Congressman helps Oberweis push immigration reform

SPRINGFIELD -- Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jim Oberweis touted his immigration reform platform Monday by campaigning alongside a Colorado congressman who has become a lightning rod on the subject and has angered the White House.

Oberweis staged a statewide fly-around with Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) to rail against President Bush's plan to grant an estimated 8 million undocumented workers legal status through a new guest-worker program -- an idea that has met stiff congressional resistance.

"The president's popularity has declined very significantly since his announcement of their position. I think it's bad policy. It was a bad idea. It was a bad suggestion," said Oberweis. He has claimed 10,000 people enter the United States illegally each day -- a number disputed by immigrant groups as bogus.

Tancredo, who has proposed clamping down on work visas for foreigners and putting greater emphasis on "western civilization" in American classrooms, said the nation's security would be threatened by Bush's plan and American jobs would be lost.

To illustrate how porous America's borders are, Tancredo focused on Canada's acceptance of foreign refugees. He said terrorists like Osama bin Laden could enter Canada and potentially move across its borders if he "shaved off his beard and called himself Omar the tentmaker" and declared himself a refugee.

By needling Bush on immigration, Tancredo said he has been banned from the White House by presidential adviser Karl Rove, whom Tancredo said told him, "Don't ever darken the doorstep of the White House."

"I said, 'Well, you know Mr. Rove, I don't remember a welcome mat ever being out for me, and it's not your house,' and that was the end of the conversation," the congressman said.

Trying to make up ground on front-runner Jack Ryan, Oberweis praised Tancredo as the "leading advocate in America" for immigration reform and said he was "pleased to be on the same stage with him. I'm thankful for his support in my campaign."

When told of Tancredo's endorsement of Oberweis and his "Omar the tentmaker" line, others in the GOP primary fired darts at the Aurora Republican and accused him of being a demagogue.

"I think this is a cynical attempt to drive up name recognition regardless of what the cost is. I'm not surprised he had to go as far as Colorado to find someone to stand up with him," said Sen. Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin).

Rauschenberger (R-Elgin) is all on board with Bush`s guest worker program, so it is not surprising that he is bashing Oberweis.

Luckily, Jack Ryan looks like he will win this Senate seat, and he is against Bush`s guest worker program. So it is still a win for the anti-guest worker crowd in this region.

If Bush and his advisors don't get their collective heads out of their arses in regards to the Illegal immigrant problem, the POS anti-American Kerry may end up winning the election. After 9/11 Bush's popularity should still be in the mid 60's to 70's, not 40's to 50's.

If you talk to the average voter , 9/11 has been replaced by the Illegal alien and outsourcing problem. One has to wonder why Rove is anyone's advisor.

"....angered the White house...."

Yea, the last thing GWB wants is more exposure regarding his failure to come through and protect our borders. He'd much rather cut deals with Vencente' Fox.........anything but uphold the Constitution of the United States. Heaven fordid, he actually starts enforcing laws that are already on the books....

Rauschenberger (R-Elgin)Senate Candidate who is running against Oberweis voted for...... Illinois citizens to pay for tuition for Illegal aliens, and it passed!

Hello Illinois folks! Heads up!
Do not shoot yourself in the FOOT!

Rauschenberger keeps trashing Oberweis saying he is dividing the party! Because Oberweis has straight talk on Immigration, and Rauchenberger voted for the people of Illinois to pay more taxes to send Illegals to school.
You do the math!

Jack Ryan is way ahead in the polls, so Rauschenberger is really a non-issue in this race. Illinois will have a good Republican candidate to throw at the Dems come November.

I live in St.Louis and that Blair Hull (D) is running adds like crazy in this area ( for metro east St.Louis I am guessing ). How strong are the Dem candidates playing out over there? I haven`t paid much attention to the other side of this primary.

You look at this Jack Ryan and it is hard to find much wrong with him. The Dems have to be going crazy on how to attack Ryan come election time.

Jack ryan is ahead in what polls? SO WAS DEAN!!!!

Few pluses, many minuses to early poll-watching

March 9, 2004

BY RICHARD ROEPER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Just three months ago, the media were all but ordaining former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean as the Democratic presidential nominee -- and we had the polls to back us up.

"Word that Howard Dean is picking up the endorsement of ... Al Gore came as Dean was already moving into a clear lead over his rivals," reported USA Today on Dec. 9, 2003.

" 'This is the first time in our national polling that we've seen Dean pull ahead,' said Frank Newport, editor in chief of the Gallup poll. He said some of the other candidates, notably Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, show 'rapid sinkage.' "

Rapid sinkage? I think Mike Ditka can help with that.

But that December poll did indicate that Kerry was toast. He had 7 percent support from likely Democrat voters, putting him just two percentage points ahead of Carol Moseley Braun and four points ahead of Al Sharpton. And that's with a margin of error of +/- 5 percent.

Fast forward to March 2004. Kerry's the sure nominee and Dean's at home. As the saying goes, Dean was doing great in the race until it was time for people to actually start voting.

That's the thing about those polls: they're kind of a racket.

I read this poll Saturday on the net. I think it was an article in the Tribune.

Everything I have read on Ryan sounded very good. I wondered why he was so quiet on the immigration issue but has said he is not for Pres. Bush`s guest worker program. I figured that at least to be a plus. But from your FRmail, it seems there is much not being reported on Ryan. Remember, I live in St.Louis, so info like that isn`t ever reported.

I do like Oberweis and how vocal he is on immigration. I would vote for him if I could.

We will find out soon enough I guess. There is still like 18 percent undecided the last article I read on this primary.

But if that poll I read is remotely correct, it looks like Ryan will get the knod on election day.

Dean simply imploded, that is why those polls on him in Iowa looked so bad. The pollers simply couldn`t catch up with his freefall.

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