Cannon tough on immigration?

Cannon speaks Spanish, and was an LDS missionary in Guatemala. He has long advocated immigration reform to help attract Hispanic voters to the GOP. He has even addressed rallies of Hispanics seeking such reform, such as one held when Bush visited Utah in 2006.

Mike Sizer, a Utah County GOP delegate and a board member for the anti-illegal immigration group Utahns for Immigration Reform and Enforcement, says he's concerned that Cannon hasn't taken back his support for past measures that many see as amnesty, such as a proposal to allow undocumented immigrants to earn legal status by attending college.

"It does seem like he's changed his tune," Sizer said. "I'm a little bit skeptical ... He hasn't proposed a bill lately, but he hasn't rescinded his past support of bills that a lot of people called amnesty."

However, Matt Throckmorton, a former foe of Cannon, now says the Congressman is being treated unfairly. Throckmorton unsuccessfully sought to unseat Cannon in a 2002 congressional bid.

Throckmorton points out that Cannon has voted for get-tough measures such as building border fences and adding agents to the border patrol.

"If you are in office you vote yes or no," he said. "He's doing what a lot of people have asked of him ... His votes are certainly taking the enforcement side in the right direction."

---

E-mail: lee@desnews.com; dbulkeley@desnews.com