Scott Walker: Obama Made Me More Of An Immigration Hardliner--

By Daniel Strauss

PublishedFebruary 20, 2015, 6:00 AM EST

Since Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) has been making serious moves toward running for president in 2016, he's modified his rhetoric on immigration reform. In the past, Walker focused his arguments on fixing the nation's broken immigration system and figuring out a way to properly incorporate the millions of immigrants living in the country illegally. Now, the Wisconsin governor's comments are far more focused on his opposition to "amnesty" and the importance of border security.

As Walker has begun gearing up toward running for president in 2016, he's been dogged by an interview he did in 2013 with The Wausau Daily Herald editorial board where he voiced support for a pathway to citizenship. Walker on Monday went on Fox News to say that he was misquoted by the Daily Herald and has always said "repeatedly I oppose amnesty."

"I think we're a nation of immigrants, but we're also a nation of laws. We should have a legal way for people to come into this country either for work or for citizenship, just like we have for generations," Walker told Fox News' Bret Baier. "Part of that deal is we need to make sure we have a border that's secure, not just for immigration reasons, but as I mentioned, for national security."

He didn't go into much more detail in the interview.

That comment sparked a blistering column from Daily Herald engagement editor Robert Mentzer who included the full immigration remarks of Walker's interview with the editorial board. The headline read: "Yes, Gov. Walker supported path to citizenship." The piece bolded parts of Walker's interview where he said "you hear some people talk about border security and a wall and all that. To me, I don't know that you need any of that if you had a better, saner way to let people into the country in the first place."

Walker stressed in that interview that "not only do I think they need to fix things for people who are already here, find some way to deal with that (but also) there's got to be a larger way to fix the system in first place."

Mentzer noted that in that initial interview, when Walker was asked if he could picture "a world where, with the right penalties and waiting periods and meet the requirements, where those people could get citizenship?" Walker's response began with "Yeah. I mean, I think it makes sense."

Walker's response in 2013 focused less on border security and opposition to amnesty and more on what to do about the millions of immigrants in the country illegally.

"It all is about the 11 million — and I don't know how we get that exact number because people, if they're not here legally, I don't know exactly how you figure out when it's 11 million, or 25 million or whatever it is, but we've heard enough about it that it's a real issue," Walker said at the time.

National Review and Politico have both reported in recent days that Walker signed resolutions in 2002 and 2006, respectively, in support of major immigration reform proposals. In 2002, National Review reported, as the Milwaukee County executive, Walker signed a resolution expressing support for "comprehensive immigration reform." The resolution supported letting "undocumented working immigrants to obtain legal residency in the United States."

In 2006, Walker signed another resolution urging Congress to pass the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act, cosponsored by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA). That legislation was denounced by critics as "amnesty." The final version of Walker's resolution did support border security enhancements, as the McCain-Kennedy bill did. But it also suggested support for a pathway to citizenship for immigrants living in the country illegally as well as allowing them to get "full labor rights."

The various comments Walker has made over the years on immigration reflects in part changes in the national immigration debate, which has gone through several distinct phases in the last 15 years.

Kirsten Kukowski, the communications director for Walker's 527 political committee, suggested to TPM on Thursday that President Barack Obama's moves on immigration reform are what's caused Walker's shift in rhetoric.

"President Obama’s lack of leadership has completely changed how our immigration system now needs to be approached and Governor Walker has seen his fellow governors have to deal with the collateral damage of Obama’s decisions and lack of leadership," Kukowski said in an email to TPM.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/scott-walker-immigration-reform-pathway-to-citizenship

So hilariously, as Walker is getting busted for supporting "amnesty", after trying to deny it in his run-up to his 2016 Presidential bid.....he relies on an excuse that he KNOWS the Right will believe....

"It's Obama's fault!"


Again, despite his obviousness and ham-fisted approach to his pandering....I'm still betting on Walker to pull off his conjob and convince GOP Primary voters that he's the best "anti-Jeb Candidate" out there and pull off a "miracle" and defeat Jeb for the Nomination.

One up-side to that will be Walker flip-flopping BACK to being "pro-amnesty" once he locks up the Nomination.

While Jeb has stuck to his support for a pathway to citizenship (and thus earned the ire of the Nativists)......

when WALKER "sells them out" it'll come as an almost complete suprise to those gullible folks and make them much angrier than they would be with Jeb as Nominee and knowing he had "sold them out" years earlier.

It would be glorious to watch.

 

Flip Flopping?

Perhaps his position simply "evolved", Seemed to be an acceptable reasoning with your guy when he switched gears on gay marriage.

 

Yeah, because we all know how those mean Canuks are deluging his fair state with unwanted immigrants. It almost brings a tear to my eye.

 

Cool.....so the Right will CELEBRATE when Walker "re-evolves" back to supporting a pathway to citizenship AFTER he locks up the Nomination and no longer has to pander to Nativists in his Party???

 

Walker is pandering to the Nativist Right to win their vote in the 2016 GOP Primary.....the "old Walker" will magically re-emerge AFTER he wins that Nomination and say "Hey! I supported a process for legal status for immigrants for years....here, let me show you my votes and what I said"....

leaving the "Scott's our guy" "kick 'em all out" types saying "Wait? What?!?!?"....

and I'll love seeing it.

 

If he does, it will be a letdown for sure. However that's just a prediction by people who want to run Democrat damage control, cast doubt and sling mud.


I don't blame you though, when all your eggs are in a Hillary basket...well, you need a lot of people doing hit pieces on the rest of the field.

Just know that it's quite transparent.

 

The problem is that "pathway to citizenship" has evolved into a code word for "open borders"; open to crime, terrorists, disease and welfare state overload. I'll take a chance on Walker, I already know Jeb is a turd. There are many of us "nativists" who are open to some kind of pathway AFTER the borders are secured. No BS package deal, too many lies in the past. Secure the borders first.

 

And your evidence for this "code word" claim is? Or are you simply expressing an opinion?

 

A "letdown"...but not a "deal breaker", right? I mean, you would still vote for Walker for President if at the GOP Convention he came out sounding like Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio on immigrants.....right?


And I'm sure Scott Walker knows that too.

- - - Updated - - -

Doesn't matter...once the GOP Nominee is chosen....99% of the Right, even the "no amnesty EVER" Right.....will still vote for that Nominee if he came out in favor of "free limo rides from Tampico to Houston and a citizenship card upon arrival for EVERYBODY!!!!"

Jeb knows that....Walker knows that...so does the RNC.

 

We'll see if Hillary back pedals on Obama Care. There's video of her with full support.

 

And you'll still vote for Hillary not matter what she says about Obamacare, immigration or Sniper Fire.

I like Walker, and if he's the guy that moves forward, I probably will vote for him. Too early to tell who it will be of course...but I'll never be "ready for Hillary" lol. The office deserves more than "Hey cool...it's a Woman" derp.

 

I suspect that she will effort to make the changes that was needed before it passed into law but was blocked by the Republicans (and like minded Dems). At any rate, the most she will do would be to try to make it better. She won't be dumping it, that's for sure.

 

If Hillary came out for privatizing Social Security....I'd vote Green Party.

If Walker runs on the EXACT same Senate bill the Right called "amnesty" and declared their hatred of Marco Rubio and the "Gang of 8"?....you'd still vote for him.

- - - Updated - - -

You know who else won't be talking about "repealing Obamacare" ....and throwing 11 million people off their insurance?


The Republican Nominee.....Jeb or Walker or whoever. (Again, once the Primaries are over and they no longer have to listen to their Base)

 

"If"


Just as I called a couple posts ago.

Good little drones who know, (whether they admit it or not), that their Candidate is based upon trying to get America to bite on fluff again, and need all the help that can be mustered.

"It's Time", (The population has been dumbed down enough to vote for superficial reasons over qualifications), for Hillary!

We did skin color, now lets push gender.

Keep up the good work Captain, it might work with some.

 

Evidence? You mean like the hundreds of thousands of Central Americans schlepping across the Rio Grande to be relocated across America; or the hundreds of Middle Easterners who slip in with them? A non-secure border is an open border; sugar coat it all you want.

 

Except that more illegal immigrants have been deported under Obama than they ever were under Bush. Moreover, the problem isn't illegal immigration. The problem is the social and political upheaval that is occurring in Mexico and central America. Unless we help them find solutions to their problems (which is like a much less expensive solution than is trying to deal with them after they have already gotten here), they will continue to come.

 

There is voting and VISUAL evidence of Scott Walker supporting a pathway to citizenship...what the Right calls "amnesty". There is NONE that Hillary would support privatizing Social Security.

Yet my claim stands true....if she came out in support of privatizing SS, I'd vote Green or not at all.

If Walker....harkening back to his PRE-2015 positions...and a desire to woo Latino voters and knowing, after he locked up the Nomination, he could safely IGNORE the anti-Immigrant Right....came out in favor of a pathway to citizenship.......

99% of the Right would still vote for him, because their partisan loyalty to the GOP is more important than ANY "principle" they claim to have, even on an issue that gets them so angry at Obama or Democrats or even Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio.

Walker knows this....so does the RNC. Once the Nomination is locked up....there is NO REASON for the GOP Nominee to give a second thought to the Nativists and Xenophobes....not one. He'll have their vote in his hip pocket and he can "sell them out" on immigration policy MORE liberal than what President Obama has done.

18 months from now....watch and see if I'm not proven absolutely right.

 

I guess you're right Gorn. I better not vote for him!!!

 

So when Obama 'evolved' on gay marriage, you believed him.

 

How about Tammy Baldwin, they could hit all the bases.

 

If he's the GOP Nominee...you'll have no choice.

 

You think the President is going to "flip back" and start opposing gay marriage, publican?

That's the deal with Walker, not Obama....you think he was "pro-amnesty" pre-2014....but is now "anti-amnesty"....and will go down the same path as Romney and win a small percentage of the Latino vote and lose the election....

or will he "flip back" to "pre-2014 Scott" to try to woo Latino voters (which the GOP is desperate to do)?

Especially when 99% of the Right will still vote for him, even defend him....when he "sells them out"?

 

She's gotta get elected first. Just last summer she suggested Democrats run on Obama Care in the mid-term.

Narrow networks leave some Obamacare consumers lacking options

Obamacare doctor networks to stay limited in 2015

Keeping Your Doctor Under Obamacare Is No Easy Feat

This is going to hurt her badly.

 

You never answered my question Gorn. Typical. Obama flips and flops and you libruls believe him.

 

Awesome. Once again, Walker the Democrat Slayer has his finger exactly on the pulse of the American people.