During an interview that aired on CBS' "Face the Nation" earlier today, the Romney immigration policy still remained shrouded in mystery. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was asked three times during the interview with CBS correspondent Bob Schieffer if he would overturn President Barack Obama's new executive order, which allows some young illegal immigrants to remain and work in the US. Romney would not provide a direct answer to the question.
"It would be overtaken by events," Romney said when pressed during the interview taped Saturday, while the former Massachusetts governor's bus tour stopped in Pennsylvania. As the discussion continued, Romney immigration policy was presented as what appeared to be a vague concept. This was further borne out with Romney's additional explanation.
The executive order would become insignificant, as Romney continued, "by virtue of my putting in place a long-term solution, with legislation which creates law that relates to these individuals such that they know what their setting is going to be, not just for the term of a president but on a permanent basis." This response offers a textbook example of how and what a politically safe statement should accomplish—provide the listeners with little or no detail and offer no real opinion on the issue, but make it all sound very sensible.
Clearly, Mr. Romney recognizes the need to tread cautiously here. If he chooses to voice strong opposition to the executive order, he risks further alienating Hispanic voters. If he appears weak or supportive of the order, he risks alienating the GOP conservative base. As a result, Romney immigration policy may remain somewhat clouded until the election.
In the interview, Romney criticized the political nature of the president's decision. "If he felt seriously about this he should have taken action when he had a Democrat House and Senate, but he didn't. He saves these sort of things until four and a half months before the general election," he said.
With this point, Mr. Romney echoed what many of the president's critics voiced after Friday's announcement. This raises serious questions regarding the president's actions. Should an executive order be used during an election year simply for political gain? More importantly, has the president over-reached his Constitutional authority in bypassing Congress?
The American people would certainly benefit if elected officials and candidates were more forthcoming with their views. Crafting policy for political gain is disgraceful and this appears to be at least one of the president's motives. On the other hand, Romney's rebuttal should be made clear. His response to the president's actions are also guided by potential political consequences.
True leaders are those that make decisions based upon their core values.
Mitt Romney speaks at CPAC (May 14, 2012)
Photo source: Wikimedia Commons
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Comments: 9
So, what about immigration, is this an abrupt change in Obama's MO, ya think? ;-)
He doesn't represent me or the majority of the American electorate. I want him to explain why he never spoke out against Mormon racism aimed at early African American slaves who never did a thing negative towards his religion.
Romney was a grown man when Mormons eventually allowed African Americans to be a part of his looney religion, yet he never showed an ounce of compassion towards BLACK PEOPLE.
I'm not that crazy about religion to begin with, but I see no real reason or historical precedent for Mormon to even exist as a way or life or moral system it is so associated with nothing but cultism in its past.
The Catholic Church has lots of weirdness in its background too, but it at least has a connection to Christianity and God of the Western Culture manipulated as it has been since the Roman days, but Mormon? No thank you.
I think all of the organized Christian religions are cults.
The real problem is that congress ( both sides) has failed to act on meaningful reform immigration policies for the last twenty or thirty years. So the President's action will hopefully make congress repond in a responsible manner.
but there's nothing to parade about in practically any of America's leaders.
They campaign by NOT saying anything about issues and buy dropping
little media cow pies which media critics study to see how and guessing why
they get digested and which way the ocean of the people is sloshing and try
to pull the little levers they have to manipulate the people with drama, instead
of appeal to an educated public - hah, or trying to educate and uninterested
public … in the face of massive mental and physical health issues with
Americans, or leading by morality - another hah!
Americans seems to be a society based on finding and collecting the best
excuses to excuse immorality and even criminality there are, if you have
money - or if you don't have money using any failing as a excuse to disgard
and disenfranchise - deported from the virtual ghetto on disconnection
from the economy.
Anyway, I predict Romney will shine the Latinos on while winking to the
Republican base that he has to and say whatever he needs to get his poll
numbers.
It seems that none of the things the people on either side are talking about
is connected to anything buy media. A fiction of reality is refreshed and kept
alive daily in the media while the corporate people scurry like roaches in the
background and once in a while put in their top hats to go smile and ass-
grab in Washington, the latest being Jamie Dimon.
The whole country living in a structure that is rotten to the core and about
to collapse yet we keep saying it's too big to fail, but not important enough
to fix.