Chad’s Morning Brief: Romney & Obama’s Immigration Order and More

Here is your Morning Brief for the morning of June 18, 2012. Give us your feedback below and tune in to Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty for these and many more topics from 6-9 am.

1. Romney Won't Say (link)

On Sunday Mitt Romney refused to say that he would overturn President Obama's new immigration policy. According to the AP:

The Republican presidential candidate was asked three times in an interview on CBS' "Face the Nation" whether he would overturn the executive order issued Friday if he's elected in the fall. He refused to directly answer.

"It would be overtaken by events," Romney said when pressed for the second time by moderator Bob Schieffer during the interview taped Saturday while the former Massachusetts governor's bus tour stopped in Pennsylvania.

He explained the order would become irrelevant "by virtue of my putting in place a long-term solution, with legislation which creates law that relates to these individuals such that they know what their setting is going to be, not just for the term of a president but on a permanent basis."

Romney is walking a tight rope here. On one hand, he doesn't want to say anything that angers Latino's and gives Democrats ammo. On the other hand, he doesn't want to tick off conservatives. What are your thoughts?

2. Texans Respond (link)

Texas Republicans are responding to Obama's immigration order. According to the Statesman:

"This huge policy shift has horrible consequences for unemployed Americans looking for jobs and violates President Obama's oath to uphold the laws of this land," U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, said in a statement. "President Obama's amnesty only benefits illegal immigrants, not Americans, and is a magnet for fraud."

Obama said the order was the right thing to do, but Republicans accused the president of pandering to Latino voters and offering an unprecedented forgiveness of violations of federal law.

Gov. Rick Perry, who was criticized during his presidential bid for being weak on immigration, hit the Obama administration on the issue Friday, and he also criticized the Obama administration for bypassing Congress.

He said the executive order "is another example of its blatant disregard for our Constitution, our rule of law and our democratic process."

Ted Cruz, who is in a runoff against Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst to be the Republican nominee for Texas' open U.S. Senate seat, issued a statement calling Obama's order "nothing more than an attempt to enact backdoor amnesty, and I categorically oppose amnesty."

Dewhurst's response was similar. "President Barack Obama's decision to grant work permits to illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children is nothing short of backdoor amnesty by executive fiat and a blatant political ploy," he said.

Though Republican officials reacted harshly to the president's order, the Republican Party of Texas recently made moves to soften its position on immigration.

At their state convention earlier this month, Texas Republicans voted to change the platform and call for a temporary worker program.

Also, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, who will be running for lieutenant governor in 2014, told the San Antonio Express-News that he supports a plan for more legal workers and a path to "conditional status" for undocumented immigrants.

Staples released a statement Friday criticizing Obama's order. The commissioner didn't specifically mention the word amnesty, but in a later email, Staples fell into line.

3. A Confused Neighborhood (link)

A new hotel could be coming to Lubbock, but residents are completely sold on the idea. They don't know why they aren't sold, but they just aren't... maybe.

Like several of his neighbors, Nerios said he’s felt powerless as city construction and commercial developments projects changed his neighborhood.

And a proposed four-story Courtyard by Marriott Hotel is no different. The hotel is just a City Council vote away from reality. The structure’s site is across Vernon Avenue from Nerio’s house.

Like most of his neighbors who talked with The Avalanche-Journal during door-to-door visits this week, Nerios said he’s not opposed to a hotel moving in to what is now mostly vacant property already owned by the hotel through Insignia Hospitality.

“There’s nothing we can do about it anyway,” he said.

Across the 2.8-acre proposed hotel site between the Marsha Sharp Freeway and Third Street, Susan Rangel echoed Nerios’ sentiment. Her house faces the project from Avenue V.

“If we really had a choice we would have been opposed to it,” she said. “Otherwise, I’m OK. I know progress has to happen.”

What? So these residents don't like the idea of the hotel, but are fine with it even though they think they are powerless? Not sure why these residents are upset at all. Let's be honest, this is great for that area of town. It's not the best area in the City of Lubbock and a major hotel that looks nice wants to move in. All it can do is help really. Residents in Councilman Victor Hernandez's district seem to complain when a new business doesn't move in, and now some are complaining because one wants to move in? And why does Victor Hernandez have a problem with the hotel? Goes to show, you can't please everyone.

4. Biden Screws Up, No Not That One... (link)

Well, Biden put his foot into his mouth. This time though, it was Joe Biden's son, Beau. Beau was trying to take a shot at Mitt Romney when he actually hit Governor Bev Perdue too. According to newsobserver:

Beau Biden, the son of the Democratic vice president, went "off script," as he called it, to fire a shot a Republican Mitt Romney but hit Gov. Bev Perdue at the same time.

At the N.C. Democratic Party's annual fundraising dinner, Biden mentioned that Romney didn't seek a second term as Massachusetts governor, suggesting his failed economic policies hurt him. "I've never met a successful politician who didn't run again," said Biden, the Delaware attorney general.

The crowd collectively groaned. Biden's line sounded similar to what Republicans say about another governor who isn't seeking re-election: North Carolina Democrat Bev Perdue.

Ouch.

Oh well. That's not half as bad as some of the things VP Joe Biden has said/done.

5. Dumb Story of the Morning (link)

Taking pictures of school lunches is just a bad idea.

Martha, who lives in the coastal town of Lochgilphead, about 130 miles (210 kilometers) west of Edinburgh, gave each meal a “food-o-meter” rating, and offered an assessment of its contents.

“I’d really like to know where the chicken comes from,” she wrote in an entry about chicken fajitas, “so I am going to write to the lady in charge to ask. I know it comes from a hen but I’d like to know where the hen lived.”

Local officials weren’t amused, and ordered the schoolgirl to stop taking pictures.

In a statement, Argyll and Bute Council said Payne’s photos were misleading and had caused distress to cafeteria staff. The council was particularly irked by a report about the blog in Scotland’s Daily Record newspaper headlined “Fire the Dinner Ladies.”

The council complained of “unwarranted attacks on its schools catering service” and said the blog “misrepresented the options and choices available to pupils.”

As a result, it said, “a decision has been made by the council to stop photos being taken in the school canteen.”

6. Good Brews Good News of the Day (link)

Lost engagement ring finds it's way home.

An Upper West Side woman thought her engagement ring was gone for good after she lost it in the park, but a good Samaritan proved her wrong when she returned it two days later.

Jill Fink, a mother of 2-year-old twins, said she was in the park late last month when she took off her ring so that she could put suncreen on her daughter. She put the toddler into a swing and dropped her ring into the stroller.

Check out the rest of the story on the link above.

Everyday, Good Brews Coffee & Tea Lounge brings you the Good News of the Day!

Other Top Stories:

City of Lubbock and Park Tower Apartments

Texas Tech Sports Were Pretty Bad

Texas Supreme Court to Review Libel Law

Texas County Courthouses on Endangered List

These and many more topics coming up on today’s edition of Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty. Tune in mornings 6-9am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App. All guest interviews can be heard online in our podcast section after the show at kfyo.com.