Giuliani Tweaks ID Proposal
CORAL GABLES, FL -- Rudy Giuliani said last night that he would deal with illegal immigrants already living in the United States by offering a new identification card, which he previously wanted to offer to immigrants wanting to come into this country.
"We can have them get the tamper-proof ID card," said Giuliani. "The people that come forward can sign up. They can pay taxes, and then the people who don't are the people who are really the cause of concern."
Giuliani has talked about focusing on securing the borders and changing the behavior of people who wanted to come into the country, but last night at the Univision debate, he said he would extend that opportunity to the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country.
Texas congressman Ron Paul went after Giuliani for proposing the ID card for illegal immigrants, saying it was a step toward a national identification card for all Americans.
In a post-debate interview, Paul told CBS News "it's the wrong way to go", and questioned how illegal aliens would get the card and if Americans who "looked like illegal immigrants" would need them too.
Florida State Representative Rene Garcia, who came out to support Giuliani, disagreed with Paul's assumption.
"I don't see that happening," said Garcia. "We need to get the illegals out of the shadows and into the light and start identifying who these people are."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who was out tonight to lend his support to Sen. John McCain, called Paul's disagreement with the proposed ID card "ridiculous."
"If you want to solve illegal immigration, we have to know the difference between someone here legally and illegally," said Graham, who says a tamper proof ID card is necessary. "All you need to get a job in this country right now is a social security card. I could go anywhere in Miami tonight and get an illegal social security card and an employer wouldn't know the difference."
At a rally for Giuliani later in the evening, the former mayor told a ballroom full of supporters that despite his lead in Florida now, he still needs them to get out the vote like the did for President Bush in 2000.
"You pushed him right over the top," said Giuliani. "Only thing I have to ask you, when you push me over the top, let's make it little bigger? A little bigger!"