Illegal Immigration,  Mitt Romney,  Politics,  President 2008,  Rudy Giuliani

Mitt Romney Watch: Presidential Campaign Implodes on Illegal Alien FLAP

romneydecember1aweb

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaks to opponents of gay marriage at a rally at the Massachusetts State House in Boston, November 19, 2006. Romney, a devout Mormon and former bishop of Massachusetts’ temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is expected to announce in January he will join what is expected to be a crowded field of Republican White House contenders for the presidency.

The Boston Globe: Illegal immigrants toiled for governor

As Governor Mitt Romney explores a presidential bid, he has grown outspoken in his criticism of illegal immigration. But, for a decade, the governor has used a landscaping company that relies heavily on workers like these, illegal Guatemalan immigrants, to maintain the grounds surrounding his pink Colonial house on Marsh Street in Belmont.

The Globe recently interviewed four current and former employees of Community Lawn Service with a Heart, the tiny Chelsea-based company that provides upkeep of Romney’s property. All but one said they were in the United States illegally.

How do you spell HYPOCRISY?

Put a FORK in Romney’s presidential aspirations – HE’S DONE.

Hugh Hewitt is not ready to admit it but HE”S DONE. Remember Kimba Wood and Zoe Baird and Linda Chavez?

The beneficiary?

giulianidecember1aweb

Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani gestures while speaking during the Riga Conference, on the sidelines of a NATO summit, at Blackheads House in Riga, Tuesday Nov. 28, 2006. According to a poll released on Monday, that scores the popularity of national leaders, Americans have the warmest feelings about former New York City ,Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Barack Obama.

As Flap said the first time……..

Update:

Hugh Hewitt responds:

I see that some Rudy and McCain fans are trumpeting the Globe’s non-story on Mitt Romney’s landscaping company using illegal aliens as a campaign killer. Sorry, Flap and Pat, but stretching to assist the Globe in the preposterous idea that Romney’s landscaping company’s employment practices are an issue suggests desperation at Romney’s early momentum rather than discernment of a political event’s significance. Can anyone imagine Senator McCain or Mayor Giuliani arguing in public that they are better candidates for the presidency because their landscaping companies didn’t use labor with proper documents?

Nope, I cannot see them arguing this line. But, I can see voters coming to the conclusion that Romney is either a hypocrite on illegal immigration issues or a light-weight, indecisive and evasive who is not a serious candidate for the presidency (not ready for prime time).

Pat over at Ankle Biting Pundits has a different take on the Romney flap and gaffe.

Update #2

Patrick Haynes has corrected the record on who wrote the piece at Ankle Biting Pundits:

UPDATED BY PATRICK HYNES: Our friend Hugh Hewitt linked to this story, but he mistakenly attributed this post to me; much as a Romney troll has done in the comments thread. I have commented on Hugh’s blog at Town Hall to correct the record. But we are not complaining … we always love Hugh Hewitt traffic spikes ;-)

Previous:

Michael Ramirez on John McCain and Presidential Election 2008

Rudy Giuliani Watch: Giuliani Takes Steps Towards 2008 Presidential Run


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23 Comments

  • RJ

    So let me get this straight. Mr. and Mrs. Romney hire a registered and liscienced lawn care business in the Boston area. It turns out that the business owner hired some illegal immigrants to cut the lawn. Therefore, Romney can’t be president.

    Are you kidding me????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? After What Clinton did in the oval office and you are worried about grass clippings!

    I hope the next time you go see your Doctor that you ask to see the documented green cards of his/her nightly cleaning crew becuase if it were ever made public that your Doctor hired illegals–your career would be over!

  • Flap

    Some big differences here:

    Romney was the Governor of Massachusetts and didn’t he scrutinize or oversee who he was hiring in light of previous flap’s of Kimba Wood et al?

    I know I did when I was in public office and I certainly was not the Governor or an aspiring Presidential candidate.

    Another difference: my physician or dentist is not running for President.

  • RJ

    Woulda…shoulda….coulda….!

    I know the CEO takes the blame whether it is his fault or not, but do you honestly want
    Mr. and Mrs. Romney to go down to the Lawn care business and ask to line up all employees for presentation of green cards????

    Why not line up all of the checkers at the local supermarkets because the Rommey’s might be checked out by an illegal alien.

    Do you really expect your representatives to go around asking to see green cards before they take a cab, go to the store, get their haircut or get the lawn mowed in this case? That is beyond being reasonable. If Romney had gone out and hired these people off the street that is one thing, but this is little over the top.

    RE: your physician or dentist–the point is it does not matter whether they are running for office or not–what matters is if YOU are running for or are in elected office. YOU contract their service and if they employ an illegal alien without your knowledge you are apparently guilty by default if I understand you correctly!

  • demohypocrates

    “Another difference: my physician or dentist is not running for President.”

    Boy flap, RJ’s excellent point really flew by you that time. And the owner of Romney’s lawn care service isnt running for President either. And if he does, let us agree to withold our support for him.

  • Flap

    If you are running for office the candidate is always held to a higher standard. Why?

    Because the candidate/office holder is representing the public and writing or interpreting laws that affect all of us.

    Character matters.

    Romney should have exerted oversight. He didn’t. Do you want a President who cannot check to see if his employees are legal – especially in light of all the past disclosures?

    Now, there is the matter of hypocrisy. Romney supports the 700 mile fence and other tough measurres against illegal aliens but yet has illegal aliens mowing his lawn.

    Sound a bit hypocritical?

    You bet…….

    Romney is done.

  • Flap

    Response to Demohypocrates #5:

    Are you saying that because Romney hired a Mormon friend’s firm to do lawn care that he had no oversight rewponsibility as to what was occurring on his own property?

    Now, remember he walked by these fellows every week and even said hello. I mean wouldn’t anyone wonder? Especially the Governor of Massachusetts?

    And since the company hired illegals that it is not Romney’s problem?

    Now, this is ridiculous.

  • RJ

    Character does matter! The question is whose character is at stake Romney’s or the business owner’s?

    “Romney should have exerted oversight. He didn’t. Do you want a President who cannot check to see if his employees are legal – especially in light of all the past disclosures?”

    NOTE to FLAP: IT was not HIS EMPLOYEE!!

    NO!! I do not intend to vote for a Chief Executive who has plans to spend the next 4 years interviewing every member of the Executive Branch of Government. Nothing else would ever get done!

  • Flap

    RJ,

    Answer me honestly.

    Don’t you think Mitt Romney should have maybe asked some questions of the Lawn company? Or did he and it is being covered up?

    Note to RJ: Romney hired the company, did he not?

    When you walk by these folks mowing your lawn wouldn’t it ring a little bell in your head? Particularly, since you are the Governor of Massachusetts and want to be President?

    An error in judgment?

    You bet.

  • DoctorD

    Let me get this straight. Nevermind the fact that Giuliani moved in with his mistress before he’d officially divorced his second wife. Romney is toast because he hired a landscaping firm that is alleged to have hired illegal immigrant workers, but Giuliani who hired Bernard Kerik to run the NY Police Department, the Bernard Kerik who withdrew from consideration as head of the Dept. of Homeland Security because he hired an illegal immigrant nanny, had multiple affairs and paid for stuff for his mistresses with government money is golden?

    Wow. Who’d have thunk it?

  • RJ

    I do not expect you, me, the Governor or anyone else to spend their lives interogating every single entity that happens to provide a service. If you feel this strongly why are you not going after the law breaker? Have you filed a complaint with the State?

    If Romney Knew about it that equals Hypocricy. If he did not know about it that equals Irony. How often did Romney interact with these people? Do we know? My guess is that he really wasn’t around much due to his duties and responsibilities to his constituency hence the need to hire a lawn care service.

    Scenario:

    Flap needs to purchase some Bagels. He grabs the Yellow Pages and finds a Bakery that will provide the desired “Service.” He calls and makes the order. A short time later he goes to the Bakery and sees someone in the back making Bagels. He waves and says “hello” to the person but he does not think to ask whether the person making the Bagels is a legal citizen. Flap then turns his attention the the Owner of the Bakery and pays for the order. A week later the Bakery is raided by Immigration officials and it is, in fact, discovered that the person who made Flap’s Bagels is an illegal alien.

    Suddenly Flap’s character is now brought into question and Flap’s political career is over! Why? Because he should have had more oversight-he should have made the bagel maker prove he was legal before making the bagels.

    Now doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Flap this is not a political issue for me–I do not care what political party you are a affiliated with. This is irrational, unreasonable, and just plain stupid!

  • Flap

    RJ,

    You set up strawman arguments and then knock them down.

    The difference is Flap is NOT the Governor of Massachusetts and Flap is NOT running for President.

    Romney is.

    Romney walked by these folks caring for his lawn and he never asked a question of the lawn service whether these folks were legal? Come on…..

    The Governor should have known and he has been hypocritical in not dealing with the issue.

    Now, if Romney were to have a news conference and say yeah a mistake was made and I will better scrutinize things that’s…… another story.

    Look for it tomorrow.

  • RJ

    This is a Democracy–we are all strawmen!

    I can’t help notice that you keep suggesting that Romney should have known to ask because he “walked past them” and because he “saw them” etc.

    Flap, do I detect a little “profiling” going on here?
    Are you suggesting that, based on personal appearance, one should or should not be more inclined to ask whether someone is here in the country legally??

    We obviously are not going to agree and that is OK!
    I will say this though–you have no room to talk about “Character” if RUDY is your standard! I like RUDY, but he’s got character problems!

  • DoctorD

    Flap,
    What about the Kerik example? You’re attacking Romney for having chosen the wrong lawncare company while giving Giuliani a break for having chosen the wrong chief of police. Considering that the lawncare guys weren’t making policy and weren’t in a position to change policy as a result of blackmail it would seem the Rudy’s failure to know about his police chief was more egregious than Romney’s failure to know about the immigration status of his yard guys.

    For the record, I’m not a Romney supporter. But for a variety of reasons including Giuliani’s lack of fidelity, and more importantly his positions on social issues which are anathema to me, I would vote for a third party candidate if he were the GOP nominee. That’s something I can’t say about any other candidate, even McCain.

  • oneup

    Seriously. He doesn’t ask, he’s supposedly guilty of something, but if he does ask those nice brown-skinned men if they are legal, he’s a racist or a bigot. This is such a non-starter, it’s ridiculous.

    I’m thinking about running for office. Maybe I should ask the crew at McDonald’s to show me their papers before I get my Big Mac.

    Please. There’s plenty to knock Romney, Giuliani and McCain on, but this is nothing.