December Debate Continued

Continuing with the December 10, 2011 ABC News Republican debate in Iowa. In regard to immigration, all candidates believe we should secure our country’s borders. Gingrich wants a citizen review board to look at the illegal immigrants currently in our country and take them one by one and let the locals decide whether or not they should stay (criteria: in US 25 years, ties to the community, have an American family sponsor, be a model citizen and pay a penalty to get residency); those with no ties to the community should be deported, English should be the language of the government, we ought to have an effective guest worker program and have penalties for those employers that hire illegal immigrants. Romney said we should register those that that are here and they should go home and get in line to come for permanent residency or citizenship. Perry said to enforce the laws that are already on the books; if he were President you wouldn’t see our Justice Department suing states like Arizona over the sovereign rights that are put in jeopardy or have a catch and release program because an illegal hasn’t been in a violent situation. Paul, Bachmann and Santorum I don’t believe were given an opportunity to respond to this issue. (On December 13 it was reported that new figures show there are far fewer illegal immigrants entering the US from Mexico. I think this is because states are trying to be tougher. If we again relax our position more and more I believe would come.)

George Stephanopoulos said that Gingrich, on a Jewish channel, called the Palestinians a made up (invented) people. To Gingrich – the Chief Palestinian negotiator said - mark my words, these statements by Gingrich will be the ammunitions and weapons of the Bin Ladens and extremists for a long, long, time; Gingrich replied – how would he know the difference, somebody needs to stand up and tell the truth, one side is as bad as the other, someone needs to have the courage to go back to the 1921 League of Nations mandate, the term Palestine didn’t come around until after 1977 and it’s a propaganda war. Paul didn’t agree that the Palestinians were made up as a while back Israel didn’t have a state either, he thinks we get too involved in others squabbles. Romney said – he doesn’t agree with Gingrich’s comment but agrees with him overall saying - I think we ought to stick by our friends (Israel) but not jump ahead and try to negotiate. Romney said he’s not a bomb thrower (in regard to Newt’s comments) and said ultimately the Palestinians and Israel need to decide. When asked who had the better argument Bachmann didn’t actually answer the question but said she was there in 1974 and found that the Palestinians were teaching their people to hate Jews and that has to change. Santorum said both had good arguments, but agrees with Romney. Perry said the media is blowing the comments out of proportion, the problem is what the President is doing, not the comments Newt said (he said for example the President chose to do nothing in regard to the drone in Iran’s possession – didn’t destroy or retrieve it and now others have our technology). (After the debate Christiane Amanpour said Newt’s comments were contrary to history, Palestinians have been recognized since the 1800s and have been acknowledged by US presidents since HW Bush. She said it will not be favorable if he is President and has to negotiate with the Palestinians and Israeli.)

There was a question in regard to giving things up. Perry said he didn’t have running water until he was 5 and his mother sewed his clothes until he went to college; he joined the Air Force and feels that since he had nothing that there was nothing to give up. Romney didn’t grow up poor but his parents did; they made sure he understood hard work and the principles that make America the greatest country on earth; they made sure he had a job growing up, that he didn’t waste money and had a care for other people; he saw poverty here and overseas and marriages in distress because of it. Paul said he grew up during the depression and was poor and didn’t know it. He said he worked his way through college (wife worked to get him through medical school); when a government destroys its currency it transfers wealth from the middle class to the rich and it’s going to get a lot worse if we don’t stop overspending, over borrowing, printing too much money, and don’t understand the business cycle. Santorum said he grew up in a modest family with 2 parents that made him feel love and security and he feels there is a breakdown in families and with that the economic status (40% of single parent households are in poverty). He said we need to promote the institution of marriage and the family. Bachmann said she opposed the Wall Street bailout because they made foolish decisions, she came from a middle class family whose parents got divorced and her Mom found herself a single parent and full time homemaker with 4 kids that went to below poverty overnight, she had to get a job at 13 to help out the family and she still clips coupons and goes to consignment stores. Gingrich said he lived in an apartment above a gas station in Pennsylvania, relatives were steel workers, delivery men, department store employees and his Dad was in the Army; they were frugal but never felt desperate, he has several relatives that are unemployed and going through difficult times and his wife has a small business that knows what a difficult time this economy is.