Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in an interview with CNN Wednesday admitted his position on H1B immigration visas has changed, but denied that the shift was politically motivated.
“Any rational person responds to a change in circumstances. What’s changed? We’ve seen a whole number of employers abusing the program,” Cruz, a frontrunner in the 2016 race, told CNN. “No. 1, bringing in people who are not high-skilled, bringing in medium- and low-skilled (information technology) workers and then firing American workers and, adding insult to injury, forcing the American workers to train their foreign replacements.”
Cruz’s record on immigration came under scrutiny on the campaign trail after 2016 rival Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) — who has long been considered vulnerable on the issue for his involvement in the the failed immigration overhaul bill — suggested he and Cruz were not so different in their positions. Rubio pointed to Cruz’s past support of increased legal immigration and accused Cruz of previously supporting legal status for undocumented immigrants, a claim Cruz has vehemently denied.
As the tussle between the two heated up, Cruz released an immigration platform that placed new restrictions on legal immigration, including a suspension of the H1B visa program — which Cruz at one time favored expanding.
And what’s funny is these clowns are still playing to the base. How twisted is the pretzel-logic going to have to be when playing to not-nutjobs who don’t already plan to vote for one of the clown-car survivor participants?
Can’t stand the guy, but this is not “flip flopping”, this is a position evolving. Just like Obama did not “flip flop” on gay marriage, his position evolved.
Flip flopping is when you say one thing to one group, then another thing to a different group, etc. Mitt Romney was a big flip flopper. It’s basically going back and forth on a position based on who you are speaking to (hence the term “flip flop”).
Frankly, ANY candidate who can’t change a position based on new conditions or a reevaluation of the issue is useless. Those are the types that can never admit they were wrong. I have no use for people like that.
Surely he’s now also in favor of sanctioning all those irresponsible employers?
I agree that his position might be evolving, but more likely, it is that Cruz constantly has his wet index finger in the wind, to determine which way the political winds are blowing, so that he can ‘evolve’ his positions. Politico ran an interesting comparison between Cruz & Nixon, written by Rich Lowery of all people; he posits that Cruz hears what other candidates are saying & then ‘borrows’ their positions as his own. “evolving positions?” I don’t think so. Cynical politics? I think so.
Trump has a baseball bat and Rubio has a frying pan. Cruz is in the middle and has a pen with an eraser.