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State GOP chief defends Bush policy. Tells Republicans to be Silent!
Posted on Saturday, June 25 @ 02:11:43 EDT
Topic: George Bush President immigrants
|
 6/23/2005
By MATTHEW BENSON
Fort Collins Coloradoan
Topics: Republican, President, Congress, illegal immigration, Bush, Tancredo, Hayworth
State Republican Party Chairman Bob Martinez on Wednesday called on Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo and other lawmakers to "back off" of their criticism of President Bush's immigration policy.
The comments came during a question-and-answer session that followed Martinez's remarks to the Larimer County Republican Luncheon Club. Martinez was asked why Bush hasn't helped Republican Rep. Tancredo in his quest for tighter borders and a tougher stance against illegal immigration.
Martinez, recently named chairman of the state party, said it's his job to support the president and called on congressmen to halt their "demagoguery" on the immigration issue. When approached following the meeting, Martinez said lawmakers - including Tancredo - are using terrorism fears to inflame the immigration debate.
"Ninety-nine percent of the Mexicans that cross that border are not coming across the border with the intent to kill anyone," Martinez said. "I'm defending the president's position. That's all I'm doing."
But he conceded that his "back off" comment to elected representatives went a bit far - especially for a Republican chairman usually bent on unifying and healing rifts among party faithful.
Tancredo, who has been one of the president's most ardent critics on the issue of immigration, declined comment on the matter.
But local Republican Perry Lorenz, who raised the issue with Martinez, disputed the chairman's characterization of the president's detractors.
"I don't believe when a Republican congressman like J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.) or Tom Tancredo calls for securing our borders, it's demagoguery," said Lorenz, a former candidate for the Poudre School District Board of Education.
With Bush in his last term, Lorenz said he expects Congress will begin exercising greater independence on illegal immigration. Bush has increased border security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks but also has advocated a limited guest worker program that critics have labeled "amnesty."
As recently as last week, Tancredo called on the president to deploy military technology and manpower to secure the border.
Specifically, Tancredo requested that illegal immigrants be registered into the National Crime Information Database. Agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement would be required to respond to state and local requests for assistance with immigration enforcement.
Lastly, Tancredo asked the president to direct the Justice Department to take action against local governments with sanctuary policies that shield illegal immigrants.
"The American people elected President Bush to a second term largely because of the war on terror," Tancredo wrote in a statement. "If the president disregards border security, he's disregarding part of his mandate."
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