Newt Gingrich Moves To Shore Up Immigration Credentials

Newt Gingrich Moves To Shore Up Immigration Credentials

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich blasted President Barack Obama in a press release Monday for allowing the Department of Justice to bring a lawsuit against South Carolina over a new law that allows local authorities to crack down on undocumented immigrants.

The move is meant to bolster Gingrich's credentials on immigration and reassure the conservative base of the Republican party, after he adopted a more moderate tone toward some undocumented immigrants during a debate last week.

One line in the release that is sure to catch the notice of Tea Party-type voters and activists is Gingrich's complaint that 16 foreign nations have joined the DOJ lawsuit against South Carolina. In response to this, he got off his most provocative line.

"It makes you wonder what country does President Obama think he is president of,” Gingrich said.

More from the release:

The DOJ could have easily conveyed their views in its own arguments. Instead, we can only conclude that President Obama thought that the citizens of South Carolina would be impressed by the involvement of foreign countries in a lawsuit attacking the duly enacted laws of South Carolina. I can assure him, especially after spending time in South Carolina, that the people of South Carolina are not impressed.

Welcoming foreign governments to participate in constitutional disputes between our federal government and the government of several of the states touches upon American sovereignty. Sovereignty means our right to self-government, that is to say, our right and ability to rule ourselves rather than following the dictates of others. In weakening our sovereignty by such actions as welcoming the participation of foreign governments in a judicial determination of the meaning of the U.S. Constitution – a question foreign governments have zero competence in – President Obama ignores the core fundamentals of our Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Obama administration should defend American sovereignty from foreign encroachment not abet such encroachment.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot