Posted on 11/14/2006 6:27:24 AM PST by Dane
Iraq was clearly the election issue that turned the tide against the GOP, but one issue many Republican activists thought might save the day ended up a bust: immigration.
In several high-profile races where illegal immigration was a key issue, the anti-immigrant candidate lost big. In Arizona, the front line in the immigration wars, Republicans J.D. Hayworth and Randy Graf lost handily to more moderate voices.
Mr. Hayworth, a six-term congressman, once favored a guest worker program but flip-flopped when he sensed bashing immigrants was a surer ticket to re-election. In his book "Whatever It Takes: Illegal Immigration, Border Security and the War on Terror," Mr. Hayworth called for a three-year ban on legal immigration from Mexico, which would devastate the U.S. agricultural community and hurt other industries. Apparently, voters in Arizona's 5th Congressional District wanted no part of Mr. Hayworth's proposed ban.
Mr. Graf, a former state representative and member of the extremist Minuteman Project, was even more off-base. Mr. Graf supported calls to reinstate "Operation Wetback," a 1950s federal deportation program that not only rounded up thousands of illegal aliens but also ensnared some U.S. citizens of Mexican descent. Mr. Graf's position garnered only 42 percent of the vote in a reliably conservative district.
In Colorado, Republicans' anti-immigrant stance may have cost them the governor's race in addition to one congressional seat. Rep. Bob Beauprez, the Republican who gave up his seat to run for governor, claimed illegal immigration would prove to be Democrat Bill Ritter's "Achilles' heel" and spent much of the last few weeks of the campaign hammering away on the issue. But Colorado's agricultural economy depends heavily on immigrant workers (including illegal aliens), and Mr. Ritter's pro-guest worker position helped him win 56 percent of the vote.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
BTW, anybody notice that hero to some on FR, Lou Dobbs, is going "coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs" for nancy pelosi.
Chavez is great. IMO she is off in calling Graf's district reliably conservative. It is more moderate and moving liberal.
This essay, from the woman who got into legal trouble when it was found she employed illegal workers.
Great post, Dane!
As of now, J.D. Hayworth is still behind by appx. 6,000 votes.
We replaced my RINO congressman with an anti amnesty conservative.
The Nancyboys are going all out for amnesty.
I believe the immigration issue cost us the House and the Senate. We were making strides in securing the Hispanic vote in 2004 and then we just threw it away. It is a no-win issue. Hopefully the house will pass something on immigration next year and we can put this issue in our rearview mirror for 2008.
The immigration issue is to the Republicans what the gay marriage issue is to the Democrats - a loser issue. You notice how quickly the Democrats dumped the gay marriage agenda and refuse to talk about it. We need to do the same thing with immigration otherwise we will always be a loser party.
Actually she did the Christian thing by helping out a woman from Peru.
The woman from Peru was very greatful for the help Ms. Chavez gave her in starting a productive(non-welfare) life in the US.
"Mr. Hayworth called for a three-year ban on legal immigration from Mexico"
Since we can't seem to ban illegal immigration, banning the dozen or so legal immigrants who come in every year seems like a fair trade.
It appears that your big democratic hero, Shuler, has changed his tune.
Linda Chavez is not a "nancyboy", she probably has more cajones that Tom Tancredo, especially on social and educational issues.
FYI
It is not a "Christian thing" to do something clearly illegal, especially with the intent to benefit oneself, as Linda did for some time.
The drumbeat continues.
That's great. Who was/is it?
Linda Chavez is an idiot and dependable shill for illegal aliens. She was going to be in GW's cabinet until it was found out she employed an illegal nanny or housekeeper.
____________________________
Is Linda Chavez Not Hispanic Enough?
by Steve Sailer
UPI, January 5, 2001
Is the conservative intellectual Linda Chavez, George W. Bush's controversial nominee for Secretary of Labor, not Hispanic enough?
The New York Times wrote, "Despite her surname, her critics have asserted, she is neither bilingual nor bicultural. (Her father's ancestors came from Spain; her mother is of English and Irish descent.)"
You'd argue the President's point, even if he said the moon was made of Green cheese..
It's so glaringly obvious..
sw
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