Adam Hasner Hammers Obama and GOP on Immigration

Former House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, who is running for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, took aim at President Barack Obama over immigration on Friday.

President Obama's speech, 17 months removed from the next presidential election, was a campaign speech, not a serious attempt at discussing policy, insisted Hasner. His insistence on granting amnesty to the millions of illegal immigrants within our borders through so-called earned citizenship sends the wrong message to those who followed the law to enter our country, and those who still seek to come to our country. It also all but ensures that immigration reform will once again remain unresolved in Washington.

Hasner also fired away on members of his own party.

And Republicans share in the blame, too. Despite controlling the White House and having majorities in Congress for several years, Republicans also failed to pass serious immigration reforms. Republicans who over-promised and failed to deliver on common-sense solutions were a big part of the GOP's losses in 2006 and 2008, continued Hasner. Too often, Republicans focus solely on the economics of immigration, when in reality, immigration reform is more than just an economic issue; it is a national security and moral issue. If we cannot enforce our laws, and create an immigration system that encourages the lawful over lawbreakers, we will make it harder to preserve the integrity of our own system of government for future generations.