Thursday, March 9, 2006
Hillary Clinton's Immigration Flip-flop
2008 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton complained Wednesday that some Republicans want to impose a "police state" to deal with illegal immigration, arguing instead that illegals should be allowed to earn their U.S. citizenship.
But just three short years ago, Mrs. Clinton took a different tack, boasting that she was "adamantly against" foreigners who enter the country illegally and saying that the U.S. should consider imposing a national ID card system.
"I am, you know, adamantly against illegal immigrants," Clinton said in a Feb. 2003 radio interview.
Clinton said the U.S. "might have to move toward an ID system even for citizens" in order to combat illegal border crossings, or implement "at least a visa ID, some kind of an entry and exit ID."
As of Wednesday, however, the former first lady's immigration policy had clearly evolved.
A position paper issued by her Senate office urged that citizenship be made available for illegals and argued that get-tough immigration policies were impractical.
Saying she opposes "one-sided solutions that simply sound tough," Mrs. Clinton urged the U.S. to create "a path to earned citizenship for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes [and] respecting the law."
In an apparent bid to have it both ways, the top Democrat explained: "I neither support illegal immigration nor the enactment of fruitless schemes that would penalize churches and hospitals for helping the truly needy . . . We should not unduly punish the overwhelming majority of immigrants who work hard, raise families, pay their taxes, and contribute to their communities."
2008 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton complained Wednesday that some Republicans want to impose a "police state" to deal with illegal immigration, arguing instead that illegals should be allowed to earn their U.S. citizenship.
But just three short years ago, Mrs. Clinton took a different tack, boasting that she was "adamantly against" foreigners who enter the country illegally and saying that the U.S. should consider imposing a national ID card system.
"I am, you know, adamantly against illegal immigrants," Clinton said in a Feb. 2003 radio interview.
Clinton said the U.S. "might have to move toward an ID system even for citizens" in order to combat illegal border crossings, or implement "at least a visa ID, some kind of an entry and exit ID."
As of Wednesday, however, the former first lady's immigration policy had clearly evolved.
A position paper issued by her Senate office urged that citizenship be made available for illegals and argued that get-tough immigration policies were impractical.
Saying she opposes "one-sided solutions that simply sound tough," Mrs. Clinton urged the U.S. to create "a path to earned citizenship for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes [and] respecting the law."
In an apparent bid to have it both ways, the top Democrat explained: "I neither support illegal immigration nor the enactment of fruitless schemes that would penalize churches and hospitals for helping the truly needy . . . We should not unduly punish the overwhelming majority of immigrants who work hard, raise families, pay their taxes, and contribute to their communities."
