Stance on Immigration May Hurt Perry Early On

[white cloud]

With a single phrase implying his opponents are heartless, Gov. Rick Perry of Texas plumbed a profound divide between his views on illegal immigration and those of many grass-roots conservatives, who up to now have been the core of his support for the Republican nomination.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/24/us/politics/rick-perrys-stance-on-immigration-may-hurt-his-chances.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha24

[sonias]

1. Rick Perry's 'heart' comment shows GOP's immigration problem

http://news.yahoo.com/rick-perrys-heart-shows-gops-immigration-problem-203419212.html">Yahoo News 9/25/11

Rick Perry's 'heart' comment shows GOP's immigration problem

“I don't think you have a heart.”

When Rick Perry issued this rejoinder to those who oppose his program to give the children of illegal immigrants in-state tuition privileges in the Texas university system, his GOP debate opponents (and conservatives generally) jumped all over him.

In addition to his jumbled answers to some questions, it was his low point in the Republican presidential candidates’ debate Thursday night, and it cost him the Florida straw poll two days later. Some tea party activists even suggested that Perry’s attitude on immigration meant it was all over for the man they once saw as their champion to deflect what seemed to be the juggernaut of Mitt Romney – the man many conservatives don’t trust and don’t particularly like.

(snip)
For his part, Romney quickly picked up on the issue.
“I think if you are opposed to illegal immigration, it doesn’t mean you don’t have a heart. It means you have a heart and a brain,” Mitt Romney said the next day at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida.

For the record, here’s Perry’s full quote: “If you say that we should not educate children who come into our state for no other reason than that they've been brought there through no fault of their own, I don't think you have a heart. We need to be educating these children, because they will become a drag on our society.”

Thing is Rick Perry is the guy who doesn't have a heart - so if the rest of the field thinks he's "soft" they're even more heartless bastards than even he is. :shrug:

[Vogon_Glory]

2. The so-called "Conservative Movement" Is Heartless and Brainless

The so-called "Conservative Movement" is both heartless AND brainless. Who else would think that a race-based roundup of "illegals" wouldn't lead to massive civil rights abuses of American citizens and resident foreigners, and set off massive international condemnation? Who else would take a "What, me worry?" attitude towards the creation of a permanent underclass of uneducated, unskilled semi-literates? Who else would think that a sealed border with a massive US troop presence on one side of the border and an impoverished, turbulent country with billions of US investment dollars wiped out by expropriation or civil chaos is cheaper than some undocumented children in schools, some emergency room use by non-citizens, and people doing work that more than a few native-born US citizens are unwilling to do?

Right-wing extremists invented many of their claims about undocumented workers as political talking points to use on Democrats and saner members of an earlier, more moderate GOP. After their successful RINO hunts, the right-wing Republicans and their "Conservative Movement" supporters (more often than not the very same people), have chosen to believe their talking points as gospel truth.

:dem:

:patriot:

[sonias]

3. Now they're tying to "out mean" each other in Texas

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/firstreading/entries/2011/09/27/first_reading_add_dewhurst_to.html">First Reading Blog AAS 9/27/11

Dewhurst breaks with Perry, says he wouldn’t have signed immigrant tuition law

Dewhurst says he would not have signed law that’s creating controversy on presidential trail, national CNN poll says Perry still leads and another Republican state Senate primary starts to take shape.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst took what Gov. Rick Perry might call a heartless position on higher education for the children of illegal immigrants Monday, saying he would not have signed a law that Perry signed allowing in-state tuition for some children of illegal immigrants in Texas.

That law has become a major issue in Perry’s presidential campaign, and it isn’t helping him.

Dewhurst told WFAA’s Brad Watson, “If we’re not going to give fellow Americans who live in Louisiana or Oklahoma or New Mexico the ability to come into Texas and have in-state tuition and save, then is it fair to give that break to people who are not citizens here? So, I would not have signed that law.”

Dewhurst: "I've hated immigrants from day one!" :puke:

[TEXASYANKEE]

4. Dewhurt is a slimy piece of work.

In that interview he said his view of the future was to cut taxes and slash spending. Same old garbage.

[sonias]

5. Garbage in and garbage out

When will the voters in Texas wake up? :(