Huckabee vows to send all illegal aliens home

Source: WashingtonTimes
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article? AID=/20080117/NATION/213689491/1001
Published: Jan 17, 2008

By Stephen Dinan - TIGERVILLE, S.C. — Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee yesterday continued to move to the right on immigration during this year's presidential campaign, signing a pledge to enforce immigration laws and to make all illegal aliens go home.

The pledge, offered by immigration control advocacy group Numbers USA, commits Mr. Huckabee to oppose a new path to citizenship for current illegal aliens and to cut the number of illegal aliens already in the country through attrition by law enforcement — something Mr. Huckabee said he will achieve through his nine-point immigration plan.

"Some would say it's a tough plan. It is, but it's also fair and reasonable," Mr. Huckabee said.

Mr. Huckabee signed the pledge in South Carolina, whose Saturday Republican primary is shaping up as the most important contest so far. Unlike the previous primaries and caucuses, which have been contested usually by just two candidates, four Republicans are making all-out efforts here: Mr. Huckabee, former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts.

Mr. Romney campaigned in South Carolina fresh off his Tuesday win over Mr. McCain in Michigan's primary. And though he held a lead here earlier last year, he tried to lower expectations yesterday, telling reporters that the pressure is really on Mr. McCain, who now leads in the polls here.

As the front-runner, Mr. McCain finds himself playing defense. Yesterday, he had one surrogate challenge charges on abortion and other issues from Common Sense Issues, a Colorado-based group that the Associated Press said is conducting push-polling here, and had another group of surrogates respond to charges from a group called Vietnam Veterans Against McCain.

The McCain campaign said the veterans group is circulating fliers that say Mr. McCain turned his back on fellow prisoners of war in order to receive special treatment while in captivity in Vietnam.

One issue that continues to hurt Mr. McCain here is immigration. Many voters say he supports amnesty for illegal aliens, and they point to his partnership with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, to try to pass a bill to legalize illegal aliens.

Mr. McCain has said he "got the message" from his bill's defeat last year in the Senate — when a majority of senators voted to filibuster his bill.

He says that as a senator from a border state, he knows how to secure the borders and says border governors would have to certify that fact before a guest-worker program and legalization could go forward. But Mr. McCain still supports a pathway to citizenship, and it's not clear how different his new stance is from the bill that failed.

Mr. Huckabee has faced some of the same questions, and yesterday's pledge — signed at a press conference with Numbers USA Executive Director Roy Beck — was an effort to provide answers.

It's a major reversal from less than two months ago, when Mr. Beck told The Washington Times that Mr. Huckabee was "an absolute disaster" on immigration during his time as governor. Americans for Better Immigration, another group Mr. Beck runs, has rated Mr. Huckabee's record as "poor."

Mr. Huckabee fought for tuition breaks for illegal-alien college students, failed to complete an agreement to let state police enforce federal immigration law and criticized enforcement efforts both at the federal and state level.

But Mr. Beck yesterday said Mr. Huckabee has made a number of key promises going forward, including to not grant illegal aliens long-term legal status; to reject a guaranteed right of return for those who go home voluntarily under his nine-point plan; and to not increase green cards as a way of allowing them to come back more quickly.

"Probably, this is the strongest no-amnesty, attrition plan of any of the candidates," Mr. Beck said.

Numbers USA does not plan to endorse a candidate. The group has asked all of the candidates to sign the pledge, but Mr. Huckabee is the only one to do so.

Mr. Beck said doing so will improve Mr. Huckabee's rating on the issue, bringing him in line with Mr. Thompson, Mr. Romney and Rep. Duncan Hunter of California.

On the campaign trail, Mr. Huckabee continued tapping into the network of Christian conservatives that served him well in winning the Iowa caucuses. He signed his immigration pledge at North Greenville University, a Christian school in the state's far northwestern corner, after holding a rally with hundreds of students there.

In his speech to the students, Mr. Huckabee took a swipe at Mr. McCain on immigration, though he didn't mention the senator by name.

"I don't think electing somebody who's part of the Washington scene makes a lot of sense, because if they could've fixed it, they would have," Mr. Huckabee said. "It's the principle that says that if you're faithful in little [things], you're given responsibility over greater things. But if you're not faithful with what you have, we don't give you greater responsibility, we take that responsibility and we give it to someone who might exercise it more responsibly."

At the end of the rally, the students held a group prayer led by school President James B. Epting.

"You've got to be pleased that one who loves You is running for such an important position," Mr. Epting said in his prayer.

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Who is going to pay for sending them all back?  And, once they've been sent back, what's to keep them from coming back in?

I have NEVER understood all the "pledge" stuff!  It's as if once they pledge, we're assured of what they'll do and can breathe a collective sigh of relief. 

Nothing is further from the truth!  If they get elected and choose to later ignore their "pledges", so what -- we have no recourse to do anything about it anyway -- except get ticked off!  It's all part of the get elected at any cost mentality-- tell them anything to get elected -- barf!

Promises and pledges my patootie - look at their PAST PERFORMANCE!!

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I wish I could believe Huck but with his past record............  also don't think he has much chance of winning the election but alot can happen between now and the actual election.

Also, no ,mention of HOW he intends to deport 30 M illegals. Sounds like another ploy for votes. Tell'm anything they want to hear to get elected, then, if you do get elected...screw'm

Time will tell on Huck.

- The Loft - http://www.gopusa.com/theloft -

McCain, Huckabee Talking Tough on Immigration

Posted By Bobby Eberle On January 17, 2008 at 7:20 am

As the GOP candidates continue their push for the presidential nomination, the issues in focus have changed. In Michigan, it was the economy. Now that the candidates have moved to Nevada and South Carolina, immigration is playing a more important role.

Talking about improving immigration laws and border security are vitally important. It's an issue Americans care deeply about, and it's one upon which the Republican field of candidates will be judged. Many are now talking tough, but talk is cheap, and what America needs is a president who will actually do something about the illegal immigration problem.

In South Carolina, the rhetoric is heated, and the candidates are making a bee-line to the right in order to attract conservative votes. However, I can only role my eyes and shake my head when I hear candidates such as John McCain and Mike Huckabee talk tough on immigration. These two candidates have dismal records on the issue, and yet they are making "promises" left and right. Promises are one thing.... a record is something else.

As reported in the Washington Times, Mike Huckabee signed a pledge on Wednesday "to enforce immigration laws and to make all illegal aliens go home."

The pledge, offered by immigration control advocacy group Numbers USA, commits Mr. Huckabee to oppose a new path to citizenship for current illegal aliens and to cut the number of illegal aliens already in the country through attrition by law enforcement -- something Mr. Huckabee said he will achieve through his nine-point immigration plan.

"Some would say it's a tough plan. It is, but it's also fair and reasonable," Mr. Huckabee said.

Numbers USA has done an outstanding job of raising awareness of the illegal immigration problem and lobbying Congress to do the right thing. Their pledge is a great idea. However, voters should not be swayed by candidates suddenly "seeing the light" in the heat of a campaign when they have records which are completely counter to the concepts of border security and enforcing immigration laws.

Huckabee signed the pledge with Numbers USA Executive Director Roy Beck as an effort to reduce the barrage of criticism on his weak immigration record.

It's a major reversal from less than two months ago, when Mr. Beck told The Washington Times that Mr. Huckabee was "an absolute disaster" on immigration during his time as governor. Americans for Better Immigration, another group Mr. Beck runs, has rated Mr. Huckabee's record as "poor."

Mr. Huckabee fought for tuition breaks for illegal-alien college students, failed to complete an agreement to let state police enforce federal immigration law and criticized enforcement efforts both at the federal and state level.

McCain, who has not signed the pledge, has said he has "gotten the message" on immigration following its defeat in the Senate. I hardly believe it. This is the senator who teamed up with Edward Kennedy to push Americans to accept amnesty. Did he "get the message" when GOPUSA, Numbers USA, and grassroots Americans around the country flooded Congress with calls, faxes, and e-mails? No. If you recall, the bill didn't die at first... it simply went to sleep for a while until they tried again.

McCain pushed and pushed, but the American people would not be swayed. Now, during the campaign for president of the United States, he has "gotten the message?" You be the judge.

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Ditto what Jim said.  Who gives a fig what "pledge" a candidate signs with any organization?  It's hardly a legal and enforceable document.   

who cares

 

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Who's really surprised that a trailing racehorse would pull out the last stops in desperation to gain some lead here? Frankly, I don't appreciate the flip-flopping and intensifying of promises on this issue at such a predictable point in the race for the obvious reason of greasing us good now for a let down later. Isn't it interesting how the candidates, the actual lawmakers themselves, are suddenly in outcry mode about the illegals overwhelming us and how they're devising big deportation plans for them so we ought to give them our full support. Of course, we should be expecting it all to be hot air as we know good and well these opportunists are staking their futures on the political effects and environment that the unlawful SPP treaties will have in a couple of years. It's the partnership with perks (for the elite that is). They wouldn't dream of dissing and insulting the new tripartite commission agreements that El Commandante Jorge Bushito was kind enough to finally let Congress know about. Don't forget, they didn't have the guts to call him on such scheming of treaties without their consent. Regrettably, these and future illegals represent the premier lower class work force to their big business interests and a target for gaining votes in later elections. Make no mistake, many Reps on both sides of the aisle will be crafting immigration reform to make it happen. This is part of their main agenda and political career focus (albeit somewhat stealthful). Few patriotic members would even attempt to go against the grain much less oppose it. I just don't feel that our votes are enough to thwart this civil discourse and legislative malfeasance against the new and the main generational body of American citizens. How can we really bring about a serious inquisition of Constitutional violations to our estranged leaders at the Capitol?

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Anyone that listens to a senator talk should keep thinking of how Hutchison supported the fence after she had an agreement to strip it of funding so it could never be built.

Or anyone stupid enough to believe any of our senators scams should get a hold of me because I have a bridge for sale in central Arizona 

What about the other fools. Take that back we are the fools just look at where we are.

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blaze77535 said: What about the other fools. Take that back we are the fools just look at where we are.

 

i knew youd eventually come and see it from my point of view.  

 vote for change, vote democratic. 

mudcock said:

i knew youd eventually come and see it from my point of view.

vote for change, vote democratic.

 

"Change" BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

You're deluded.

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We're voting for change, muddy, NOT for a return to old tired policies of the past from EITHER party that don't work! 

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How stupid does Huck think we are.  He has been as far left as any Democrap when it comes to illigal immigration.  So now that he has lost momentum and is losing he all of a sudden out of the blue has seen the light.  Now he wants to ship them home. Please.

Let me tell you how it would go.  He would tell everyone to leave and re-apply for entry, which of course would be granted almost immediately and the illegals would right back in our country only this time legally thus amnesty. 

Shame on you Huck most of us are not that stupid.

Darren77th said:

How stupid does Huck think we are.  He has been as far left as any Democrap when it comes to illigal immigration.  So now that he has lost momentum and is losing he all of a sudden out of the blue has seen the light.  Now he wants to ship them home. Please.

Let me tell you how it would go.  He would tell everyone to leave and re-apply for entry, which of course would be granted almost immediately and the illegals would right back in our country only this time legally thus amnesty. 

Shame on you Huck most of us are not that stupid.

 

Just like McCain heard the people and "understands"!  Yeah, right!

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Darren.....they don't even have to leave. Foreign consulates are considered the land of the foreign country. There are 44 (about) Mexican consulates in the U S. All the illegals  have to do is go to one of them, walk in the front door apply for their papers and walk out the back door. They've fulfilled the obligation to go home. The Huckafake said going home and applying for reentry shouldn't take any longer than applying for a credit card, 24-48 hours. This is the plan he has in mind.

Hey Jim, can we send Huckleberryfinn to Mexico instead?.......:)

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Yes!!  Let him and Bush and Kennedy and McCain et al go to Mexico.  They can be co-federales!

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(CM) Deerhunter said: Hey Jim, can we send Huckleberryfinn to Mexico instead?.......:)

 

Maybe we can get a package deal - not just Huckabee, but McCain, Guiliani, and ALL the Democrats!

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marijam said: Who is going to pay for sending them all back?  And, once they've been sent back, what's to keep them from coming back in?

 

The idea is to 'encourage' them to leave on their own; if they cannot get a job and a place to live they will have to do something, let's hope it is go back to where they came from; and if there is no work and no place to live, others will not come.

 

 

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(CM) Jim from Texas said:

Promises and pledges my patootie - look at their PAST PERFORMANCE!!

UH-HUH.  The best predictor of future performance.

 

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