Republicans Are 'Simpatico' at Spanish-Language Debate

CORAL GABLES, Fla., Dec. 9, 2007— -- Seven Republican presidential candidates shared a stage at the University of Miami, Sunday night, at a debate that was broadcast in Spanish, by Univision, and focused almost exclusively on issues affecting Hispanic Americans.

It was a forum starkly different from previous Republican encounters, most notably marked by non-engagement between the participants, even as polls show the nomination battle increasingly unsettled in the key early battleground states.

The closest any candidate came to criticism — implicit or otherwise — of another on stage was when Univision cameras caught John McCain snickering during Ron Paul's pleas for the United States to open a dialog with Cuba.

The format of the debate seemed structured to avoid such conflict — there were no rebuttals allowed, and for most of the questions, each candidate was allowed a response.

The topics ranged from Iraq to health care to education, but most of the time was taken up by one of the most contentious issues in front of Republican primary voters this cycle, and one directly impacting the Univision audience: illegal immigration.

One difference between the candidates which emerged during the debate was on the issue of whether illegal immigrants should be required to leave the United States before acquiring legal status.

Under a plan released last week by Mike Huckabee, he would require illegals to return to their native country. Mitt Romney has previously said that he would tell illegal immigrants to go home. The comprehensive immigration bill pushed by McCain earlier this year also had a touchback provision.

Rudy Giuliani, by contrast, has not publicly endorsed such a concept.

Giuliani's immigration plan begins with securing the border. He would then ask illegal immigrants to come forward and identify themselves. The illegal immigrants who do not have criminal records would be given tamper-proof identification cards. They would wait in line behind those who are trying to enter the U.S. legally. But they would be allowed to get on a path to citizenship without leaving the United States.

They would also, however, be asked to pay taxes, learn English, and acquire an understanding of U.S. history. And Giuliani's plan would track every non-citizen who exits and enters the U.S.

McCain reiterated a point he has made about immigration in past debates, calling for humanity in dealing with illegal immigrants.

"Once we secure the borders," McCain said, "I'm convinced the American people will proceed with issues like this in a humanitarian and compassionate fashion."

Mitt Romney again called for a secure border, and an employment verification system, saying that there "should be no special pathway for those that have come here illegally, to jump ahead of the line."

However, Romney remained vague on the issue of illegal immigrants currently in the United States. Speaking with reporters in Arizona in October, Romney said he wasn't "gonna focus on whether they go home to apply ... My focus is the principle that they get in line with everybody else."

Fred Thompson said it would be disrespectful for the millions of people around the world who have stood in line to come to America legally, "to set [illegal immigrants] above those who have obeyed the law," by letting them stay in the country.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a McCain supporter, chalked up the relatively mild demeanor of immigration conversation to the members people filling the venue.

"I think that this trying to out-demagogue each other on immigration, came to a halt because of the audience," Graham said.

"If everybody had the tone they had about immigration tonight, the Republican party wouldn't have the problems we do," he added.

On many issues, the candidates seemed to say virtually the same things.

"If you can get an American Express card in two weeks, it shouldn't take seven years to get a work permit to come to this country in order to work on a farm," Huckabee said during the debate.

"Isn't it amazing in this country, with the fact that American Express or Visa or Mastercard can tell you that fast whether the card is authorized or not," said Romney, a few minutes later. "[But] we don't know who's here legally or not."

Sunday night's debate was Univision's second attempt to hold a Republican forum. A previous engagement was scheduled for the end of September, but McCain was the only candidate to accept that invitation.

Notably absent from the debate was Tom Tancredo, who declined the invitation, saying, "a Spanish debate has no place in a presidential campaign."

Each of the candidates made it overwhelmingly clear they were speaking to all Americans, not just Hispanics.

"The Republican Party can connect with Hispanic voters like other Americans, because there are some particular connections between our party and the Hispanic people," Romney said.

ABC's Jan Simmonds, Jake Tapper and Teddy Davis contributed to this report.