Gingrich: Gingrich

Legal Status Dept: Far from a blanket amnesty, Mr. Gingrich would grant substantial discretion to panels of citizens drawn from the communities where the illegal applicants live, to consider whether to grant them legal status as residents of the U.S. he somewhat oddly likens this proposed process to wartime selective-service that is, draft boards, according to Globe and Mail. It is unhealthy for any country to have millions of people living in legal limbo. Mr. Gingrich is right not to play down his concern with this issue, and if he wins his party s nomination not to wait until the general election to raise it. A fair settlement will be reached only if public opinion is won over. Mr. Gingrich is contributing toward that end by persisting in arguing for the regularization of the status of millions of otherwise law-abiding people. Mr. Gingrich is showing remarkable courage in being forthright about opinions of his that are likely to be unpopular in the Iowa caucuses in the new year and most of the Republican primaries thereafter. But many Republicans are doing their party no good by, in effect, rejecting potential supporters among the large and growing Hispanic population of the U.S. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.