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Beauprez hits Ritter on immigration
Gubernatorial candidates debate


October 4, 2006
By Joe Hanel | Herald Denver Bureau

DENVER - Republican Bob Beauprez attacked his rival in the governor's race, Democrat Bill Ritter, over Ritter's record as a Denver prosecutor in a Tuesday debate moderated by ABC News' George Stephanopoulos.

In recent days, Beauprez has charged that Ritter devised about 150 plea bargains so that legal immigrants could avoid deportation.

"He had serious crimes, people who were arrested on heroin trafficking, cocaine trafficking and he went and found an obscure charge - farmland trespassing," Beauprez said. The trespassing charge is a felony but would not result in deportation for a legal immigrant.

Illegal immigrants can be deported at any time, regardless of whether they have committed other crimes.

Ritter said his prosecutors did their best with an overwhelming caseload, cases with weak evidence and the capacity to do only a couple hundred trials a year.

Beauprez and Republican groups have hammered Ritter throughout the campaign for what they call excessive plea bargaining. But other district attorneys have said that most cases need to be plea-bargained because the court system can't handle more long trials. Ritter said Beauprez doesn't understand criminal law.

"I think the next governor of the state ought to have more than a cocktail-party familiarity of the criminal justice system," Ritter said.

Ritter said that on many occasions, the former federal Immigration and Naturalization Service (whose duties were assumed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after Sept. 11) didn't have enough money to deport people who were convicted of felonies.

"So it's INS's fault?" Beauprez asked.

"No," Ritter replied. "It's not their fault. It's Congress's fault."

Ritter said that Beauprez, a two-term congressman, should have worked harder for immigration reform in Washington.

The debate also touched on other topics, such as education.

Ritter said he opposes vouchers to pay for public school students to attend private school. Beauprez supports vouchers.

Ritter pointed to his support of Referendum C last year, which lets the state keep extra tax money for five years in order to avoid large cuts.



"It was the chance to save a very desperate situation," Ritter said.

Beauprez opposed Referendum C. Instead, he supports an Arizona plan that gives a $1 tax credit for every $2 someone contributes to a special educational fund. The fund, Beauprez said, could be used for teacher raises, school construction or any number of priorities.

Stephanopoulos asked Beauprez about the latest congressional scandal, in which Florida Republican Mark Foley resigned after sending sexual electronic messages to boys in the Congressional page program. Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert is under fire because he knew about some inappropriate messages months ago.

Beauprez said Hastert should go if there's evidence that he covered up for Foley.

"I have not seen hard evidence that he has done this, but if hard evidence surfaces, then he needs to go," Beauprez said.

Ritter said the GOP's House leadership should be replaced.

"It appears they were complicit," Ritter said. "We've seen speakers come and go over the years over a lot less than this."

The debate aired on Channel 7 (KMGH) in Denver. Although some Four Corners viewers can't get Denver television, Internet users can watch it on www.thedenverchannel.com.

Stephanopoulos is the host of ABC's Sunday-morning interview program "This Week." He was a senior adviser to President Clinton.

jhanel@durangoherald.com