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| Rand Paul signals willingness to engage in immigration reform debate | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Three years ago, Kentucky senator Rand Paul called for buried electric fences and helicopters to defend the US border with Mexico. On Tuesday, Paul urged "understanding and compassion" for undocumented migrants. | Three years ago, Kentucky senator Rand Paul called for buried electric fences and helicopters to defend the US border with Mexico. On Tuesday, Paul urged "understanding and compassion" for undocumented migrants. |
| "Immigration reform will not occur until conservative Republicans, like myself, become part of the solution," Paul said in an ingratiating speech before the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. "Let's start that conversation by acknowledging we aren't going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants. If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you." | "Immigration reform will not occur until conservative Republicans, like myself, become part of the solution," Paul said in an ingratiating speech before the US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. "Let's start that conversation by acknowledging we aren't going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants. If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you." |
| Paul said he did not support "amnesty," a four-letter word for Republicans. Neither did Paul explicitly support a "path to citizenship," as do the president and the Senate gang of eight working on immigration reform. | Paul said he did not support "amnesty," a four-letter word for Republicans. Neither did Paul explicitly support a "path to citizenship," as do the president and the Senate gang of eight working on immigration reform. |
| But Paul did propose a process by which undocumented migrants become documented, their presence in the United States fully legal. "The solution doesn't have to be amnesty or deportation – a middle ground might be called probation, where those who came illegally become legal through a probationary period," Paul said. | But Paul did propose a process by which undocumented migrants become documented, their presence in the United States fully legal. "The solution doesn't have to be amnesty or deportation – a middle ground might be called probation, where those who came illegally become legal through a probationary period," Paul said. |
| Paul's proposal appears to leave room for him to declare he favors a path to citizenship or to say he doesn't, depending on which direction the political winds shift as the 2016 presidential field develops. | Paul's proposal appears to leave room for him to declare he favors a path to citizenship or to say he doesn't, depending on which direction the political winds shift as the 2016 presidential field develops. |
| Republicans like Paul who are changing their stances on immigration after the party's catastrophic defeat among Hispanics in the 2012 election have reason to be careful of where their wandering wisdom alights. | Republicans like Paul who are changing their stances on immigration after the party's catastrophic defeat among Hispanics in the 2012 election have reason to be careful of where their wandering wisdom alights. |
| Earlier this month, former Florida governor Jeb Bush came in for ridicule as a promotional tour for his new book became an apology tour for opposing a path to citizenship in the book. His party had moved faster on immigration than his publisher. | Earlier this month, former Florida governor Jeb Bush came in for ridicule as a promotional tour for his new book became an apology tour for opposing a path to citizenship in the book. His party had moved faster on immigration than his publisher. |
| On Tuesday Paul said improved border security would be a pre-condition to further reform. He called for expanding work visas. A stand-up civil libertarian, he rejected a national ID card. He also rejected a mandatory E-verify program under which employers would be held liable for the immigration status of employees, saying it's wrong to force "businesses to become policeman." | On Tuesday Paul said improved border security would be a pre-condition to further reform. He called for expanding work visas. A stand-up civil libertarian, he rejected a national ID card. He also rejected a mandatory E-verify program under which employers would be held liable for the immigration status of employees, saying it's wrong to force "businesses to become policeman." |
| Paul's speech on Tuesday represented a sharp turn from 2010, when enthusiastic Tea Party support pushed him to victory in a Senate election. At the time he favored spot checks by police of the immigration status of arrestees and said: "I do not support amnesty in any form." | Paul's speech on Tuesday represented a sharp turn from 2010, when enthusiastic Tea Party support pushed him to victory in a Senate election. At the time he favored spot checks by police of the immigration status of arrestees and said: "I do not support amnesty in any form." |
| "Por favor disculpen mi Espanol," Paul's speech on Tuesday began. "Como creci en Houston – es un poco 'espanglish y un poco Tex Mex." | "Por favor disculpen mi Espanol," Paul's speech on Tuesday began. "Como creci en Houston – es un poco 'espanglish y un poco Tex Mex." |
| Switching between Spanish and English, Paul reminisced about working alongside migrant workers on lawn crews in Texas as a boy, and his shock to discover they were not paid as much as him. He quoted the Spanish novelist Miguel de Unamuno, the Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, his middle-school Spanish teacher and Seinfeld – all but the last in the original Spanish. | Switching between Spanish and English, Paul reminisced about working alongside migrant workers on lawn crews in Texas as a boy, and his shock to discover they were not paid as much as him. He quoted the Spanish novelist Miguel de Unamuno, the Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, his middle-school Spanish teacher and Seinfeld – all but the last in the original Spanish. |
| "Some say to generalize about any ethnic group is be a racist," Paul said. "There is a hilarious Seinfeld episode where Jerry admits that he loves Asian women, but he frets and worries: 'Is it racist to like a certain race?' | "Some say to generalize about any ethnic group is be a racist," Paul said. "There is a hilarious Seinfeld episode where Jerry admits that he loves Asian women, but he frets and worries: 'Is it racist to like a certain race?' |
| "So it is with trepidation that I express my admiration for the romance of the Latin culture." | "So it is with trepidation that I express my admiration for the romance of the Latin culture." |
| In the end, he did not sound too scared. | In the end, he did not sound too scared. |