Mitt’s “Grass Is Always Greener” On Illegals

Coming fresh off his rousing endorsement from conservative nutball Paul Weyrich, Willard Mitt Romney appeared in the news here decrying both parties for “a sanctuary state of mind” regarding illegal aliens, including tuition breaks and driver’s licenses for them and their children.

I already weighed in on the issue of licenses for the illegals (I’m for it; they should thus qualify for insurance, and the licenses would be the beginning of trying to track these people), but on the matter of the kids of the illegals (undocumented…whatever), I think Mike Huckabee actually fired off a synapse or two here…

"Why would you penalize the children for the crime of the parents?" Huckabee asked.

God, I wish more politicians thought like that from time to time (and by the way, on the matter of the Weyrich endorsement, how funny is it that Pat Robertson supports Rudy!, Weyrich supports Romney of course, and Frederick Of Hollywood just picked up the nod from the Right To Life Committee today? Egads, that bloc of “values voters” will sure wield their clout split at least three ways like that, won’t they?).

Well anyway, as we ponder Romney’s conversion to the anti-illegal immigration side, let us revisit this Boston Globe story from last December, which tells us the following…

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.

Witness The Mittster’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on illegal immigration.

(OK, for the purposes of full disclosure, here is Mark Finkelstein’s NewsBusters rant against the Globe; see, Finkelstein’s problem is that the lawn mowers were employed with a service and not hired directly by Romney, so he thinks The Mittster should get a pass.

Were they illegal or weren’t they? Anything else to think about here? And will this make Romney any less of a moronic demagogue?

I’ll just leave it at that – I don’t feel like wasting more calories on this.)