(Utah AG Mark) Shurtleff, evangelicals praise Obama deportation policy, blast tea party

[pampango]

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705389597/Shurtleff-evangelicals-praise-Obama-deportation-policy-blast-tea-party.html

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff joined evangelical Christian leaders in applauding the Obama administration's new deportation policy and blasting the tea party's hard line on illegal immigration issues. The Republican attorney general called the tea party's approach to illegal immigration — round people up and ship them home — unrealistic, unworkable and damaging to the GOP.

Tea party members have called the new Obama administration directive amnesty. Rodriguez, who said he does not support the idea of amnesty, disagrees. "This is not, as some have labeled it, backdoor amnesty," he said." It pains me that the tea party has too much of a voice in turning people to the irrational and the shrill."

Shurtleff said he is dismayed to see many of his fellow Republicans adopt the tea party stance on the revised deportation policy and immigration reform in general. "It pains me to see so many of my party make it political and not understand this is a public safety concept," he said. "It is damaging in the point that they are pandering to the tea party."

Rodriguez said the what the tea party needs is diversity. "The problem with the tea party is that it's missing some chips and salsa. It needs some chips and salsa," he said.

Nice to see some republican blasts leveled at the teabaggers.