Romney: One little reference. Better than nothing.
I need to correct MSM, GOP Contenders Happily Ignore Immigration Completely In TWO Debates! slightly. Close scrutiny of the now-released transcript of this morning’s GOP debate reveals that Mitt Romney did make a very fleeting reference to the subject. It came in the midst of a defense of his gubernatorial record:
We also got our state police to enforce illegal immigration law, put in place— English immersion in our schools.
None of the candidates responded, nor were there any actual questions on the subject. (And the Saturday evening debate transcript confirms there was no reference at all in that session.)
Basically, the NumbersUSA assessment is borne out. At C, Romney is better than leading rivals Rick Santorum (D-) Ron Paul (F – Sob! ) and Newt Gingrich (D-).
As Washington Watcher said, comparing Romney with the first two:
…the ignominious fact is that Romney is the best of the three on immigration—which is not saying a lot, but it’s something.Or in Mark Krikorian’s words , there is an important
…contrast to Bush, who actually believed all his immigration baloney, and that contrast is a good thing, because a craven pol with his finger in the wind is much easier to sway with political pressure than a true-believer."
The choice of questions in the two debates, however, shows that if the MSM can help it, there will be no pressure of any kind.
