Stockholm Syndrome, but I'm going to give Walker the benefit of doubt until he does something to change my mind. I know I'm riding on faith, but some of that faith is also in the ability of Sen. Sessions' because he is one of the folks that turned Walker.

What if you're wrong and we throw Walker away. Personally, I'd rather have the promise of hope than the certainty of failure. Walker and Santorum are the only two possibilities I see at this time. If someone new enters the race in the future, I definitely reserve the right to change my mind. Just saying ........

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Originally Posted by vistalad

The best way to ensure that American workers and wages are at the top or our list of priorities is to enact Universal E-Verify.

Most illegals who sneak into the United States do so, to get better jobs or better pay for the jobs that they are already doing in their own countries. Shut off the jobs magnet and we will shut off most illegal entry in our country.
************************************
Americans first in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

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Gov. Walker concluded with the need to increase interior enforcement as well.

Then I think you need to enforce the law and the way you effectively do that is to require every employer in America to use an effective E-Verify system and by effective I mean you need to require particularly small businesses and farmers and ranchers. We got to have a system that works, but then the onus is on the employers and the penalties have to be steep that they’re only hiring people who are here, who are legal to be here. No amnesty, if someone wants to be a citizen, they have to go back to their country of origin and get in line behind everybody else who’s waiting.

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https://www.numbersusa.com/news/gov-...erican-workers

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Originally Posted by ALIPAC

We need a candidate that there are no doubts about. We have never seen a candidate that supported amnesty honestly convert to our side before. We have only seen candidates that supported amnesty pretend to abandon amnesty to win a race then flip back.

America' future is too important to entrust to someone that every supported amnesty before they needed to win a national GOP primary.

Now, I realize that many Americans have Stockholm Syndrome and are desperate to place their trust or belief in one of these candidates. But Walker is obviously telling GOP voters what they want to hear now that his path forward depends on it.

W

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I believe we must "trust but verify" everyone. Now Christie is coming around. They will all eventually come around, they have to, they don't have a snow ball's chance in hell to win otherwise. So Walker coming out and committing, has made a huge difference in how all these candidates are going to respond to the issue of immigration, both legal and illegal. By 2016, not a one of them will be able to say "Deport Deport Deport" fast enough. That's why guess and my hope. It just took the one first industry to leave the US and then like lemmings they all followed suit. It will be like that in the 2016 election on the issue of immigration in my opinion. And we'll owe Scott Walker for that crucial dynamic in the Presidential elections, seems to me.