newjerseynewsroom.com

BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has backtracked somewhat on comments he made about deporting President Barack Obama's uncle on a Boston radio program.

On Wednesday Romney told host Howie Carr that he would deport Obama’s uncle, who was arrested on drunken driving charges in August.

Thursday CNN reported that Romney said, referring to family members of those in government offices, "I'm not suggesting that they should be given any more punitive treatment than anyone else, but that we should follow the law. If the circumstances would, under our law, mean he should be deported, then he should be treated like anyone else."

When Carr asked if Obama’s uncle, nicknamed Omar, should be deported, ABC News reports that on Wednesday Romney responded, “Well, if the laws of the United States say he should be deported, and I presume they do, then of course we should follow those laws. The answer is ‘yes.’”

Onyango Obama, 67, the half-brother of Obama’s late father, is from Kenya and has been living in Massachusetts, according to Boston.com. Police said that on August 24, Obama’s car cut in front of a police cruiser, and the officer nearly hit his car. Framingham District Court documents said Obama pleaded not guilty to charges including driving under the influence, failing to yield, and negligent operation of an auto.

The MetroWest Daily News reported that Obama’s blood alcohol level registered .14, and the legal limit is .08. Police asked Obama if he wanted to call anyone for bail, and he answered, “I think I will call the White House.” At the time of his arrest, Obama was found to have a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer warrant as he had been ordered to be deported in 1992.

According to the New York Post, Romney has felt some heat about immigration in the past when Rick Perry attacked him for using a lawn-service company that employed illegal immigrants for his yard work.