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Andrew Cline has been editorial page editor of the New Hampshire Union Leader since October of 2001. His writing has appeared in more than 100 newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and National Review.Romney's migration: He shouldn't need to lie
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Reader commentsREPUBLICANS, please identify which of your presidential candidates said the following:
"We're not going to round up 12 million people and send them out of the country."
John McCain? No, Mitt Romney, saying in May that he would deport some but not all illegals -- which is also John McCain's position.
Please identify which of your presidential candidates said this:
"They require people signing up for, registering and receiving, if you will, a number, a registration number, then working here for six years and paying taxes, not taking benefits -- health, Medicaid, food stamps -- and so on, not taking benefits, and then at the end of that period, registering to become a citizen or applying to become a citizen and paying a fee. And those are things that are being considered. I think those are reasonable proposals."
John McCain? No, Mitt Romney -- supporting John McCain's position on immigration in 2005.
Earlier this month Romney sent a flyer to New Hampshire households stating that McCain would grant Social Security benefits to illegal aliens. That is a lie. Both McCain and Romney would grant benefits to immigrants only after they receive citizenship.
If Republicans are voting for Mitt Romney because they think he would be tougher on illegal immigration than John McCain would be, they need to explain how Romney suddenly switched from supporting McCain's position just two years ago to attacking it (with distortions) this year.
And don't get us started on Rudy Giuliani, who has said time and again that as mayor of New York he only supported deporting illegals who were criminals. Mr. Mayor, they're all criminals. That's where the word "illegal" comes from.
The fact is, neither Romney nor Giuliani nor McCain has a pure conservative record on immigration. The difference is, Republicans know for sure that McCain isn't hiding his true position. The same cannot be said of Romney and Giuliani.
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YOUR COMMENTS
As NYC Mayor, Giuliani wanted to deport illegal aliens who had committed other crimes, but the feds weren't there for him, however, with Giuliani as head of the feds, things will be different.
And Rudy understands that our southern border is our soft underbelly, which McCain of Arizona should've been on top of, but was busy in bed with unscrupulous American employers who want the cheap labor source which McCain willingly allowed, and because of McCain's laxity on this, his home state of Arizona has risen up to devise there own solutions, leaving McCain in the dust.
So with McCain totally damaged goods, Rudy is the only candidate who can beat Hillary, which would be just fine with many Independents and Democrats. Remember, 80% of Americans want serious measures taken against illegal immigration, and Hillary has a hard time deciding if she wants to give drivers' licences to everybody who sneaks across the border, so that's about all you need to know, if you're part of the 80%.
- James I. Nienhuis, Houston, Texas
McCain speaks straight and that is very confusing and frustrarting for political spin-meisters - the voters get the message loud and clear.
John McCain is the only candidate of any Party who can lead America in time of War with Islamist Terror.
- Pat Hickey, Chicago, IL
Come on Romney has been flip flopping for years even going back to 1994. He can't be trusted.
The funny thing about the anti-McCain comments above is that they refuse to actually read the article. Conservative bloggers went after McCain when Romney was the bigger problem. Romney just took a different position because it was better for him.
Romney can't find a relevant issue that he hasn't flip flopped on and that includes immigration and abortion. The reporter only points that out. McCain is the only conservative that can beat Hillary in the general. Not Mitt "Flip Flopper" Romney.
- Leon Anne, Elizabeth, NJ
Romney, or as he should be called "Panderer in Chief", would sell his childrens souls to win the election. It will be funny to see what his "new found positions" are on issues such as abortion and stem cell research next time he runs. As for Rudy, his kids already know he would sell their souls to win, thats why they don't talk to him.
There is only one truly great man or woman running for President and that is John McCain, at least you know where he stands on every issue. Principal above pandering, integrity above convenience...and above all leadership.
Viva McCain!
- Jon Smithwick, Brooklyn, New York
It's typical Romney to spin his way into being a 'tough on immigration' candidate when he has no record to support that position.
- Katherine Morrison, Epping, NH
As some on with a little previous experience on this issue, I can assure you that none of the top three candidates of either party will do anything to control illegal immigration. Romney was governor from 2003-2007 and enacted an agreement between the federal government and State Police (287g) to allow State Police officers to assist Immigration officers. Romney did this in the last thee weeks of his four year term. Romney knew that Governor Patrick, who is a supporter of illegal immigration, would repeal the act. Patrick did, and Romney was able to leave Massachusetts saying he was tough on illegal immigration.
- Garrett Chamberlain, Jaffrey
Whoever wrote this piece needs to be quite a bit less disingenuous than they are. The "support" of McCain's proposal that the writer alludes to was a comment on several of the proposals that were floating around at the time. People are asked how they feel about things all the time. If one only knows the broad brush details of something, they will often respond that is seems "reasonable, yet when the total subject becomes known they can oppose it. This is not a "flip-flop" as the writer would have us believe. It is a case of becoming. informed
- Bob Esser, West Des Moines, IA
You're right. McCain didn't hide his true position: he'd have given the illegal aliens AMNESTY as part of the McCain/Kennedy Immigration Compromise Bill. McCain has pulled the ultimate flip-flop on immigration and no one is calling him on it.
- William Smith, Manchester, NH
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