Posted on 11/17/2007 3:41:34 PM PST by Delacon
Washington, D.C. - The re-emergence of illegal immigration in the last two Democratic presidential debates could hurt the party in the general election and might even imperil some Republicans in the primaries.
"It's a tricky issue for both Republicans and Democrats because it's an emotional issue that can be sloganeered very easily," said Richard Benedetto, who teaches politics and journalism at American and Georgetown universities. "The public has a general feel for that issue on a gut level."
At a Democratic presidential debate last month, Hillary Clinton expressed support for a plan by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. After a public outcry, Spitzer withdrew his plan and Clinton reversed herself.
At a second Democratic debate on Thursday, Barack Obama was the one who stumbled on the question, eventually saying he supported licenses for illegals. That position will likely be used against him by Republicans if Obama advances to the general election.
"Democrats have to find a way to make it sound like they're not opening up the gates and [giving] away things to people who don't have legal standing in this country," Benedetto said.
The fact that Clinton said Thursday that she now opposes licenses for illegals will not inoculate her against GOP attacks if she wins the Democratic nomination.
"If Hillary Clinton thinks she fixed her problem on the driver's license issue with one debate question response, then she is quite mistaken," said Kevin Madden, press secretary for Republican candidate Mitt Romney.
Romney and Fred Thompson have been playing up the immigration issue not just against Democrats, but also against fellow Republican candidates who are viewed as vulnerable on the issue. These include Rudy Giuliani, who welcomed illegal immigration to New York when he was mayor, and Mike Huckabee, who advocated in-state tuition rates for the children of immigrants when he was governor of Arkansas.
"Rudy and Huckabee don't want immigration at the forefront of any issues debate," Madden said. "With the issue front and center, both have a great deal to lose."
Sen. John McCain, another Republican candidate, took a major hit earlier in the campaign by advocating a comprehensive immigration reform package that many conservatives equated with amnesty.
Seeking to capitalize on these strong feelings in the GOP base, Thompson released a TV ad this week in which he says that "granting amnesty is not the answer."
bsammon@dcexaminer.com
To be fair to Hillary, she didn't support it before she supported it but before that she did support it.
Sounds like Mitt has a lot of chutzpah to present himself as holy on this issue.
Mostly Democrat government in Massachusetts is already giving away things to people who don't have legal standing in this country.
All one has to do is check out the people who live in public housing in MA to know that the demographic has changed considerably.
And, exactly how is this demographic affording to buy affordable housing meant for Massachusett's low and moderate income folks --> Section 8 vouchers.
And, where are the people in that demographic getting the new model cars and SUVs seen in the parking lots at public housing?
Dems hurt Dems, more than one can list hurts Dems, and, only Dims vote for Dems, and there are too many Dims.
Wonder what DANE thinks of this??!
“Wonder what DANE thinks of this??!
Well...From “GOP, Giuliani see edge on immigration issue” dated 11/10:
“Every issue leads back to illegal immigration,” said Bob Dane of the Federation for American Immigration Reform.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-immigration_satnov10,1,2128677.story
"Democrats have to find a way to make it sound like they're not opening up the gates and [giving] away things to people who don't have legal standing in this country," Benedetto said.
Yeah, uh-huh. Nuance amnesty. I just don't see that working this time. From what I can tell the American public is united aginst amnesty and just isn't buying the usual divide and conquer rhetoric from either side advancing open borders.
I mean, sure, you can lie and prance about as the strongest border advocate out there. That worked in 2006 and helped elect some Democrats. But notice many of those same Democrats are marginally trying to make good on their promise. Why? Because the issue can't be nuanced and anyone that doesn't make good is vulnerable.
It really puts our teeth on edge -- on the other side -- to see these people attempt to grab a political victory that they can not win legally by blantantly ignoring and thwarting the law. Mayors and even governors declaring themselves and their jurisdictions above the law and able to set their own immigration policy...it is infuriating and arrogant to an extraordinary degree. It makes my conservative blood boil, and apparently, it even makes the blood of a lot of moderate to liberal people boil.
Here’s my standard post. We can do something about Illegal immigration.
RICO —Citizen Recourse
Private persons and entities may initiate civil suits to obtain injunctions and treble damages against enterprises that conspire to or actually violate federal alien smuggling, harboring, or document fraud statutes, under the Racketeer-Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO). The pattern of racketeering activity is defined as commission of two or more of the listed crimes. A RICO enterprise can be any individual legal entity, or a group of individuals who are not a legal entity but are associated in fact, and can include nonprofit associations.
Here’s what I’ve been pushing: it’s time to file Racketeering, Influencing, and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) lawsuits. RICO lawyers could turn it around in a few years and MAKE MONEY at the same time. I’m surprised they haven’t done it already.
In the absence of enforcement, we can get the word out in the meantime that there is money to be made in filing RICO lawsuits against employers who hire illegal aliens.
Employers would have no trouble shutting down the border if they could get sued by someone under the RICO statutes for hiring these people in the first place. The next time an illegal alien kills someone in a drunk driving accident or somesuch thing, I’m going to point out that the victim’s family might be able to seek compensation from the employer under these statutes in the hopes that it would catch on. If this did catch on, would see such a swift backlash against illegal immigration that no employer would go near these people and they’ll all simply want to go back home.
IRS Reporting
REWARD FOR REPORTING EMPLOYERS OF ILLEGAL ALIENS
CALL THE IRS HOTLINE 1-800-829-0433 YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO A REWARD
Call the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) hotline 1-800-829-0433 to report all
suspected employers of illegal aliens-—you are not required to identify
yourself and may be entitled to a reward. The Application for Reward ( Form 211 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f211.pdf)
can be downloaded from http://www.irs. gov or call 1-800-829-3676. The IRS does
not take kindly to employers that seek to evade taxes by paying cash for day
labor-this is a common practice at construction sites. Report the employer`s
license plate number and any other information you may have. Employers usually
can’t run and take the hit in their wallets. Follow up with the IRS and ask
what action is being taken; if they refuse to cooperate, notify the press and
your elected officials. Do your part-—spread the word-—help make this
nationwide campaign a success!!!
Hunter is the best candidate on Immigration.
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Why the smart money is on Duncan Hunter
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926032/posts
Posted on 11/15/2007 3:43:17 AM PST by Kevmo
Hunter’s criticism of Thompson over this issue is well aimed. We need someone in the white house who isn’t a johnny-come-lately on this issue.
Road to Des Moines Conversions on Immigration (Hunter Press release)
News Which Cannot Lose ^ | 10/25/07 | Duncan Hunter/staff
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1916889/posts
“IMO, what make the drivers license thing so electric is that it is a particularly naked example of the intent of the pro-illegal side to ignore the law and completely embed these illegal immigrants into American society with all rights, privileges, and benefits such that the question of citizenship itself finally becomes a mere formality.”
I agree. Its a way to legalize non existing rights of the illegal immigrant without having to make a stand and legislate amnesty. Its incrimantalism plain and simple. Get the people to put up with this THEN open the borders and make citizens of everyone who can walk, fly or swim here.
: )
I disagree. What I love about our two party system is how both parties USUALLY find a way to fit as many positions on many important issues into their campaigns in order to get elected. As opposed to the parliamentarian politics of Europe where a green party candidate will get elected because he IS a envirowacko because he had enough envirowacko votes to get a seat. And look at our system right now. EVEN democrats are backing the truck up to answer this issue forget about republicans.
What is it you disagree with?
Sorry I didnt mean to post that to you. I liked your post though it begs the question why this hasn’t been talked about or pursued as much as it could.
The reason is probably because lawyers can make more money doing something else, and that most of them are probably liberals. To me it looks like a great way to make money and help solve a tremendous social problem at the same time.
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