Karl Rove Speaks Out Against Arizona Immigration Law

AP

Karl Rove, who served as chief political strategist for former President George W. Bush, is the latest Republican to speak out against Arizona's controversial new immigration law, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

"I think there is going to be some constitutional problems with the bill," Rove reportedly said at a senior community center in The Villages, Forida, where he made a stop on his book tour. "I wished they hadn't passed it, in a way."

Arizona's new law, signed by the governor on Friday, would require immigrants to carry documents verifying their immigration status. It would also require police officers to question a person about his or her immigration status if there is "reasonable suspicion" that person may be illegally in the country.

The law has created a challenge for Republicans who want to prove to their conservative base they are tough on immigration without alienating Latino voters, and a rift in the party has developed over how to respond to the law. Like Rove, GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) has questioned the constitutionality of the law, while Marco Rubio, the expected GOP Senate candidate in Florida, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has expressed reservations about it. By contrast, Arizona's Republican Sen. John McCain has refrained from criticizing the new measure, while House Minority Leader John Boehner has said the state's preferences should be respected.

While McCain has called the law a "good tool," Rove by contrast, reportedly said, "At the end of the day ... I think there are better tools."

Rove, however, took issue with the notion that the law will lead to racial profiling, the Sentinel reports.

"These are modern police forces that respect the rights of people in their communities," Rove said. "They're going to do it on the basis of reasonable suspicion that these people are here illegally, like they're driving a car with a Mexican license plate or they can't speak English or they don't have a drivers license."

President Obama, meanwhile, has come out swinging against the law, arguing it will make it "really tough on people who look like they, quote, might be illegal immigrants."

[tammytyler]

How would dirty trickster Karl Rove know anything about illegal aliens?
He couldn't stand it when a few of them protested at his house
scaring his kids. He pulled his hair out over that.

If he knew anything about the issue he would know that SB 1070 is
already working! And it's not even been enforced yet.

[jessica2583]

if police see you that you're hispanic are they going to stop you and ask for your papers? you cant be carrying your papers around, what if somebody tries to rob you? you have to keep it in a safe place. i'm hispanic and a u.s. citizen born and raised in seattle washington, do i have to carry my birth certificate or social security number around if i ever go to arizona just in case they stop me? well, im light skinned does that help?

[carrmakk]

Jessica2583:Carry your state ID. If you are driving,have your DL as that is a legal requirement any way.

[DelawareBob]

I LOVE the new Arizona law! I'm VERY proud of Governor Jan Brewer for signing the bill.

When, I ask when, are we going to learn that illegal aliens have NO RIGHT to be in this Country. We have immigration laws that both the Republicans and Democrats will not get ENFORCED! Janet Flintstone is WORTHLESS! She doesn't have a clue on what to do to get rid of the illegal aliens.

Illegal aliens are destroying this Country, and one would have to be almost blind not to see this. How much longer do we have to support these illegal aliens? How much longer do we have to school their illegal alien children? How much longer are we going to let them have our jobs? How much longer are we going to put up with all the crime, stolen identities, forged documents, fake green cards? How much longer are we going to allow these illegal aliens to send money out of this Country and bring our Country down? Oh, amnesty will correct all this. WRONG! Nothing will change except we wouldn't be able to call them illegal aliens any more. Let's get rid of these illegal aliens! Let's get them back to their own Country where they belong!

I'm from Delaware, and we are pressing to get the Oklahoma State Illegal Immigration Law, HB 1804, passed here in Delaware. Three years ago we had about 32,000 illegal aliens here. Today we have about 68,000 illegal aliens here. We have had it! We want our State back!

To enter this Country legally is easy. Just apply and wait. How easy is that?

[stopdainsanity2]

Its sad to see good people from Arizona making excuses for their governor's irresponsible action...sounds like the excuses expressed by the german population when asked why they went along with early stages of jewish persecution. At the end of the day this is a result of fear (and ignorance). At a time of economic turmoil - some people will look for easy answers in hopes of improving their personal situation - unfortunately at the expense of others.

[tammytyler]

I'll bet you are a paid poster for Mexico correct?

[3beautyfulbutterflyz]

OK ROVE OR ANYONE ELSE THATS COMPLAINING!!!!! HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IF A PREVIOUS VEHICLE (WE SOLD OUR VECHILE TO A CAR COMPANY) THAT YOU OWNED WAS USED TO TRANSPORT MEXICAN BASTARDS INTO THE COUNTRY........AND OF COURSE THE GOVERNMENT COMES AFTER YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE MAKING IT SEEM LIKE YOU WERE A PART OF SMUGGLING MEXICANS...WELL THAT'S WHAT HAPPENEND TO ME AND MY HUSBAND AND ISNT IT FUNNY THAT THE JERKS THAT HAVE THE VEHICLE DID NOT GET IN TROUBLE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT REGISTERED IN ARIZONA ANYMORE IT WAS MEXICO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IM SURE THIS IS A MINOR THING BUT THESE STUPID *******' SHOULD GET THERE PAPERS SO THEY CAN ALSO GET INTO TROUBLE WITH THE GOVERNMENT LIKE THE REST OF US THAT ARE LEGAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO WHAT IF YOU GET ASKED FOR YOUR PAPERWORK I SEE LOTS OF BRAGGING ABOUT THEIR COUNTRY ANYWAY ESPECIALLY PEOPLE FROM MEXICO....SO SHOW YOUR DOCUMENTATION!! ITS THEIR CHOICE TO BECOME AN AMERICAN SO SHOW PROOF AND STOP COMPLAINING! BE AWARE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND TAKE CARE OF US FIRST.....NOT IMMAGRANTS FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mrblump]

Are you drunk?

[kcsteak2]

Good stradegy Rove. The commies are scared.

[Patrick_in_AZ]

"Arizona's new law, signed by the governor on Friday, would require immigrants to carry documents verifying their immigration status." Immigrants are already required to carry immigration documents by FEDERAL LAW.

[ZippyAwakes]

AMAZING - This has only once again proven to me how, numbed, dumbed and confused Americans truly are, you have forgotten Constitutional Law and are giving way to "Social" Law, which as we are all immigrants or decedents thereof, except indigenous Indian cultures, that American Constitutional Law says - Equal, do you understand that, as a 49 year old Arizona Native, I have been a construction supervisor, working with "Legal Immigrants" It doesn't matter if your Red, Blue , Brown or Green for that matter, Legal means Legal, and Illegal means "Illegal" - what don't you people understand about that ??? Would you truly expect to just walk into a country and become supported by that country, what the ... ??? The Race Card - Great !!! lets play it OK - I supervised entire crews of "Legal" Hispanics and worked under One - LEGAL "PEOPLE" don't you get it? My family sailed the ocean blue to live here and became U.S. Citizens, so don't pull out the Race Card or any other nonsense on me - I am a descendent of great immigrants that gave life, limb and blood, so you can run around and protest because you want to belong - HOGWASH - Read the Bill FOOLS, I have also had my cars broken into, been threatened by illegal Mexicans, in which due to there blatant stupidity were stuffing narcotics in the door panels of a pick up truck in broad day light, is this what you want America - Really?? Read the BILL and READ it completely, until then SHUT YOUR MOUTHS - PERIOD as far as I am concerned BOYCOTT US, we don't want your ignorance anyway-
www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070h.pdf

[saneObserver]

It will depend on what reasonable suspicion is. I think if the police do nothing more that make checking immigration status a part of every arrest, the situation will be improved. I certainly don't want to see every Latino-American citizen feel like they have to carry papers. I'm not sure what the prior law was in Arizona, but I also don't want to see police have to continually use resources to arrest illegal aliens that are committing crimes and then use taxpayer money to keep them in jail when they should just be deported.

[melpol1]

It is a myth that the 10 thousand illegals that cross the Mexican border every day are poor. Border patrol agents are becoming wealthy because illegals carrying large sums of money with them are often apprehended. Only a mentally ill Mexican would dare cross the US border illegally without a skill. Most are construction workers or auto mechanics and have a job waiting for them. They seldom work for less than minimum wages, and pay no taxes. Almost none are harvest workers.