Custom Search

See below for Romney's positions on:
- Affirmative Action and Quotas
- Asian Pacific Americans the candidate has hired, appointed
or supported for election
- Employment discrimination, glass ceilings
- Making English the official language of the U.S.
- Foreign Policy toward China, Taiwan, India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam .   Missile defense system to protect Japan , Taiwan , or South Korea
- Hate Crimes.  Legislation increasing penalties for hate crimes.
- Immigration


Affirmative Action and Quotas

2008 Washington Post: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/issues/candidates/mitt-romney/ 

I do not support quotas in hiring, government contracting, school admissions or the like. I believe our nation is at its best when people are evaluated as individuals. I do support encouraging inclusiveness and diversity, and I encourage the disclosure of the numbers of women and minorities in top positions of companies and government -- not to impose a quota, but to shine light on the situation. We should always strive for the broadest representation of people, from all walks of life, at all levels of our companies, schools, and government.

10/1/94 Massachusetts senatorial debate: Women that I have seen in organizations have not had the opportunity that they deserve to have in getting ahead in organizations. If we are to compete as a nation, we've got to draw on the skills of women and minorities. And I have seen organizations from the federal government to corporations that are not drawing on the skills of women and minorities.

10/1/94 Massachusetts senatorial debate: Women are concerned about the glass ceiling. My entire life has been one of working with women and helping women thru the glass ceiling. Public companies and federal agencies should be required in their annual report the number of women and minorities by income category, so we can identify where the glass ceiling is, and we can break through it. The marketplace will say `that company has not promoted women and minorities and will put pressure on American corporations and agencies to respond.

Asian Pacific Americans the candidate has hired, appointed or supported for election

10/9/07: Asian American in Massachusetts comments: Gov. Romney appointed very few Asian Americans to paid positions in Massachusetts.  The only appointment that I and several of my colleagues can think of was the deputy director of the Massachusetts Office of Refugees and Immigrants.  Several Asian Americans have held the position of director in the past, appointed by other governors, Democratic and Republican.

Moreover, Governor Romney allowed the Asian American Commission, a governor appointed state-wide commission, to become inactive by declining to fill vacancies until the last year of his term.  As a result, legislation was filed to create a broad-based Asian American Commission appointed by the Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State and other constitutional officers.  Once the legislation was enacted, the result was two Asian American Commissions which is creating a lot of confusion. 

12/7/2007 Harvard Crimson: An Academic Politician: Award-winning TF balances life between Harvard and Washington,
By Alissa M D'Gama
    From the looks of his resume, Republican strategist Lanhee J. Chen 99 might seem like a professional flip-flopper.
    Chen, who holds three Harvard degrees and is working on his fourth, has also fashioned a career as a political insider, working for two presidential campaigns, a Washington think tank, and a K Street lobbying group.
    I've always been stuck between two fields.  I like academia, but I also like being in D.C. and working on policy, he says.
    But in the past decade, Chen has found ways to integrate his interests inside the classroom and inside the Beltway.
    I'm not shy of integrating the theoretical with the practical, he says of his award-winning work as a Harvard teaching fellow.
    When I teach about campaigns, for example, I feel that students appreciate the fact that I have some practical experience.
    Now Chen has ventured across the Charles River to work at Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's campaign headquarters, where he serves as domestic policy director.
    In politics and in academia, Chen, who took time off from writing his Ph.D. dissertation to join the Romney campaign consistently makes deep impressions on friends, bosses, and colleagues.
    Both his passion and his patience in his character are what continue to make him so different from so many people I know, says Bom S. Kim 00, the founder of 02138 magazine, who lived with Lanhee from 2000 to 2002.  Politics is not just a diversion, [its] an integral part of his life.
    POLITICAL PROMISE
    Growing up in California, Chen always assumed he would go to Stanford.
Then I got into Harvard, he says, and everyone said, Its Harvard.  You have to go there.
    Though he had apprehensions about moving to the East Coast, Chen was sold when he visited as a pre-frosh.
    And he hasn't really left the University since.
    Shahram H. Elghanayan 99, a college roommate, remembers when Chen sent him a postcard from Alaska during their sophomore year.  That was the second time he had received a handwritten postcard from another man.
    Its a reflection on his character and his ability to be able to keep in touch with people, said Elghanayan, a managing director for the financial risk-management company BancWare ERisk.
    As an undergraduate, Chen was mainly involved with Harvard Model Congress and became the organizations co-president. He also served as an Undergraduate Council representative for Currier House.
    I did the sort of things people do that have been interested in politics,  Chen says.
    Chens passion for politics seems to have shown through when he worked as an intern for the Senate Republican Conference one summer in college.
    His boss at the time, Laura C. Dove, who is now assistant secretary for the minority in the U.S. Senate, says Chen stands out from her roughly two decades on Capitol Hill.
    There are lot of eager, smart young people who come through, she says.  He's absolutely the most impressive 19 year old I've ever met.
    NOT IN COLLEGE, BUT STILL AT HARVARD
    After receiving his bachelors degree in government in 1999, Chen moved to Washington to work as a political consultant. Only a year later, he returned to campus to start his Ph.D.
    It was very appealing to me to be involved and engaged with a particular subject at a very high level and become an expert at it, Chen says.
    His doctoral work focuses on the link between judicial election systems and substantive legal outcomes.
    Chen spent a year away from Harvard in 2001-2002, working for an employee benefits advocacy group that represents the interests of major companies.
    And in 2004, he worked at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington .
    In 2004, Chen committed himself to another three years at Harvard when he enrolled at the Law School .
    He worked on his law and doctoral degrees concurrently until he received his J.D. earlier this year.
    Lanhees an amazing worker, said Alex N. Wong, his friend and Law School classmate. I don't really understand when he had time to study.
    Wong spoke with The Crimson from Iraq, where he is working for the State Department.
    While pursuing his graduate studies, Chen became a six-time winner of the Bok Center for Teaching and Learnings award for teaching distinction. The prize is given to teaching fellows who receive more than a 4.5 on the CUE Guides five-point scale.
    Chen says he consistently brings three main qualities to his teaching: being prepared, being fair, and engaging students in discussions that interest them.
All in all, Lanhee is terrific, said Sidney Verba, his dissertation adviser. Hes just the kind of person you really want for a TF.
    Verba, who held one of Harvard's 21 University professorships until he retired last year, adds that Chen really knows how to connect with undergraduates.
    Candice Chiu 04, who was in one of Chens sections and considers him a mentor, describes him as a person that's always juggling 20 things on his plate at one time.
    Somehow, she says, he always manages to be on top of things and makes time for all his friends.
    PRESIDENTIAL TIMBRE
    Now, sitting in a conference room at the Romney for President campaign headquarters in Boston s North End, Chens excitement at being domestic policy director is evident.
    He glows when talking about going on the road with Romney in August.
    It was a hectic week, but I got an opportunity to shape a policy area and get to know the Governor as a leader and a person, Chen said.
    Romney, a graduate of the Law School and the Business School, served as Massachusetts's governor from 2003 to 2007.  Chen isn't new to the presidential campaign trail.
    He worked as a health policy adviser for President Bush's 2004 re-election campaign.
    Chen considers politics a very contact-driven profession.
    It always raises eyebrows when I appear on panels with people who dont look like me, or are a lot older, or look like they had more experience than me, Chen says. Its always great to destroy the stereotypes and show you can still be an effective advocate for a political issue, or in my case, for the office of president.
    Kim, the 02138 founder and former roommate, said he has gained respect for Chen because of his passion, dedication, and open-mindedness.
    Lanhee genuinely loves his country, Kim says, and not in a cheesy way.
    Perhaps it is fitting, then, that Chens birthday is the Fourth of July.



Employment discrimination, glass ceilings

2008 Washington Post: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/issues/candidates/mitt-romney/

I do not support quotas in hiring, government contracting, school admissions or the like. I believe our nation is at its best when people are evaluated as individuals. I do support encouraging inclusiveness and diversity, and I encourage the disclosure of the numbers of women and minorities in top positions of companies and government -- not to impose a quota, but to shine light on the situation. We should always strive for the broadest representation of people, from all walks of life, at all levels of our companies, schools, and government.

10/1/94 Massachusetts senatorial debate: Women that I have seen in organizations have not had the opportunity that they deserve to have in getting ahead in organizations. If we are to compete as a nation, we've got to draw on the skills of women and minorities. And I have seen organizations from the federal government to corporations that are not drawing on the skills of women and minorities.

10/1/94 Massachusetts senatorial debate: Women are concerned about the glass ceiling. My entire life has been one of working with women and helping women thru the glass ceiling. Public companies and federal agencies should be required in their annual report the number of women and minorities by income category, so we can identify where the glass ceiling is, and we can break through it. The marketplace will say `that company has not promoted women and minorities and will put pressure on American corporations and agencies to respond.

Making English the official language of the U.S.

In June 5, 2007 Republican debate, Wolf Blitzer just asked the GOP candidates to raise their hands if they oppose the idea of making English the country's official language.  Romney did 
not oppose.

Foreign Policy.  Like Americans of African, Cuban, Greek, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Mexican, and Polish descent, many APA's are interested in American foreign policy toward the country of their ancestors.

U.S. policy toward China and Taiwan

10/7/11 mittromney.com: An American Century: A Strategy to Secure America’s Enduring Interests and Ideals A Romney for President White Paper
    In 2010, after 30 years of dramatic growth, China surpassed Japan to become the world’s
second largest economy after ours. China’s size in land and in population, its rapid economic
growth, and its sharply increasing military expenditures are dramatically changing the strategic map of the world. While the potential for conflict with an authoritarian China could rise as its power
grows, the United States must pursue policies designed to encourage Beijing to embark on a course that makes conflict less likely. China must be discouraged from attempting to intimidate or dominate neighboring states. If the present Chinese regime is permitted to establish itself as the preponderant power in the Western Pacific it could close off large parts of the region to cooperative relations with the United States and the West and dim hope that economic opportunity and democratic freedom will continue to flourish across East Asia. Mitt Romney will implement a strategy that makes the path of regional hegemony for China far more costly than the alternative path of becoming a responsible partner in the international system.
    Maintain Robust Military Capabilities in the Pacific: 
    In the face of China’s accelerated military build-up, the United States and our allies must maintain appropriate military capabilities to discourage any aggressive or coercive behavior by China against its neighbors. Maintaining a strong military presence in the Pacific is not an invitation to conflict. Quite the contrary; it is a guarantor of a region where trade routes are open and East Asia’s community of nations remains secure and prosperous.
    Toward that end, the United States should maintain and expand its naval presence in the
Western Pacific. We should be assisting partners that require help to enhance their defensive
capabilities. The Department of Defense should reconsider recent decisions not to sell top-of-the-
line equipment to our closest Asian allies. We should be coordinating with Taiwan to determine its military needs and supplying them with adequate aircraft and other military platforms. We should be assisting Pacific nations to enhance maritime domain awareness, i.e., the ability to employ radar and other detection networks to monitor aggressive behavior in disputed waters. This would minimize the chance of surprise confrontations and prevent military miscalculations that can escalate into larger conflicts.
    Deepen Cooperation Among Regional Partners: 
    We need to continue to strengthen alliances and relations with strategic partners like India and build stronger ties to influential countries like Indonesia. Our aim should be to work with all these countries bilaterally but also to encourage them to work with one another as they have begun to do. Our objective is not to build an anti-China coalition. Rather it is to strengthen cooperation among countries with which we share a concern about China’s growing power and increasing assertiveness and with whom we also share an interest in maintaining freedom of navigation and ensuring that disputes over resources are resolved by peaceful means. It is yet another way of closing off China’s option of expanding its influence through coercion.
    As detailed in his book, Believe in America, Mitt Romney will also pursue deeper economic
cooperation among like-minded nations around the world that are genuinely committed to the
principles of open markets through the formation of a “Reagan Economic Zone.” The benefits of
this zone — which will codify principles of free trade — will be a powerful magnet that draws in an
expanding circle of nations seeking greater access to other markets. Although China is unlikely to
accede to the Reagan Economic Zone given its current approach to trade, offering Beijing the
possibility of participation will give China significant incentives to end its abusive commercial
practices. But with or without China as a member, the Reagan Economic Zone will establish a
system of trade that could knit together the entire region, discouraging imbalanced bilateral trade
relations between China and its neighbors, limiting China’s ability to coerce other countries, and
ultimately encouraging China to participate in free trade on fair terms.
    Defend Human Rights: 
    Any serious U.S. policy toward China must confront the fact that
China’s regime continues to deny its people basic political freedoms and human rights. A nation that represses its own people cannot be a trusted partner in an international system based on economic and political freedom. While it is obvious that any lasting democratic reform in China cannot be imposed from the outside, it is equally obvious that the Chinese people currently do not yet enjoy the requisite civil and political rights to turn internal dissent into effective reform.  The United States has an important role to play in encouraging the evolution of China toward a more politically open and democratic order.
    If the United States fails to support dissidents out of fear of offending the Chinese government, we will merely embolden China’s leaders. We certainly should not have relegated the future of freedom to second or third place, as Secretary of State Clinton did in 2009 when she publicly declared that the Obama administration would not let U.S. concerns about China’s human
rights record interfere with cooperation “on the global economic crisis [and] the global climate
change crisis.” A Romney administration will vigorously support and engage civil society groups
within China that are promoting democratic reform, anti-corruption efforts, religious freedom, and
women’s and minority rights. It will look to provide these groups and the Chinese people with
greater access to information and communication through a stronger Internet freedom initiative.
Mitt Romney will seek to engage China, but will always stand up for those fighting for the freedoms we enjoy.

7/27/11 e-mail
    When he ran for president, candidate Obama said he would take China "to the mat" over its unfair trade practices - but instead he is the one being treated like a doormat.  China still does not play by the rules or provide an open and level playing field on which we can compete.  In fact, the most recent data shows that while China continues to grow its economy rapidly, our exports to China are actually falling!   
    If Mitt is elected President, he will not tolerate this situation.  He will get tough with China.
    Make no mistake - Mitt is a strong believer in free trade and open markets.  Opening new markets overseas creates new demand for American products and services, which in turn creates new jobs for American workers.  As the world's second largest economy, and one of the fastest growing, China offers incredible opportunities for American companies.  If these companies are able to compete in the Chinese market, they will create countless jobs here at home.
    Unfortunately, China is trying to deprive America of that opportunity.  For too long, we have allowed China to take advantage of our goodwill and commitment to openness.  We have opened our own markets to them, but we have gotten little in return.  They steal our technology, manipulate their currency, and put up barriers that prevent us from competing.  As a result, for every four dollars of goods China sells into our market, we are only able to sell one dollar's worth into theirs.  The resulting trade imbalance is the largest in the history of the world.  

9/12/07 mittromney.com: China and the rest of Asia are on the move economically and technologically. They are a family oriented, educated, hard-working, and mercantile people. We must be ready and able to compete. This means ensuring our children are educated to compete in this new market, our trade laws are fair and balanced, and our economy and tax laws welcome new investment. If America acts boldly and swiftly, the emergence of Asia will be an opportunity. Trade and commerce with these huge new economies can further strengthen our economy and propel our growth. If America fails to act, we will be eclipsed.

6/23/07 Helena Independent Record: Presidential Hopeful Touts Optimism, Reagan Values,

"Citing new U.S. trade opportunities in China and India, Romney said there are now one billion new consumers for U.S. medical and pharmaceutical products and computer hardware and software.

12/14/06 National Review: I traveled to Japan, China, and South Korea. Two things from my China trip stand out. First, they will be a more powerful economic competitor than we in America recognize. They are hard working, market oriented, and smart. They even have some lower taxes in some areas than we do. Bottom line: They are competing to win. Second, it is important for us as a nation to reach out to China and to chart out a course that is consistent with a free economy and a free society. This goal must be consistent with our own principles. . . . . I believe in building bridges not walls. We specifically addressed the detention of a Massachusetts citizen, Yang Jianli, with Chinese officials and we asked for special attention and consideration for his early release. Working with China on our own security interests including the isolation of North Korea must not be at the expense of our commitment to freedom and basic human rights.

U.S. policy toward India

10/7/11 mittromney.com: An American Century: A Strategy to Secure America’s Enduring Interests and Ideals A Romney for President White Paper
    Deepen Cooperation Among Regional Partners: 
    We need to continue to strengthen alliances and relations with strategic partners like India and build stronger ties to influential countries like Indonesia. Our aim should be to work with all these countries bilaterally but also to encourage them to work with one another as they have begun to do. Our objective is not to build an anti-China coalition. Rather it is to strengthen cooperation among countries with which we share a concern about China’s growing power and increasing assertiveness and with whom we also share an interest in maintaining freedom of navigation and ensuring that disputes over resources are resolved by peaceful means. It is yet another way of closing off China’s option of expanding its influence through coercion.
    As detailed in his book, Believe in America, Mitt Romney will also pursue deeper economic
cooperation among like-minded nations around the world that are genuinely committed to the
principles of open markets through the formation of a “Reagan Economic Zone.” The benefits of
this zone — which will codify principles of free trade — will be a powerful magnet that draws in an
expanding circle of nations seeking greater access to other markets. Although China is unlikely to
accede to the Reagan Economic Zone given its current approach to trade, offering Beijing the
possibility of participation will give China significant incentives to end its abusive commercial
practices. But with or without China as a member, the Reagan Economic Zone will establish a
system of trade that could knit together the entire region, discouraging imbalanced bilateral trade
relations between China and its neighbors, limiting China’s ability to coerce other countries, and
ultimately encouraging China to participate in free trade on fair terms.

9/12/07 mittromney.com: China and the rest of Asia are on the move economically and technologically. They are a family oriented, educated, hard-working, and mercantile people. We must be ready and able to compete. This means ensuring our children are educated to compete in this new market, our trade laws are fair and balanced, and our economy and tax laws welcome new investment. If America acts boldly and swiftly, the emergence of Asia will be an opportunity. Trade and commerce with these huge new economies can further strengthen our economy and propel our growth. If America fails to act, we will be eclipsed.

6/23/07 Helena Independent Record: Presidential Hopeful Touts Optimism, Reagan Values,
    "Citing new U.S. trade opportunities in China and India, Romney said there are now one billion new consumers for U.S. medical and pharmaceutical products and computer hardware and software.

2/7/07 Governor Mitt Romney's Remarks At The Detroit Economic Club
"At the same time we have to make sure that the rules of free trade are fair. It's time to make sure China's markets, for instance, are open to our goods. And it's time to sure they enforce our intellectual property rights as well as they enforce their own. Try to counterfeit an Olympic tee-shirt in Beijing, for instance, and see how long it takes for them to find you. No, the easy money for the criminal counterfeiters is in software, entertainment, pharmaceuticals: the things that we export.

U.S. policy toward Japan

10/7/11 mittromney.com: An American Century: A Strategy to Secure America’s Enduring Interests and Ideals A Romney for President White Paper
    In 2010, after 30 years of dramatic growth, China surpassed Japan to become the world’s
second largest economy after ours. China’s size in land and in population, its rapid economic
growth, and its sharply increasing military expenditures are dramatically changing the strategic map of the world. While the potential for conflict with an authoritarian China could rise as its power
grows, the United States must pursue policies designed to encourage Beijing to embark on a course that makes conflict less likely. China must be discouraged from attempting to intimidate or dominate neighboring states. If the present Chinese regime is permitted to establish itself as the preponderant power in the Western Pacific it could close off large parts of the region to cooperative relations with the United States and the West and dim hope that economic opportunity and democratic freedom will continue to flourish across East Asia. Mitt Romney will implement a strategy that makes the path of regional hegemony for China far more costly than the alternative path of becoming a responsible partner in the international system.
    Maintain Robust Military Capabilities in the Pacific: 
    In the face of China’s accelerated military build-up, the United States and our allies must maintain appropriate military capabilities to discourage any aggressive or coercive behavior by China against its neighbors. Maintaining a strong military presence in the Pacific is not an invitation to conflict. Quite the contrary; it is a guarantor of a region where trade routes are open and East Asia’s community of nations remains secure and prosperous.
    Toward that end, the United States should maintain and expand its naval presence in the
Western Pacific. We should be assisting partners that require help to enhance their defensive
capabilities. The Department of Defense should reconsider recent decisions not to sell top-of-the-
line equipment to our closest Asian allies. We should be coordinating with Taiwan to determine its military needs and supplying them with adequate aircraft and other military platforms. We should be assisting Pacific nations to enhance maritime domain awareness, i.e., the ability to employ radar and other detection networks to monitor aggressive behavior in disputed waters. This would minimize the chance of surprise confrontations and prevent military miscalculations that can escalate into larger conflicts.
    Deepen Cooperation Among Regional Partners: 
    We need to continue to strengthen alliances and relations with strategic partners like India and build stronger ties to influential countries like Indonesia. Our aim should be to work with all these countries bilaterally but also to encourage them to work with one another as they have begun to do. Our objective is not to build an anti-China coalition. Rather it is to strengthen cooperation among countries with which we share a concern about China’s growing power and increasing assertiveness and with whom we also share an interest in maintaining freedom of navigation and ensuring that disputes over resources are resolved by peaceful means. It is yet another way of closing off China’s option of expanding its influence through coercion.
    As detailed in his book, Believe in America, Mitt Romney will also pursue deeper economic
cooperation among like-minded nations around the world that are genuinely committed to the
principles of open markets through the formation of a “Reagan Economic Zone.” The benefits of
this zone — which will codify principles of free trade — will be a powerful magnet that draws in an
expanding circle of nations seeking greater access to other markets. Although China is unlikely to
accede to the Reagan Economic Zone given its current approach to trade, offering Beijing the
possibility of participation will give China significant incentives to end its abusive commercial
practices. But with or without China as a member, the Reagan Economic Zone will establish a
system of trade that could knit together the entire region, discouraging imbalanced bilateral trade
relations between China and its neighbors, limiting China’s ability to coerce other countries, and
ultimately encouraging China to participate in free trade on fair terms.

9/12/07 mittromney.com: China and the rest of Asia are on the move economically and technologically. They are a family oriented, educated, hard-working, and mercantile people. We must be ready and able to compete. This means ensuring our children are educated to compete in this new market, our trade laws are fair and balanced, and our economy and tax laws welcome new investment. If America acts boldly and swiftly, the emergence of Asia will be an opportunity. Trade and commerce with these huge new economies can further strengthen our economy and propel our growth. If America fails to act, we will be eclipsed.

U.S. policy toward Korea

10/7/11 mittromney.com: An American Century: A Strategy to Secure America’s Enduring Interests and Ideals A Romney for President White Paper
    North Korea’s nuclear weapons program is a serious menace to world peace. A nuclear
weapons capability in the hands of an unpredictable dictator like Kim Jong-Il or his eventual
successor poses a direct threat to U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere in East Asia, threatens our close allies South Korea and Japan, destabilizes the entire Pacific region, and could lead to the illicit transfer of a nuclear device to another rogue nation or a terrorist group.  As president, Mitt Romney will commit to eliminating North Korea’s nuclear weapons and its nuclear-weapons infrastructure.
    A key mistake in U.S. policy toward North Korea has been to grant it a series of carrots in
return for only illusory cooperation. Each step the world has taken toward North Korea has been
met with further provocations and expansion of its nuclear program. Over the years, North Korea
has found that its pursuit of a nuclear weapon reaps it material and diplomatic rewards, taking away any incentive for it to end its program.
    Mitt Romney will reverse that dynamic. The United States will make it unequivocally clear to
Pyongyang that continued advancement of its nuclear program and any aggression will be punished instead of rewarded. Romney will work with allies to institute harsher sanctions on North Korea, such as cracking down on financial institutions that service the North Korean regime and
sanctioning companies that conduct commercial shipping in and out of North Korea. He will also
step up enforcement of the Proliferation Security Initiative to constrain North Korean illicit exports
by increasing the frequency of inspections of North Korean ships and discouraging foreign ports
from permitting entry to North Korean ships. Such measures would significantly block the trade
revenue that props up the North Korean regime and shut off routes by which the regime supplies its nuclear program.
    China holds significant political and economic leverage over North Korea. It is not using
that leverage, however, to achieve the goal of ending North Korea’s nuclear program. China fears a destabilized North Korea and the implications of its possible collapse for the region along its
border. Romney will work to persuade China to commit to North Korea’s disarmament. He will
reassure China it will not be alone in dealing with the humanitarian and security issues that will arise should North Korea disintegrate. This will involve detailed planning for such an eventuality to
ensure that we are ready to deal with the numerous issues that will arise if and when the North
Korean regime collapses under the weight of its own economic and political contradictions.
    Romney will also pursue robust military and counter-proliferation cooperation with our allies
and others in the Pacific region. As the United States invigorates our relationships with South
Korea, Japan, and others, and increases our collective military presence and cooperation, it should demonstrate to the Chinese that they should join the coordinated effort or be left behind as a regional counter-proliferation partner.

9/12/07 mittromney.com: China and the rest of Asia are on the move economically and technologically. They are a family oriented, educated, hard-working, and mercantile people. We must be ready and able to compete. This means ensuring our children are educated to compete in this new market, our trade laws are fair and balanced, and our economy and tax laws welcome new investment. If America acts boldly and swiftly, the emergence of Asia will be an opportunity. Trade and commerce with these huge new economies can further strengthen our economy and propel our growth. If America fails to act, we will be eclipsed.

12/14/06 National Review: We also had the opportunity to go to visit the DMZ when we were in Korea. Imagining what goes on behind that border is one thing but standing there, staring into North Korea is chilling. Communism and the brutal repression there have exacted an extraordinarily heavy penalty on the people of North Korea and the contrast with the exuberance and prosperity of South Korea could not be more stark. . . . . I believe in building bridges not walls. We specifically addressed the detention of a Massachusetts citizen, Yang Jianli, with Chinese officials and we asked for special attention and consideration for his early release. Working with China on our own security interests including the isolation of North Korea must not be at the expense of our commitment to freedom and basic human rights.

U.S. policy toward Vietnam

9/12/07 mittromney.com: China and the rest of Asia are on the move economically and technologically. They are a family oriented, educated, hard-working, and mercantile people. We must be ready and able to compete. This means ensuring our children are educated to compete in this new market, our trade laws are fair and balanced, and our economy and tax laws welcome new investment. If America acts boldly and swiftly, the emergence of Asia will be an opportunity. Trade and commerce with these huge new economies can further strengthen our economy and propel our growth. If America fails to act, we will be eclipsed.

Missile defense system to protect Japan, Taiwan, or South Korea

10/7/11 mittromney.com: An American Century: A Strategy to Secure America’s Enduring Interests and Ideals A Romney for President White Paper
    Commit to the On-Time Completion of a Fully Capable Missile Defense System: 
    The United States and our European and Middle Eastern allies have a vital interest in establishing a fully operational and effective missile defense system in Eastern Europe to create a protective umbrella against Iranian nuclear weapons. Under pressure from Russia, President Obama early in his term scrapped President Bush’s plan to deploy ground-based interceptors in Poland and a radar system in the Czech Republic. He instead favored a plan that featured a longer development timeline based upon technologies that have not yet been developed. He has since partially reversed course to reassure our allies who were alarmed by his abrupt about-face and subsequently clarified that his new program will also feature interceptors in Poland along with interceptors in Romania and a radar system in Turkey, all to be built in stages through 2020. As president, Mitt Romney is willing to commit to deploying missile defenses in Europe along that timeline, but he will do so with the following two qualifications.
    First, Romney would reserve the option of reverting to President Bush's original plan of
deploying proven interceptor technology in Poland if it becomes clear that Iran is making faster
progress on developing long range missiles than the Obama plan assumes or if the new technologies on which the plan relies fail to materialize in a timely fashion. If Iran is going to deploy intercontinental missiles sooner than 2020, the United States should retain the option of defending against them.
    Second, Romney would make clear that while he is willing to cooperate with Russia on
missile defense in ways that will enhance the overall effectiveness of the missile-defense system, he will not compromise the capability of the system or yield operational control of it. Russia must
abandon any backdoor scheme to constrain our missile defenses. The United States should never give Russia a veto over our security and that of our allies.

Hate Crimes.  Legislation increasing penalties for hate crimes.

No verified information yet

Immigration

1/11/12 The Washington Times: "Romney’s push against amnesty makes immigration 
a defining issue,"
By Stephen Dinan
    Columbia, S.C. — Mitt Romney collected the endorsements Wednesday of the architect of Arizona’s immigration-crackdown law, marking the final step on a journey that has taken him from lukewarm support of legalization to the Republican presidential field’s most ardent opponent of amnesty.
    South Carolina has passed its own Arizona-style law seeking to make illegal immigration a crime, giving state and local authorities police powers, and Republican primary voters in the state are overwhelmingly in favor of it.
    The Obama administration has sued to halt the South Carolina and Arizona laws, as well as similar laws in Utah and Alabama, and those cases are winding their way through federal courts.
    Mr. Romney and others in the Republican presidential field have said they support the states’ efforts, and Newt Gingrich on Wednesday told South Carolina voters that one of his first actions as president would be to drop the lawsuits.
    Still, those who favor a crackdown on illegal immigration say Mr. Romney has emerged as their clear favorite over the past few years. He has embraced the use of E-Verify, the government’s voluntary system for checking work status; has talked about attrition of the numbers of illegal immigrants in the country through enforcement of laws; has called for building more border fencing; and has embraced state efforts to pick up enforcement where the federal government has failed.
    Most of all, he adamantly vowed to block legalization bills. He recently said he would veto the Dream Act, which would grant legal status to illegal-immigrant students and young adults, who are usually considered the toughest cases because many of them were brought to the U.S. by parents and have never known any other country.
    Romney has changed on this issue. Before his first presidential campaign, he complimented President George W. Bush’s legalization plans and praised Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who led the Senate fight for legalization.
    But by the end of his time as governor of Massachusetts, Romney had vetoed a bill offering in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants and signed an agreement with federal authorities that would have allowed state and local police to assist in immigration enforcement. In the 2008 campaign, he ran ads in Iowa attacking Mr. McCain on immigration.


12/31/11 Reuters: "Romney would veto immigration "dream" act,"
By Jane Sutton 
    Lemars, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney said on Saturday he would veto a proposal granting U.S. citizenship to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children.
    "The question is if I were elected and Congress were to pass the Dream Act, would I veto it and the answer is yes," Romney said.
    "For those that come here illegally, the idea of giving them in-state tuition credits or other special benefits, I find to be contrary to the idea of a nation of laws," Romney said.
    "If I'm the president of the United States I want to end illegal immigration so that we can protect legal immigration. I like legal immigration."
    Under the Dream Act, young undocumented immigrants who have lived most of their lives in the United States and graduate from U.S. high schools would be eligible for a conditional six-year "path to citizenship" if they earn a college degree or serve two years in the military.
    Romney also said he would secure the U.S.-Mexico border with a fence and enough Border Patrol agents to guard it.
     Romney said he would eliminate the "magnet" that draws illegal immigrants by cracking down on employers who hire them.
    "We need to give those employers the tools they need to determine who's legal and illegal," he said. "But if they have those tools and don't use them, we're going to go after them just like we go after employers who don't pay their taxes," Romney said.
    He said he would continue a provision that grants a fast track to citizenship for foreigners who serve in the military.

12/11 www.mittromney.com/jobs/human-capital 
To ensure that America continues to lead the world in innovation and economic dynamism, a Romney administration would press for an immigration policy designed to maximize America’s economic potential. The United States needs to attract and retain job creators from wherever they come. Foreign-born residents with advanced degrees start companies, create jobs, and drive innovation at an especially high rate. While lawful immigrants comprise about 8 percent of the population, immigrants start 16 percent of our top-performing, high-technology companies, hold the position of CEO or lead engineer in 25 percent of high-tech firms, and produce over 25 percent of all patent applications filed from the United States.
- Raise visa caps for highly skilled workers
- Grant permanent residency to eligible graduates with advanced degrees in math, science, and engineering

2008 Washington Post: http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/issues/candidates/mitt-romney/
    Legal immigration is a great source of strength for America; illegal immigration is not. We must enforce our current immigration laws so we can secure our borders, implement a mandatory biometrically enabled, tamper proof documentation and employment verification system for non-citizens, and encourage legal immigration into America. I oppose the current immigration reform bill because it is the wrong approach. Any legislation that allows illegal immigrants to stay in the country indefinitely, as the new 'Z-Visa' did, is a form of amnesty, which I oppose. There should be no special pathway to citizenship for those here illegally. That is unfair to the millions of people who have applied to legally come to the U.S. We must instead enforce existing immigration laws.
    In addition to enforcing existing federal immigration laws, my three immigration reform priorities are: One, secure our border and put in place an enforceable employment verification system for non-citizens; Two, enact no special privilege or special pathway to citizenship for those here illegally; and Three, reform existing laws to encourage legal immigration in order to recruit and retain the best and brightest workers that are in high demand by U.S. companies.

12/20/07 Associated Press: "Tancredo drops WH bid, endorses Romney,"
by Michael Crumb
    Des Moines, Iowa - Rep. Tom Tancredo, who built his longshot presidential campaign on opposition to illegal immigration, dropped out Thursday and endorsed Republican rival Mitt Romney as the best man to carry on the fight. 
    He said he decided to drop out in part because of concern that staying in could split the vote for other candidates who have taken a hard line on immigration, helping those who would take a less restrictive approach.
    Tancredo identified former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Arizona Sen. John McCain as two Republican candidates whose records indicate they wouldn't be tough enough on immigration.
    He said Romney has a proven record of opposing illegal immigration while governor of Massachusetts, ending driver's licenses and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.
    Tancredo said he and Romney met Thursday for more than an hour and he left the meeting convinced that the former Massachusetts governor would do what's necessary to fight illegal immigration.
    "He is the best hope for our cause," Tancredo said.

12/10/2007 Miami Herald: A softer tone in bilingual debate: GOP presidential candidates keep it polite and avoid confrontations on illegal immigration at a bilingual debate at the University of Miami,
by Beth Reinhard and Laura Figueroa
    Facing a Spanish-speaking national audience for the first time, the Republican presidential candidates soft-pedaled their hard-line stances on immigration and sidestepped questions about the estimated 12 million undocumented workers already living in the United States .
    Mitt Romney has been the most aggressive candidate on immigration, hammering Giuliani for overseeing a ''sanctuary city'' for undocumented workers when he was mayor of New York . Romney has also gone after Huckabee for backing college scholarships for the children of illegal immigrants. Romney did not revive either of those attacks in front of the crowd of 3,200 people and Hispanic television audience.
    Giuliani bit his tongue as well, declining to revive his accusation from the last debate that Romney lives in a ''sanctuary mansion'' because his landscaping company used undocumented immigrants. Romney fired the company last week after published reports that one year after learning about the practice, undocumented workers were still tending his lawn.
    Romney still had to address the issue when one of the moderators asked him if he had reported the company to immigration authorities. He didn't answer that question directly but instead called for an ''employment verification system'' so that companies can avoid hiring undocumented workers.

9/12/07 mittromney.com: Immigration has been an important part of our nation's success. The current system, however, puts up a concrete wall to the best and brightest, yet those without skill or education are able to walk across the border. We must reform the current immigration laws so we can secure our borders, implement a mandatory biometrically enabled, tamper proof documentation and employment verification system, and increase legal immigration into America .

9/12/07 mittromney.com: We need to make America more attractive for legal immigrants -- for citizens -- and less attractive for illegal immigrants. I want to see more immigration in our country, but more legal immigration and less illegal immigration."
- Governor Romney, AP, June 23, 2006

6/3/07 2007 GOP debate at Saint Anselm College:
Q: What would you do with the 12 million illegal immigrants who are now in this country?
Romney: Well, one is to enforce the law as it exists. The law that was passed in 1986 asked for us to secure the border & said also to put in place an employment verification system. Neither one of those was done. So let's make sure that we enforce the law as it exists. And if you want to improve [the McCain reform] bill, take that Z visa and make it temporary, instead of a permanent right to stay in America .

5/24/07 Miami Herald: Romney's immigration stance at odds with state GOP leaders.  As Mitt Romney campaigns in Florida today, he is likely to face questions about the new immigration proposal in Congress,
By Beth Reinhard and Lesley Clark
    Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he ''strongly opposes'' an immigration plan also denounced by his party's conservative wing, yet his public statements suggest he actually agrees with major tenets of the proposal in Congress.
    The record shows Romney repeatedly has demanded stronger border security. A campaign ad calls for tamper-proof identification cards. And in a debate last week, he said illegal immigrants need to go back to their home country and ''get in line'' before they can become citizens.
    ''That's exactly what's on the table. All of those things are part of the immigration package,'' said Marshall Fitz, spokesman for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, a nonpartisan organization of lawyers and professors. ``Romney and the other candidates who continue to beat their chests against this legislation are just playing to the conservative base.''
    Romney's supporters say he has made his objections clear. His main concern is that the measure would allow illegal immigrants to stay in the United States ''indefinitely,'' though the plan's supporters say workers would have to clear a number of hurdles over the next few years to avoid deportation.
    Since the proposal's unveiling last week, immigration has become a tightrope for presidential candidates, eager to appear tough on national security without alienating a rapidly growing Hispanic electorate.
    Romney, who will visit Jacksonville and Lakeland today, has campaigned more aggressively in Hispanic-rich Florida than any of his GOP rivals. But his immigration stance is at odds with some of the state's most prominent Republicans, including Sen. Mel Martinez, who helped craft the legislation, and Gov. Charlie Crist, who supports allowing illegal immigrants to earn citizenship.
    Former Gov. Jeb Bush -- whom Romney has name-dropped as a potential running mate -- has told friends he is ''disappointed'' with Romney's position.
    ''I don't speak for Jeb, but I know that as a supporter of comprehensive immigration reform, he is disappointed in people who are exploiting the issue for political gain,'' said Republican lobbyist Ana Navarro, who is backing Arizona Sen. John McCain.
    Romney supporters insist the former Massachusetts governor's views come from a policy perspective, not a political one.
    ''The governor receives high praise for his position on immigration in Florida and throughout the country because of his strong support of legal immigration, not amnesty,'' said spokeswoman Gail Gitcho.
    Romney advisor Al Crdenas, a Cuban-American lawyer and former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said: ``The criticism he has received has been over the top and unfair. . . . I am confident that he will [put] forward an immigration proposal that Floridians and Hispanics alike will find fair.''
    Of the leading GOP candidates, Romney has been the most outspoken critic of the bill. McCain, who was a key sponsor of last year's version of the bill, distanced himself this year, though he attended last week's press conference to show support for the new compromise. 
    Rudy Giuliani, who as mayor of New York City opposed turning in illegal immigrants who sought government services, has focused his recent remarks on requiring illegal immigrants to carry ID cards ``so we can separate the good ones from the dangerous ones.'' Giuliani added in a speech in Orlando on Friday: ``Then we can focus our attention on the people who don't have the tamper-proof ID cards and the people who are not in the database because those are the people [who] are going to be the terrorists, the drug dealers and the criminals.''
    When the immigration proposal was announced last week, Romney called it the ''wrong approach'' in a written statement. He added: 'Any legislation that allows illegal immigrants to stay in the country indefinitely, as the new `Z-Visa' does, is a form of amnesty.''
    Under the plan, illegal immigrants who come forward can apply for a document called a Z-visa. Once registered, they would receive a probationary card to work legally.
    Z-visa holders could get ''indefinite'' extensions without meeting all of the citizenship requirements, but they still have to pass criminal background checks, keep working, learn English, pass a civics test, and pay at least $1,500 every four years.
    ''There's no question that if, after you come forward, you don't continue to meet the requirements, you are deportable,'' said Martinez spokesman Ken Lundberg.

5/23/07 Dallas Morning News: Presidential hopefuls McCain, Romney clash over immigration plan,
by Gromer Jeffers Jr.
    Republican presidential hopefuls John McCain and Mitt Romney on Tuesday brought their brewing feud over a federal immigration proposal to Dallas .
    Mr. McCain reiterated his view that Mr. Romney is a flip-flopper. Mr. Romney in turn called Mr. McCain "amusing."
    The clash involves Mr. Romney's criticism of a comprehensive immigration bill being debated in the Senate. The former Massachusetts governor has blasted the proposal as unfair amnesty.
    "While it may not technically be amnesty, it for all intent is amnesty, and it's just not fair to those who have been waiting in line," Mr. Romney said after a fundraiser at the Hilton Anatole. "I have some disagreements with some other folks in looking at this issue. ... We believe in legal immigration. We want to bring an end to illegal immigration."
    Those other folks he referred to included Mr. McCain.
    The Arizona senator supports the Senate proposal and said Mr. Romney has had similar views in the past.
    "Look at the record and look at the statements he's made about that and a number of issues," Mr. McCain said at a Dallas fundraiser. "The important thing is for us to move forward and get something done. ... If someone else has a better proposal, then let's see if we can get enough support to pass it."
    Mr. Romney shrugged off Mr. McCain's criticism.
    "I have respect for Sen. McCain," he said. "I guess it just shows that even when he's wrong, he's amusing."
    Mr. McCain later responded, "I'm always amusing."
    What to do about illegal immigration is a question that's divided the country for several years. While waiting for the White House and federal lawmakers to devise a plan, border states such as Texas have grappled with the issue.
    Mr. Romney said he supports an immigration policy that secures the border with some sort of barrier, creates an employment verification system and does not allow illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.
    He acknowledged that his views are in conflict with President Bush, who helped shape the proposal before the Senate.
    In contrast, Mr. McCain said the proposal was the best option for dealing with illegal immigration.
    "You can either say everybody has to be deported or you have to give them some kind of status here," Mr. McCain said. "I don't think anyone can objectively look at it and call it amnesty."

11/30/05 Boston Globe: Romney said illegal immigrants were required to register with the government, work for years, pay taxes, not take public benefits, and pay a fine before applying for citizenship.

11/1/05 Associated Press (Steve LeBlanc): A bill to let children of illegal immigrants pay the same lower tuition rate at state colleges as other MA residents sparked a political sparring match between Democrats and the Romney administration. Romney chastised critics for advocating a bill he said would encourage illegal behavior. Romney said the state's focus should be on helping legal immigrants. Giving children of illegal immigrants a tuition break would act as an incentive to draw in more illegal immigrants to Massachusetts, Romney said.