Here is what Gingrich said Tuesday night when the discussion turned to illegal immigrants: "I do not believe that the people of the United States are going to take people who have been here a quarter century, who have children and grandchildren, who are members of the community, who may have done something 25 years ago, separate them from their families, and expel them."
Gingrich said pretty much the same thing at a campaign event in South Carolina just last month. "There are some folks who have been here 20 or 25 years," he said. "They have paid taxes, they live in the community, they're married, they've got three kids, two grandkids, and they go to your local church. We are not going to deport them."
...The ironic thing is, Gingrich and his aides saw it coming. "In August, we had a conversation among the staff that this position was likely to draw criticism," recalls Gingrich spokesman R.C. Hammond. "He reassured us that if we are actually going to solve this problem, we have to do it this way. We are going to campaign like we are going to govern."
Far from being a slip, or a gaffe, Gingrich's statement was a gamble that he can win GOP votes even with a nuanced position on immigration. With his new lead in the polls, the stakes are higher than he could have predicted.
◼ Immigration: the new GOP social litmus test - Brian Hughes/Washington Examiner
Newt Gingrich
