Romney's immigration stance pleases South Carolina Republicans
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The crowd at South Carolina's Republican convention cheered yesterday when former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney criticized a new immigration proposal and booed a key ally of US Senator John McCain when he defended it.
The immigration compromise between key senators and the White House played strongly at the convention as more than 1,000 delegates and Republican activists gathered. Many in the crowd wore stickers with "Senate amnesty bill" crossed out.
They cheered as Romney, a presidential candidate, told them: "One simple rule: No amnesty."
During his speech and before his remarks, Romney said a proposed new visa for immigrants amounts to amnesty if it can be renewed indefinitely.
"If that's not a form of amnesty, I don't know what is," Romney said.
The crowd booed South Carolina US Senator Lindsey Graham, a key ally of McCain in both his 2000 and 2008 presidential bids, when he said he had worked with Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts on the immigration legislation.
"It's the best bill I think we can get to President Bush," Graham said as some in the crowd shouted "No!"
Graham was cheered earlier in his speech when he talked about the war in Iraq.
After the speech, Graham said he was booed on immigration because "it's an emotional topic. People are mad."
South Carolina's other US senator, Jim DeMint, is on opposite sides from Graham: He supports Romney and said he opposes an immigration bill that allows permanent residency of illegal aliens. (AP)
The friend, Sheriff Harry Lee of Jefferson Parish, has been close to former President Bill Clinton for many years, and he is popular among some Democrats here.
But Lee has a history of making divisive and derogatory remarks, sometimes aimed at residents of neighboring New Orleans, which is predominantly black, and his relationship with many black political leaders is turbulent.
Lee drew notoriety shortly after the hurricane when some of his deputies helped prevent hurricane evacuees, most of them black, from crossing the Crescent City Connection bridge into Jefferson Parish. Lee defended the move, saying his office had "a duty to protect our people."
Lee was a host committee member for a fund-raiser here Friday night for Clinton's presidential campaign.
The event, which the senator attended, was closed to the news media.
Clinton, who proposed a Gulf Coast Recovery Agenda during a stop here Friday, unveiled more details of that plan during a commencement speech yesterday at Dillard University, where she spoke before several thousand African-Americans.
She proposed a corps of workers to complete high-priority projects; the program would also provide financial incentives to teachers, doctors, and other professionals who are in demand in the region.
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Obama addressed the supporters at a ski park in Manchester before they boarded buses headed to Concord, Keene, Nashua, Portsmouth, and Hanover.
JAMES PINDELL
The home-state endorsements for the former New York City mayor are expected to start tomorrow. The state party chairman, Joseph Mondello, will endorse Giuliani for president, Anthony Santino, a spokesman for the chairman, said yesterday.
Santino said Mondello would be joined at a New York City event by fellow county chairmen.
On Tuesday, Giuliani will be at Albany's airport to pick up the endorsements of state Senate majority leader Joseph Bruno, state Assembly minority leader James Tedisco, and other GOP state lawmakers, two key Republicans said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release information before the event. (AP)
