Posted on 04/25/2006 2:56:34 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Prominent Latino leaders in California on Tuesday played down death threats apparently sparked by the divisive debate over illegal immigration.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told reporters on Monday that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and California Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante had both been targets of "disturbing and hateful death threats."
"Hate, racism and intolerance are never accepted in our public debates," said Schwarzenegger, himself an immigrant from Austria. "That is not what California stands for. The greatness of California is its rich diversity."
Police are investigating the threats, which came in postcards, e-mails and an Internet posting following appearances by Villaraigosa and Bustamante at mass protests in Los Angeles last month against proposals to criminalize the nation's estimated 11-12 million undocumented immigrants.
Bustamante later received an anonymous postcard saying "the only good Mexican is a dead Mexican." Bustamante's spokesman, Steve Green, said such threats were part of the job and that the lieutenant governor's security had not been stepped up.
"It is not going to change our convictions. We will continue to speak out about it," Green said on Tuesday.
Villaraigosa, son of a Mexican immigrant, said threats "come with the turf" and has also not increased his security.
"There is nothing to worry about. ... You can see by my face that I'm not concerned about that," Villaraigosa told reporters.
In Washington, Democratic and Republican senators were unable to reach agreement earlier this month on how to tackle the immigration issue.
A bill before the Senate would tighten border security and give many illegal immigrants a path to citizenship, while a competing bill in the House of Representatives would make it a felony to enter the United States illegally or to help them in any way.
Send them all back to Mexico.
Considering the fact that all politicians get death threats all the time it shouldn't be an issue to begin with.
If they want to whine, maybe they should go ride with the border patrol who are shot at and occasionally hit.
I'm sorry that they got any such threats (assuming here that such are genuine, not staged), but truly "playing them down" would entail an answer of "No comment" in response to press inquiries, not granting interviews and discussing the matter.
I'm cynical. "I'm holding a press conference at 3 p.m. today to discuss how I'm playing down the hateful, racist death threats I've gotten, which of course are just an unfortunate part of having this job."
Yeah but it made the Gub look so .. so .. officious and caring. That ought to be worth a few votes.
I've usually been very skeptical about reports like this of death threats directed toward high profile minority "leaders," especially during a very contentious series of events as we're seeing in the immigration disaster. The suspicious thing about these, and something they have in common with other such instances, is that the threats are virtually untraceable. There have been occasions in the past when people have engineered threats to themselves in order to generate sympathy at a crucial time. Let's just see what the investigation turns up.
And of course, no word from the MSM about DUmmies posting Michelle Malkin's various and sundry personal information on the internet. Or the racist attacks and death threats made against her by tolerant, hate-free leftists. It's not racism when it's directed against a conservative.
no word from the MSM about DUmmies posting Michelle Malkin's various and sundry personal information on the internet. Or the racist attacks and death threats made against her by tolerant, hate-free leftists.
A mere oversight, I'm sure. ;-)
Good points. However it is completely irresponsible for the Governor and Latino leaders to release this information 1 week prior to the largest pro-immigration and pro-communist rally that is scheduled to occur this year on May 1st. It is almost as if they are trying to incite violence. Trying to incite a race war. Like others have posted, death threats are a common occurrence. Why on earth release this information 1 week prior to the May 1st planned demonstrations ? What is the leftist cabal now planning ?
That's the way I saw it too, do they want cheese with that whine?
Show me the racists! Otherwise, stop the B.S.
It's all politics. The LA Times report disclosed that Arnold actually found out about this from prior news reports but somehow felt compelled now to issue a statement. This was stirred up by Arnold's campaign and the pro-illegal cabal he hired, not the Democrats (or Villaraigosa or Bustamante themselves). It's dirty race-card politics, trying to smear those wanting our laws enforced as xenophopic, racist, hatemongers.
At a news conference in the Capitol, Schwarzenegger said he had asked district attorneys throughout the state to take extra precautions against hate-based crimes.Villaraigosa and Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante have both "received disturbing and hateful death threats," the governor said.
The governor's advisors had heard about the threats from a Sacramento news report. They told the governor, who decided to make a public statement.
(snip)
Schwarzenegger's communications director, Adam Mendelsohn, said the governor "learned about these threats that have been sent to the Latino elected officials and he felt it important as governor that he come out and denounce these activities."
Ooops... forgot to ad the link for the LA Times article:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1621252/posts
There will eventually be Rinos found in the Marxist cabal. Obviously present day McCain would be a likely candidate. The recall election Arnold would not. The current Arnold however remembers where his bread gets buttered (leftist media).
How in the world will this state survive ? The leading Democratic candidates are either teachers union pets or the filthy rich.
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