Wall Street Journal
By Reid J. Epstein
July 8, 2015
Democratic
presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday the entire
2016 GOP presidential field opposed a pathway to citizenship for
undocumented immigrants.
Not so, cried South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.
On
Wednesday, Mr. Graham said he still backs the 2013 Senate immigration
bill he helped pass, which included a path to citizenship, enhanced
border security, and other
measures. It died in the Republican-led House of Representatives.
Then Mr. Graham added an unsolicited shot at fellow Republican Donald Trump.
“I’m
for a pathway to citizenship,” Mr. Graham said in an interview with
Wall Street Journal reporters and editors. “What she’s trying to do is
cast us in an extreme light.
Between her and Donald Trump, Donald Trump’s doing more to hurt us than
she is.”
In
the last three weeks, Mr. Trump has gone from a largely ignored
political side show to a useful foil for third-tier Republican
presidential candidates, such as the
South Carolina senator, who aim to win attention by denouncing Mr.
Trump’s assertion that illegal immigrants from Mexico are “rapists” and
drug dealers.
Mr.
Graham, one of eight senators who authored the 2013 legislation, warned
that Republicans risk further alienating Hispanic voters if they don’t
disavow Mr. Trump’s
statement on immigration. He was tougher on Mr. Trump than was Mrs.
Clinton, who merely called his remarks “disappointing.”
“That
is offensive, that is not accurate,” he said. “The overwhelming
majority of the 11-plus million illegal immigrants are good, hardworking
people who need to get right
with the law, among them are some really bad people, rapists, drug
dealers and killers.”
He
continued: “As a party we need to reject the characterization of the 11
million as mostly drug dealers and rapists… We’re going to drive a
wedge between us and Hispanics
that’s going to last for a generation if we don’t knock this crap off.”
Mr.
Graham is merely the latest longshot Republican White House hopeful to
engage with Mr. Trump – none of whom are likely to make their way onto
the stage for the party’s
first debate in Cleveland next month.
Just
this week, former New York Gov. George Pataki challenged Mr. Trump to a
“mano a mano” debate on immigration policy. Former Texas Gov. Rick
Perry released a three-minute
web video responding to a tweet from Mr. Trump. And Mark Everson, the
former IRS commissioner running a quixotic Iowa-centric campaign, called
for Mr. Trump to quit the race. “He should stand down and spare us all
the ugliness of his candidacy,” Mr. Everson
said.
The
candidates leading the pack have been less direct. Jeb Bush said Mr.
Trump’s comments are “way out of the mainstream.” Sen. Marco Rubio of
Florida, who sponsored the
2013 immigration bill but has since denounced it as impractical, dodged
questions about Mr. Trump during a Tuesday interview with Fox News. He
called Mr. Trump’s comments “less responsible” and said they are a
distraction from the immigration issue.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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