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Romney Pushes Back on 'Anti-Immigrant' Charge

Says Gingrich attack 'unbecoming of a presidential candidate'

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 25, 2012 5:01 PM CST

(Newser) – Immigration took center stage today as Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich fought for votes among Latinos in Florida:

  • Romney criticized Gingrich for calling him "anti-immigrant," calling it "very sad for a candidate to resort to that sort of epithet," reports ABC. At a Univision forum, he added: "I’m not anti-immigrant, I’m pro-immigrant. I like immigration. Immigration has been an extraordinary source of strength in this country."
  • Gingrich pulled a Spanish-language ad using the phrase against Romney after Sen. Marco Rubio criticized it as "inflammatory," notes the Miami Herald.
  • Even though his father was born in Mexico, Romney said he didn't really consider himself a Mexican-American. “I don’t think people would think I was being honest with them if I said I was Mexican-American,” he said, joking that he would "love to be able to convince people of that, particularly in a Florida primary.”
  • A new CNN/Time poll has the two candidates in a statistical dead heat in the state, with Romney at 36% and Gingrich at 34%. Behind them are Rick Santorum (11%) and Ron Paul (9%). More at CNN.
Click to read about how Gingrich thinks the US should give Cuba the same attention as Libya.

Mitt  Romney speaks with Univision News anchor Jorge Ramos at Miami Dade College in Miami.
Mitt Romney speaks with Univision News anchor Jorge Ramos at Miami Dade College in Miami.   (Jeffrey M. Boan)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
cornelison
Jan 25, 2012 11:05 PM CST
The polls put both Mitt & Newt out of touch with Americans. The GOP establishm­ent can't raise Mitt's numbers. Now, After Obama's successful State of the Union, Grover Norquist must be having a really bad migraine. Look at the bright side, Mitt, Newt and Norquist all have health insurance.
Tis_I
Jan 25, 2012 9:31 PM CST
Romney really has no clue.
Shannonals
Jan 25, 2012 7:54 PM CST
So, Marc Rubio smacked Newt's little hands for an inflammatory ad.  Why am I not amazed?  Didn't Newt have to aplogize to the Latino community years ago for another ad?
 

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