October 19, 2011 10:09 AM

Obama adviser: Mitt Romney had "unintentionally revealing moment" over illegal immigration in GOP debate

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Campaign 2012

Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney had an "unintentionally revealing moment" regarding illegal immigration during Tuesday's night's GOP debate, David Axelrod, President Obama's chief re-election campaign strategist, said Wednesday on CBS' "The Early Show."

Immigration policy was a hot topic in the debate last night, particularly when Texas Gov. Rick Perry criticized Romney for using a landscaping company that employed undocumented immigrants several years ago.

Romney, who was criticized for this incident in the 2008 presidential race, responded that he fired the gardeners after he found out about their immigration status.

"We went to the company and we said, look, you can't have any illegals working on our property," he said. "I'm running for office, for Pete's sake, I can't have illegals."

Axelrod pointed out that Romney said, "not that it was wrong or not that it was illegal, I'm running for office."

"I thought that was the most unintentional revealing moment of the debate," he said."Time and time again, Gov. Romney switches from one position to another apparently because he is running."

Axelrod added that this reveals why Romney has failed to garner the support of more than just a quarter of the Republican electorate in polls.

"I think is there a sense there is no core to him," Axelrod said. He said that Romney wanted his Massachusetts health care plan to serve as a model for nationwide health care reform, though Romney now says he didn't.

While Romney's support in the polls seems to be stuck at around 25 percent, he remains the frontrunner in the GOP field. As Republican voters consider the candidates, the Obama campaign has been targeting Romney as if he is already the nominee.

Axelrod said Wednesday, "It's going to be a close election... This is a closely divided country, and we are in a tough economy."

Still, he added, "I am very confident we will win because the president has a vision about how we get people back to work but also how we restore the security that the middle class has lost in this country for a long period of time."


  • Stephanie Condon

    Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.

Add a Comment See all 40 Comments
by robinked October 19, 2011 2:30 PM EDT
"
Still, he added, "I am very confident we will win because the president has a vision about how we get people back to work but also how we restore the security that the middle class has lost in this country for a long period of time.
"
All that spin from obama's lackey, but not 1 work on the ILLEGAL immigration problem, which was what all the fuss in the debate was about!--yes liberals i know about his "high deportation numbers..."--but guess what?--400k is a drop in the bucket compared to the est. 12-20 mil that are in this country ILLEGALLY & every time i hear obama spout forth with "comprehensive immigration reform"--vomit!--call the duck WHAT it is!!!--AMNESTY & it ain't gonna fly, the american peeps have been duped before & we've had ENOUGH!!

immigration911.org and/or numberUSA.org--Stop the Stupidity!
Reply to this comment
by MTATL67 October 19, 2011 1:54 PM EDT
It is time for the President to keep asking these question of Republicans. What industry have you saved?, What business did you keep from collapsing? Congressman name a person that you put into a new home with your vote? Congressman name a person that got to keep their job because of legislation you voted yes on? If you ask the questions you can see the Congressional Republicans have not done very much but collect a paycheck from us tax payers.
Reply to this comment
by pahgre October 19, 2011 1:17 PM EDT
by One_American_____ October 19, 2011 11:45 AM EDT
"Shut the hell up, Obama Team."
===================================================




Is that you DJ with yet another new username, spewing hate and discontent as usual, in such a highly-partisan way, trying to remove another basic right granted to us under Our Constitution.

Try reading that document, and especially the 1st Amendment that guarantees all of us FREE SPEECH, before posting more drivel.
Reply to this comment
by mikevetman October 19, 2011 1:03 PM EDT
ANYONE on that stage last night wuld do a 100% better job than our current marxist in chief, or Sir Lie Alot!

the can't attack the substance, just the actions.
Reply to this comment
by Lawyers-Guns-n-Money06 October 19, 2011 1:26 PM EDT
Mrs. Paul, 2012!

(or her fishd icks)
by starving1968-3 October 19, 2011 12:56 PM EDT
by allmighty_king October 19, 2011 11:28 AM EDT

Since Obama took office, This all happen after Obama took office.

The government has spent more than $9.6 trillion, about 60 percent more than what Washington took in.







When Obama took office, the national debt was $10.6 TRILLION and NOW sits at $14.8 TRILLION.

Since when does 14.8 - 10.6 = 9.6?
Reply to this comment
by pahgre October 19, 2011 1:07 PM EDT
With taxes at a 60-year LOW and federal revenue at a mere 14% of GDP, the problem is clearly a lack of federal revenue due to the bush tax cuts since 2001 and corporate tax breaks since U.S. corporations are paying little or no taxes today on billions in U.S. profits!
by AmericanPieHole October 19, 2011 12:55 PM EDT
Stephanie it is unclear to me if the quoted phase, "not that it was wrong or not that it was illegal, I'm running for office", was quoting Romney's or were you quoting Axelrod posing an argument against Romney? If the latter is true then it is a good example of a Twist Master at work because based on the first quote, Romney said nothing wrong because the reason for his complaint was that it was illegal to hire illegals.

If they are Romney's words then it is a clear example why we have the problem of illegal aliens in this country because of the complacency on the rule of law. We either have immigration laws or we don't.
Reply to this comment
by pahgre October 19, 2011 1:11 PM EDT
Whatever....but willard romney clearly admitted to hiring a landscaping contractor using illegal aliens, and it took him getting caught breaking the law before anything was done about the illegal workers.

We would have far fewer illegals in the U.S. today if ALL employers were fined heavily, jailed or both, if caught hiring illegal aliens, since they are only here for the almighty American dollar!
by starving1968-3 October 19, 2011 12:51 PM EDT
by allmighty_king October 19, 2011 11:15 AM EDT

The U.S. debt increased by an average of $4.2 billion per day. The total rise in that time breaks down to more than $13,000 in additional debt for every single American.







The ANNUAL BUDGET DEFICIT was $1.3 TRILLION when Obama was sworn in, before he even stepped into the oval office, and before he signed ANY legislation.

If you truly have a problem with the "US debt" or the "annual budget deficit", then take it up with the GOP.

They turned a first-time surplus into a massive AND RECURRING annual budget deficit. THAT is the deficit that you are speaking of.
Reply to this comment
by pahgre October 19, 2011 12:50 PM EDT
Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney had an "unintentionally revealing moment" regarding illegal immigration during Tuesday's night's GOP debate
=================================================================

by garddthetruth October 19, 2011 12:29 PM EDT
"That is all most too funny."
=================================================================





Maybe funny to the far-right teahaddists, but not very funny to those that know how hypocritical the GOP candidates are when it comes to illegal immigration, with willard romney admitting to hiring illegals and preacher perry giving them in-state tuition rates!

Luckily, the Obama administration has already deported over ONE MILLION illegal aliens in less than 3 years, so the federal government is doing twice as good as during bushworld!
Reply to this comment
by garddthetruth October 19, 2011 12:29 PM EDT
That is all most too funny. Obama's team has proven to be the most clueless and useless bunch of dysfunctional morons in American history so if they slam you it means your being given a compliment. If Obama's team had the slightest inkling of what it meant to run an economy we would have all been far better off today instead of all of us being far worse off.
Reply to this comment
by nottblu October 19, 2011 11:52 AM EDT
What is the Obama plan to fix social security? Medicare? What accomplishments has this administration produced? What can the Democrats tout as a success? Nothing? Nada? the only recourse for such dismal failure is to blame the other, anything and everything not Obama. What the left will find out in 2012 is that the American people were sold a slogan of hope and change and nothing more. They did not anticipate the "change" we have witnessed since the march towards socialism started with this administration. Furthermore, vilifiying and blaming the most successful members of society will do nothing to create jobs or bring prosperity, in fact if you took all of the "rich peoples" money it would not put a dent in the drunken spending spree this administration has perpetrated in it's brief tenure. As a matter of fact, unbelievable, unprecedented spending that has produced no tangible results.
Reply to this comment
See all 40 Comments
.

Follow Political Hotsheet

Scroll Left
Scroll Right More »
CBS News on Facebook
  • CBS News Mobile

  • CBS News for Android

    The CBS News app for Android smartphones offers breaking headlines and video as well as the latest from The Early Show, 60 Minutes and more.
    Learn more...