Oh no, say it ain't so!?! Mitt Romney, the presidential candidate Mark Boughton is supporting because of
First, for those who are up to speed on the flip-flopper from Massachusetts, a little background.
Boston Globe, 12/01/06:
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.
The employees told the Globe that company owner Ricardo Saenz never asked them to provide documents showing their immigration status and knew they were illegal immigrants.
"He never asked for papers," said Rosales, who said he had paid smugglers about $5,000 to take him across the US-Mexican border and settled in Chelsea.
The workers said they were paid in cash at $9 to $10 an hour and sometimes worked 11-hour days.
Romney never inquired about their status, they said.
In addition to maintaining the governor's property, they also tended to the lawn at the house owned by Romney's son, Taggart, less than a mile away on the same winding street.
Asked by a reporter yesterday about his use of Community Lawn Service with a Heart, Romney, who was hosting the Republican Governors Association conference in Miami, said, "Aw, geez," and walked away.
[...]
The situation underscores the extent to which illegal immigrants permeate the US economy. Even as Romney travels the country, vowing to curb the flood of low-skilled illegal immigrants into the United States, some of those workers maintain his own yard, cutting grass, pruning shrubs, and mulching trees.
Saenz said he met Romney through the Mormon Church and said Romney has used his company's services for a decade. Saenz said Romney never asked him if his workers are legal immigrants.
That was then, this is now...
Mitt Romney, whose intolerance of illegal immigrants has been a central theme of his presidential campaign, was caught out for a second time employing undocumented Guatemalans to tend his lawn.
The revelation was an embarrassing setback for Mr Romney and a reflection of how the subject of illegal immigration has become one of the most perilous for Republican and Democrat candidates. The issue badly damaged John McCain's campaign and caused Hillary Clinton significant trouble last month.
[...]
Despite polls showing that most Americans support giving undocumented workers the chance to earn their way to legal status, nearly all the candidates seeking the Republican nomination have pandered to the party's base and decried what they call an “amnesty”. Immigration is a highly charged issue in Iowa, the first state in the contest. Winning Iowa is crucial to Mr Romney's campaign but he has been losing ground there in recent weeks.
Mr Romney's rivals have ridiculed him over the news. A spokesman for Fred Thompson said: “First Mitt Romney was for illegal immigrants working on his lawn, and then he was against it, then for it, and now I guess he's against it again.” An aide to Mr Giuliani said that the revelation spoke for itself. A laughing Mr McCain made lawnmower-pushing motions in front of reporters.
Given the outright stupidity of the illegal immigration hypocrite, last night Olbermann blasted Boughton's number one guy naming Romney the worse person in the world.
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of day laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
