John "Dumbest Man Alive" Gibson touts Romney's tough immigration plan, but fails to mention...

[marmar]

that Romney used a landscaping company that hires large numbers of undocumented immigrant workers. Does Repug hypocrisy know any limits? :shrug:

Fox's Gibson highlighted Romney policy on illegal immigrants with no mention of Globe disclosure
Summary: John Gibson hosted a discussion about Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's effort to allow state police to detain illegal immigrants, but no one on the show mentioned a recent report saying Romney used a landscaping company that relies heavily on illegal immigrants.

On the December 4 edition of Fox News' The Big Story, host John Gibson hosted League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) executive director Brent Wilkes and Joe Arpaio, sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, for a discussion about a recently reached deal between Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's (R) and federal authorities to allow state police to detain illegal immigrants. But no one on the show mentioned that the deal came at "a sensitive time for the governor," in the words of The Boston Globe on December 3. The Globe broke the story on December 1 that Romney, a potential candidate for president in 2008 and an outspoken critic of illegal immigration, used a landscaping company that relies heavily on illegal immigrants to maintain grounds surrounding his home in Belmont, Massachusetts. According to the Globe, the landscaping company's owner, Ricardo Saenz, "said he met Romney through the Mormon Church and said Romney has used his company's services for a decade." The Globe added that "Saenz said Romney never asked him if his workers are legal immigrants."

As the Globe reported on December 3:

Romney's new agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement comes at a sensitive time for the governor, who has been sharpening his views on immigration as he prepares a probable run for the presidency in 2008. In September, Romney told Fox TV's "The O'Reilly Factor" that the border must be secured, and affirmed his support for the construction of a fence along the Mexican border.

Last week, however, the Globe reported that illegal immigrants had maintained the grounds around Romney's home in Belmont, as workers for a lawn service company Romney had employed. Romney said after the report that he had dealt only with the owner of the company, Ricardo Saenz, a legal immigrant from Colombia.

In addition, a December 3 Associated Press article on Romney's deal and Massachusetts Gov.-elect Deval Patrick's (D) response to it also mentioned Romney's reported use of illegal immigrants to landscape his home:

Ali Noorani, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigration and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, called on Patrick to rescind the policy. Noorani said it would heighten existing distrust between immigrants and police and would have a chilling effect on the reporting of crimes such as domestic violence because those reporting crimes could fear detention themselves.

"We have reached out to the (Patrick) administration and made our concerns clear," Noorani said.

Noorani also accused Romney of hypocrisy in the wake of a Boston Globe report last week that illegal immigrants worked on the crew that manicured the grounds of his mansion in Belmont.

"His family directly benefited from the labor of undocumented immigrants," Noorani said.

Romney has said he was unaware illegal workers were employed by the yard service he hired.

From the December 4 edition of Fox News' The Big Story with John Gibson:

GIBSON: It is the big issue today: State troopers will soon be able to legally arrest illegals in Massachusetts. Outgoing Governor Mitt Romney made the deal with the feds after months of negotiations. Right now, troopers can only detain people for violations of their immigration status if the federal government asks them to.

The state's incoming governor says he promises to review the policy when he takes office in January. So will everyone start turning undocumented workers in now? Let's ask the toughest sheriff in America, Maricopa County, Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio -- he sent out his own posse a while ago to catch illegals -- and Brent Wilkes, the national executive director of LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens. Brent Wilkes, let me start with you. This decision by Governor Romney surprise you?

WILKES: It doesn't surprise us. Obviously, he's gotten an eye on the presidential campaign. He's doing this as an outgoing governor. He's really not doing it for his own governorship, but he's trying to make some political points with some conservative folks that he thinks might be able to put him over the top for the Republican presidential nomination. ........

More at: http://mediamatters.org/items/200612050006

[Little Wing]

1. YIMBY? Yes In My Back Yard?

[marmar]

2. Teehee.

:)