BRIDGE BRIEF: Romney On The DREAM Act
Romney Said He Would Veto “The DREAM Act.” According to the Des Moines Register, “Romney said he would veto the ‘Dream Act’ if Congress passed it. The controversial proposal would open paths to legal residency for illegal immigrants who were brought into the country as children, stayed out of trouble and entered college or served in the military.” [Des Moines Register, 12/31/11]
Romney Promised To Veto The DREAM Act. According to Huffington Post, “Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney doubled down on Monday on his opposition to the DREAM Act, a bill that would aid undocumented young people and that is heavily supported by the Latino community. ‘I’ve indicated I would veto the DREAM Act if provisions included in that act say that people who were here illegally -- if they go to school here long enough, if they get a degree here -- then they can become permanent residents,’ he said during a GOP debate in South Carolina, in response to a question about how his immigration views would play with Latino voters. ‘I think that’s a mistake.’ Romney previously said he would veto the bill to provide legal status to some undocumented immigrants as long as they came to the U.S. as children, kept a clean criminal record and either attended college or joined the military.” [Huffington Post, 1/16/12]
Washington Post: Romney Adviser Kris Kobach: No Legal Status Of Any Kind For The Undocumented
On April 18, 2012, the Washington Post reported:
It’s been widely assumed that Mitt Romney will moderate his positions on immigration to make inroads among Latinos in the general election, perhaps by supporting some sort of GOP version of the DREAM Act. But what if Romney has no room to execute any such pivot? I just got off the phone with Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, an adviser to Romney on immigration. He stated flatly that he didn’t think Republicans — or Romney — should, or would, support any version of the DREAM Act that provides undocumented immigrants with any kind of path to legal status.
NPR: Latina Gov. A Rising Star, Just Not To Some Hispanics
On March 29, 2012, NPR reported:
But that popularity doesn't always translate among Hispanics, a group that in New Mexico makes up nearly half of the population. One issue that makes many of the state's Latino voters seethe is their governor's stance on driver's licenses and illegal immigrants. In her 2010 campaign, Martinez promised to repeal a law that makes New Mexico one of only three states in the country where illegal immigrants can get a driver's license.
Mitt Romney's Hidden Agenda
WASHINGTON, DC -- Admittedly afraid of how voters will react to his ideas, Mitt Romney has a bad habit of teasing his policy proposals before refusing to show voters the details. First, Romney told told the Washington Examiner that he had an immigration plan that he hadn't unveiled -- that was over 100 days ago. Next, he gave a widely panned "major" policy address at Ford Field in Detroit to unveil his new tax plan, only he never actually released the details of the plan in question. And finally, while speaking with the Weekly Standard, Romney flat-out admitted he was keeping secrets from voters because he was afraid his ideas would be unpopular. The Standard wrote: "But Romney, ever cautious, is reluctant to get specific about the programs he would like to kill. He did this in his bid for the Senate 18 years ago and remembers the political ramifications."
Read more after the jump.
Politic365: Can Jeb Bush Save Romney From Himself?
On March 24, 2012, Politic365 reported:
That might explain why almost four months after saying he had an immigration plan, Romney hasn’t revealed it. Already, Democrats are pressuring Romney to unveil his proposal, suggesting that he either does not have a plan or he is reluctant to share it with voters.
Following Jeb Bush’s Endorsement, Will Romney Release His Immigration Plan?
WASHINGTON, DC – More than 100 days ago Mitt Romney said he had been working with former Florida Governor Bush on a comprehensive immigration plan. Now that Bush, who has been vocal about immigration issues, has formally endorsed him, the question remains: will the Romney campaign finally roll out their plan? While discussing immigration during a December 7, 2011 editorial board interview with the Washington Examiner, Mitt Romney said, “I actually have a plan in mind,” before adding, “I haven’t unveiled it.” He then went on to say he sat down with former Governor Bush to work through the details of it during the summer of 2011. Romney said that 105 days ago. It’s time for Romney to show voters his plan for securing the border and what he would do with the millions of undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States. Either Romney does have an immigration plan and he’s refusing to tell voters what it is OR he misled the Examiner, and actually has no such plan. Those are the only two possibilities. “As the leading Republican candidate for president, Mitt Romney has the responsibility to inform voters about what actions he intends to take if he were elected,” said American Bridge president Rodell Mollineau. “For him to have policy proposals that he refuses to disclose is an affront to voters and a slap in the face to the democratic process. What else is he hiding? "Mitt Romney thinks he can erase his belief that many immigrants just come to America for a ‘free deal’ and that they will ‘self-deport’ when their lives are made unpleasant," said Bill Burton, senior strategist for Priorities USA Action. "But the reality is, we won't let him back off his vision to make the extreme Arizona immigration law a national model."
POLITICO: Romney's New Mich. Ad Hits Santorum Experience, Sotomayor Vote
On February 24, 2012, POLITICO reported:
The Sotomayor criticism is notable, since she’s a figure of real popularity among some Latinos and particularly Puerto Rican voters. It’s also a bit awkward, timing-wise, since Romney just picked up the endorsement of Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander, who supported Sotomayor for the Supreme Court.
POLITICO: American Bridge Outlines Fla. Attack On Romney
On January 25, 2012, POLITICO reported:
Mitt Romney’s problems in Florida go beyond tax returns and Swiss bank accounts, the Democratic group American Bridge argues in a memo shared with POLITICO. The missive from American Bridge senior adviser Ty Matsdorf (readable here) points the way toward three other issues that could be problematic for Romney in the Sunshine State: his views on immigration, disaster preparedness and space exploration. The memo reads as much like a how-to-attack-Romney manual for other GOP candidates — or a warning of other Democratic hits to come — as a dispassionate readout of the state of play in Florida, as Matsdorf highlights potentially damaging information that hasn’t been front and center in the Republican race.
The Press & Guide: MI U.S. Sentate GOP Hopefuls Blast UN, Federal Reserve, Immigrants
On January 16, 2012, The Press & Guide reported:
Five of the candidates who hope to be the Republican Party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate sought the endorsement of a coalition of Michigan Tea Party groups Saturday by attacking the Federal Reserve, the United Nations, taxes and children of illegal immigrants.
Real Clear Politics: Romney's Tough Final Day In New Hampshire
On Janury 10, 2012, Real Clear Politics reported:
Romney's troubles began early in the morning when he told a crowd in Nashua, "I like being able to fire people who provide services to me." [...] The Democratic group American Bridge issued a research document hitting Romney with a more substantive question based on the heart of his remark -- firing a service that isn’t performing well. “Why did he refuse to fire the landscaping company he employed to take care of his lawn even after he found out they hired illegal immigrants to care for his property?” the group asked. “He waited until he was running for office (for Pete's sake!) to do something about it.”