Chris Christie: The GOP Needs To Rebrand Itself As The Credible Party of Fiscal Conservatism... And Support A Clear Path To Citizenship For Illegals

Eh, not sure if this is disqualifying per se, as most politicians, including border-enforcement types, talk up this possibility at some point.

He is down on the Arizona law, though.

On the hot-button topic of immigration reform, he said he has long declined to “demagogue” the issue as a former U.S. Attorney, because “I come from law enforcement and it’s not an easy issue.”

But he did intimate that he thinks stringent state-by-state laws – such as in Arizona – are the wrong approach, and added, “I think President Obama doesn’t do this at his own risk because it’s affecting the economy in the country…to me, I think the president’s really gotta show the leadership on this.”

“This is a federal problem, it’s gotta have a federal fix,” he said. “I’m not really comfortable with state law enforcement having a big role.”

He said that without border security, enforcement of existing laws and a “clear” path to legalization for immigrants, there would never be a fix.

No one seems to talk about a clear path to legalization that is not citizenship.

Other countries have large guest worker programs. Why can't we?

Why do we have this childish insistence that it be all-or-nothing?

I know the Democrats want "all" because they want more voters. And unions either want them to be full citizens so they can more easily draft them into the movement (and grab their dues).

But why can't Republicans push back and offer a larger -- not huge, but larger -- guest-worker program? Two years, four years, whatever, and then either go home or get another extension?

posted by Ace at 10:53 AM

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