Romney's words grow hard on immigration (Boston Globe)

[Eugene]

Romney's words grow hard on immigration

By Scott Helman, Globe Staff | March 16, 2007

PHOENIX -- When Mitt Romney swooped into the heart of John McCain
country this week, he brought a pointed message on illegal immigration:
McCain's approach is the wrong one.

Proudly touting the endorsement of Joe Arpaio, a sheriff in the state who
is known nationally for rounding up immigrants in desert tents, Romney
boasted of cracking down on illegal immigrants as governor and denounced
an immigration bill that the Arizona senator introduced with Senator
Edward M. Kennedy in 2005.

It is a theme Romney has hit hard in recent weeks in his appeals to
conservatives, many of whom attack McCain's immigration bill for proposing
an eventual path to citizenship for immigrants living illegally in the United
States and a guest-worker program to help fill American jobs.

-snip-

But that is markedly different from how Romney once characterized McCain's
bill, elements of which are receiving new attention in Congress and from
President Bush. Indeed, Romney's past comments on illegal immigration
suggest his views have hardened as he has ramped up his campaign for the
2008 Republican presidential nomination.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/03/16/romneys_words_grow_hard_on_immigration