David Gregory Praises Romney For Having Favored 'Massive Immigration Reform'

For a second there, it sounded like David Gregory was onto something. But just as fast, he reverted to liberal form . . .

On today's Morning Joe, the Meet The Press host first argued that Republicans don't have to become more moderate—they just need to change their "tone."  But within seconds, Stretch was singing Mitt Romney's praises for having favored, prior to the primaries, "massive [read: liberal] immigration reform." Gregory then bemoaned the fact that during the primaries, Romney "had to keep moving to the right."  View the video after the jump.

I'll be back with the transcript.  In the meantime, watch Gregory set a world record for speediest self-contradiction!

DAVID GREGORY: I think this is about tone.  I mean, I think this is what we keep talking about.  You know the tempation is to say, oh, I see what the Republicans have to do: they have to become more moderate; they have to move toward the Democrats. That is not the answer, and I'm sure that's what you [Joe Scarborough] would say. This is about rebranding conservatism and a conservative approach to governing, but to be more tolerant, to have a different tone about talking to immigrants, to other people in the country who are not for them. That's what I think Bobby Jindal is saying.  And that's what I think was really missing.  And to Romney's credit, Romney I know wanted massive immigration reform before he started running for president. And they couldn't reach an agreement. And so he then had to go into this primary process where he had to keep moving to the right on immigration.  And we see the results.