Romney in Nevada - Drivers License Hypocrisy

[LVZ]

For pragmatic political reasons, I think it is a bad idea to provide drivers licenses to undocumented aliens, but I do agree that Eliot Spitzer was making a good faith, albeit politically boneheaded, effort to solve a problem in New York.

Mitt Romney came to Las Vegas yesterday to say he would cut off federal funds to states that permit undocumented aliens to get drivers licenses. He received loud applause from his GOP audience.

Isn't it odd that Romney and the national news media never mention that next door Mormon-dominated state Utah does exactly that? Isn't it the reddest of red states coming to the same decision as Eliot Spitzer did?

[LVZ]

1. Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington

http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=234828

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

2. You had me at "Hypocrisy"

[FreeState]

3. How is that Hypocrisy - Romney had nothing to do with the Utah law? n/t

[LVZ]

4. Because he verbally targets New York Dem but not Utah GOP politicians

Where was Romney when Utah developed their undocumented drivers license laws?

Like on most issues, Romney appears to be a blatant opportunist with no "real" convictions other than a thirst for more power.

[NOVA_Dem]

5. I'm sure he'd turn on Utah in a second if it suited him...

It would probably help to tell the truth.

[FreeState]

6. Where was Romney when Utah developed their undocumented drivers license laws?

I believe he was Governor of Mass at the time. Im not to sure he could do anything at the time seeing he wasn't even there. Im not sure what your point is, but its coming across to me as you think he has something to do with it because he's Mormon too - which if that is what your implying is ridiculous to say the least.

2005 was when the current law took effect,

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59517-2005Apr16.html

[LVZ]

7. Romney has always had close ties to Utah

Since I grew up in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, I probably have a few more insights into Utah than you.

The Romney family has always had close ties to Utah and certainly could have been influential in the adoption or defeat of Utah issues if he truly found them to be so bad for the nation. He didn't. In the current context with Eliot Spitzer's proposals, Romney is just being a political opportunist, a pattern of shifting his views whenever it is to his political advantage.

http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2007/04/20/cq_2603.html

Romney has close ties to Utah, where most residents share his Mormon faith and where Romney took over and helped rescue the financially troubled and scandal-plagued Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City five years ago.

[FreeState]

8. I lived in Utah for 10 years as an adult

So no you don't know more about it than me (both my parents are from there as well). Bit nice try. In fact it your that astute you might have noticed the picture next to my name. I lived in Utah when they got the Olympics BTW.

If your going to claim Romney had to influence the law then you need to claim every other person against the law who did not live in the state but had ties to it had a responsibility to stop the law. Im sorry but there is no way Romeny as a Governor of a different state should have used his influence in another state - that would be wrong IMO.

(BTW I am not a Romney fan - just tiered of the tactics trying to be used against him because of his faith and ties to Utah. I am also for licenses for illegals.)

[LVZ]

9. Absurd, disingenuous comparison ...

FreeState wrote: every other person against the law ...

Every other person does not have high level political ties and influence in Utah.

BTW, I also lived in Utah as an adult. Most of my family lives in Davis County, Utah. This has nothing to do with Romney's faith. It has a lot to do with hypocrisy and political opportunism on Romney's part with misplaced and, frankly, offensive paranoia on your part.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

10. Sorry. You make good points.

[LVZ]

11. Romney's Utah residence

Some have suggested that there was no link between Romney and Utah. Therefore, Romney was not in a position to have an opinion or influence on Utah's relatively liberal laws for providing drivers licenses for undocumented aliens. That is a rather ridiculous claim.

Wikipedia:

While Romney kept his house in Belmont, Massachusetts after 1999, it is debatable whether that was his primary residence from then until 2002, as for most of that time he lived at his house in Park City, Utah and worked there also.

Further complicating the issue was that in while living in Utah, Romney had filed taxes as a Utah resident, receiving a $54,000 tax break (reserved for the “primary residence” of Utah residents) on his $3.8 million home in Park City. Additionally, in 1999 his Massachusetts state tax return listed him as a part-time resident and his 2000 tax return listed him as a full-time Utah resident.

Harvard Business School Alumni web site: Although he is a Massachusetts resident, Romney's Utah roots run deep.

Boston Globe:

''It would be hard to underestimate how significant his role in the (Salt Lake City Olympic) Games has been in terms of his fund-raising ability in Utah,'' said Jeff Hartley, former executive director of the Utah Republican Party. ''Even our long-term senators haven't had the success he has had pulling money out of Utah.

He's a fund-raising rock star in Utah.''