Reader G.W. from Florida thought he remembered Mel Martinez taking a much tougher line on immigration during his 2004 Senate race and decided to do a bit of digging. Sure enough, candidate Mel Martinez's position on immigration that appeared on his 2004 campaign web site is noticeably at odds with the piece of immigration legislation Senator Mel Martinez put his name on recently. Here is what Martinez said in 2004 regarding the issue of immigration:

We are nation of immigrants. The hard work and contributions of millions of legal immigrants are an important part of our America's history. Our immigration policy, however, must first and foremost ensure the security of our great nation and its citizens. Especially during these treacherous times, our focus must be on preventing those who would harm us from entering our country and in providing the resources our border agents need in order to accomplish this. I oppose amnesty for illegal aliens. I support a plan that matches workers with needy employers without providing a path to citizenship. Immigration to this country must always be done through legal means. [emphasis added]