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Thompson Stresses His Conservative Credentials
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He picked her up and said: "You're a good Republican. Do the elephant." She raised her arm up and down like a trunk.
-- Michael D. Shear
THE BORDER AND A FINE LINE
Illegal Immigration Is Not Criminal, Giuliani Tells CNN
Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani said yesterday that illegal immigration is not a crime, prompting immediate criticism from his presidential rivals on an incendiary issue for GOP voters.
Giuliani made the comments during a CNN interview with host Glenn Beck on Headline News, saying that violations of the nation's immigration laws are civil violations, not criminal infractions.
"I know that's very hard for people to understand, but it's not a federal crime," Giuliani said, adding later: "I was U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. So believe me, I know this. In fact, when you throw an immigrant out of the country, it's not a criminal proceeding. It's a civil proceeding."
Giuliani's literal definition of illegal immigration gave his rivals a new opportunity to criticize the former mayor on an issue that they have used to raise questions about his conservative credentials.
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has been harping on Giuliani's immigration record for weeks, accusing him of, in effect, creating a sanctuary for illegal immigrants in New York City by refusing to enforce immigration rules against everyone.
"Mayor Giuliani has the wrong approach on the issue of illegal immigration," Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said. "His advocacy for sanctuary-city policies and his troubling lack of interest in making enforcement of our nation's immigration laws a priority puts him at odds with those who want to secure our borders and end illegal immigration."
In recent weeks, Giuliani has defended his actions in New York by saying he focused his efforts on illegal immigrants who committed crimes as part of his overall desire to reduce crime in the city. He has also criticized Romney, accusing the former governor of doing nothing while several cities in his state officially declared themselves "sanctuary cities."
On Friday, a Giuliani spokeswoman said, "Mitt Romney's position of the hour probably shouldn't be taken seriously, considering he rewarded four Massachusetts sanctuary cities with hundreds of millions of dollars in state aid and allowed the illegal population to skyrocket. We'll wait a minute and see if he changes his mind again."
-- Michael D. Shear
