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Mika Brzezinski and Michael Steele disagreed over whether President Obama's recent change in immigration policy was pure politics on Monday's "Morning Joe."
Obama announced that his administration would allow undocumented young people to remain in the United States if they meet certain requirements. That reversed the administration's previous stance that it could not issue an executive order to stop deporting youth.
On Monday, Brzezinski defended Obama against criticism that he was simply courting the Latino vote. "I can see the argument for that, until Mitt Romney waffles around on answering the question on whether he would repeal it, five times," she said. Romney would not say whether he would repeal the change.
When asked if he thought Obama's announcement was "a political move" or motivated by his beliefs, Steele scoffed. "Belief?" he asked. "What belief? There's no belief here."
"Come on," Brzezinski protested.
Steele argued that the policy was "band aid on a very big wound." When asked if he would support repealing it, he said that the situation was a "zero sum game." Brzezinski argued that that wasn't the case for undocumented youth.
"Mika, what's going to happen for that kid between now and November?" Steele objected. "Because if Mitt Romney wins in November, everything changes come January." (Romney has not specified that that would be the case.)
Later, Steele said that Obama's move puts Romney in a "political box," where he has to choose between his previous stance on immigration reform and satiating minority voters.
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