Romney cheers failure of immigration bill
CORAOPOLIS, Pa. — Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he doesn't favor deporting the estimated 12 million unlawful immigrants in the United States but also doesn't want them to receive a "special pathway" to legal residency.
The Senate's failure to pass the president's immigration plan was a "victory for the people," the former Massachusetts governor said Thursday.
"People-one, Washington politicians-zero," Romney told reporters near Pittsburgh. "I think the failure of this bill is related to the Washington politicians' failure to connect with the American people."
Romney was in Pittsburgh for a fundraiser at the exclusive Duquesne Club, where GOP presidential hopeful and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani held a fundraiser Wednesday.
Supporters of President Bush's plan to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants failed Thursday to get the necessary vote in the Senate to limit debate and clear the way for final passage of the legislation.
"The people's voice was loud enough and clear enough that the politicians had to retreat," Romney said. "The bill was flawed and for that reason is not going to be contemplated."
Romney said he wasn't opposed to immigration.
"We value immigrants, but we value legal immigration," Romney said.
Romney said he wants current laws enforced as well as a reliable employment-verification system for immigrants. Unlawful immigrants, he said, should "get in line" with other immigrants waiting for permanent residency.
"I'm not looking to reduce the number of immigrants that come to our country or reduce the number of immigrants who are in our country," Romney said.
On the issue of Iraq, Romney said while he respects the views of Republican senators who have called for a change in the course of the war "it's too early to make that call."
Like Giuliani, Romney said he wants to hear what the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, has to say in September when he reports on whether Bush's troop increase is working.
"We very much hope the troop surge works," Romney said.
