On Immigration, Clinton Has Been a Tumbler

In February 2003, during an appearance on a New York radio show, Clinton tried to come across as a moderate by declaring herself "adamantly against illegal immigrants." Yet, during a January 2008 Democratic primary debate, Clinton bragged that, as a senator, she "co-sponsored comprehensive immigration reform in 2004."

So Clinton is "adamantly" against illegal immigrants, and yet she wanted to give them a path to citizenship?

Among those of us who cover the immigration beat, and who follow that debate closely, Clinton is not usually described as an outspoken advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. That list includes lawmakers such as Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. She may well support a legislative approach that includes legalizing the undocumented but she has never stuck her neck out on the issue.

Also, if Clinton really does support comprehensive immigration reform, then why did she later support a worker protection amendment that was meant to kill the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007? Proposed by Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, the amendment added a "sunset" clause to the guest-worker provision in the bill and scared off Republican support.

Then there is Clinton's muddled position on whether the undocumented should get driver's licenses. She said "no." Then "yes." Then "no" again. And by the end of 2007, she had repeatedly flip-flopped -- something that Barack Obama pointed out in that debate in January 2008.

"The only point I would make is Senator Clinton gave a number of different answers over the course of six weeks on this issue," Obama said.

But, for Clinton, the most awkward about-face on immigration had to have been during the Central American refugee crisis in the summer of 2014 when -- over the course of 24 hours -- she flip-flopped over whether to change a human trafficking law that makes it harder for officials to deport child refugees by ensuring that they get an asylum hearing.

In July 2014, Clinton told National Public Radio that changing the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 was something that "should be looked at" because Americans need "some flexibility within the laws."

The next day, during an interview on Fusion, which is aimed at Hispanic viewers, Clinton declared: "I don't agree we should change the law."

What a messy dismount. It is performances like this that show why, in the flip-flop Olympics, Clinton deserves the gold.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com.