Thread: Candidates competing for illegal immigration spotlight

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/08 ... _20_05.txt

NORTH COUNTY ---- In the early stages of the fight for the Republican nomination in the 50th Congressional District race in 2006, illegal immigration is surging to the forefront as a major campaign issue for at least two conservatives who are potential candidates.

On July 14, Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Escondido, announced he would not seek re-election, citing the fallout from a federal grand jury investigation into his financial ties to a Washington defense contractor, as well as the toll it was taking on his family.

Within hours of the eight-term congressman's announcement, the jockeying to fill his seat began as state Sen. Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside, informally announced he would run to replace the former Top Gun Navy flight instructor.

Morrow and two others ---- a candidate and former state assemblyman, Howard Kaloogian; and a likely candidate, Assemblyman Mark Wyland ---- have talked publicly for weeks about the need for stronger enforcement of immigration laws.

Morrow and Wyland have begun pushing their views on illegal immigration. As the fight for the GOP nomination begins, each man appears to be positioning himself as the Don Quixote of activism against illegal immigration ---- would-be knights in pursuit of stronger immigration laws and the seat in Congress.

Two days after Cunningham announced he would not seek re-election, Morrow visited the U.S.-Mexico border in Campo to support a controversial border watch by the California Minuteman Project.

The group is one of several organizations that have sprouted across the nation to pressure the federal government to more strongly enforce immigration laws.

While in Campo, a Morrow staff member was allegedly assaulted by a protestor, generating media coverage and highlighting Morrow's fight against illegal immigration.

Then on August 11, Morrow sponsored a town hall meeting titled the "Illegal Immigration Crisis" at Carlsbad High School. He invited several guest speakers who have achieved national attention in the illegal-immigration arena.

The event generated intense media coverage for the days leading up to and after the event.

On Aug. 8, the Carlsbad Unified School District superintendent announced he was canceling the event because of concerns that it could lead to violence between anti-illegal immigration activists and human rights groups.

The next day, Morrow's attorney filed a law suit to force the school district to reinstate the permit, which Superintendent John Roach then did the following day. Passions ran high between the opposing groups outside the event, but more than 150 police officers kept the crowd under control.

An immigration rights activist said Friday that, because illegal immigration has become such a hot topic, politicians are using it to leverage their political careers.

"It seems that Democrats and Republicans are playing on the fears of the American public and taking a confrontational approach, rather than solving the immigration debate," said Christian Ramirez, the San Diego director for the American Friends Service Committee.

As the rhetoric grows more intense, not only illegal immigrants, but American Latinos are feeling the heat, Ramirez added.

"There is a climate across the entire country that immigrants are to blame for absolutely everything that is wrong in the United States," Ramirez said. "That has ramifications for American Latinos, because the perception is that anyone who doesn't fit the profile of an 'all-American citizen' is lumped into the immigrant community."

But for Morrow, the most important thing is calling things the way the are, he said.

"If there is a risk associated with presenting the truth, then I will accept it any day," he said Friday.

A North County Republican political consultant, Jack Orr, said last week that in the race to see who will come out on top for the nomination to replace Cunningham, illegal immigration will be the primary issue.

"It is the issue of 2005-06, and all Republican candidates will be on it," Orr said. "If the Democrats don't, they will be buried quickly, because this cuts across party lines."

Thus far in these early stages of the race to the Republican primary, Morrow has succeeded in attracting the most attention to the issue.

"If you think of politicians as playing 'king of the hill,' (Morrow) has certainly staked out the top of the hill," Orr said.

Morrow said Friday that, regardless of his campaign, illegal immigration is the number one issue facing San Diego County.

And he said he believed that most area Latinos support stronger enforcement.

"Unfortunately, the open-border advocates and pro-immigration activists oftentimes are viewed as the spokespeople of the majority of Latinos in California, and I don't think that is the case," Morrow said. "I think it is more a situation where they are the ones with the bullhorn."

Wyland, who says he is "seriously considering" running for Cunningham's seat, has also made a splash on the illegal immigration front in recent days. On Thursday, he wrote an opinion article for the North County Times on the issue. He also called Thursday for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency along the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego and Imperial counties in an effort to secure the border.

"The health, safety and pocketbooks of all Californians are in jeopardy because of illegal immigration," Wyland stated in a news release. "This has become a critical situation because the federal government has been unable to control the border, so we must take steps in the meantime to secure it."

And on Friday, Morrow's office e-mailed the North County Times a copy of a letter he had sent the governor's office, dated Thursday, in which Morrow also called on Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency along the border.

But Republicans aren't the only ones concerned about illegal immigration.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, also called on the governor Thursday to declare a state of emergency.

Last week, the North County Times asked an academic who specializes in congressional politics and 20th century American history for his opinion on the effectiveness of using illegal immigration as a campaign tool in the 50th District race.

UC San Diego professor Gary Jacobson said that, because more than a dozen possible candidates have surfaced in the race for Cunningham's seat, a single hot-button issue could determine the outcome.

Because the vote will be split among several candidates, "You can distinguish yourself from the other candidates on a single issue and, if you get a large enough minority of the vote, win the nomination," Jacobson said.

That will change in the general election, however, he said. "I don't know how broadly that (illegal immigration) theme will appeal to all of the electorate."

As a short-term strategy, using illegal immigration may be politically expedient, Jacobson said. But with the increasing number of Latino voters, pushing the issue too hard could pose risks to Republicans in the years to come, he added.

"By being too hard-line, they are alienating the fastest growing part of the electorate," Jacobson said. "The danger is establishing themselves as the enemy. National (Republican) leaders don't want that to happen, because they can read the demographics, too."

Contact staff writer William Finn Bennett at (760) 740-5426, or wbennett@nctimes.com.

Pictures Of Morrow at Campo:

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-7498.html

Pictures of Carlsbad

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-8023.html

"There is a climate across the entire country that immigrants are to blame for absolutely everything that is wrong in the United States,"

OK, maybe not everything. But let's see....drugs, gangs, DUI's, sexual assaults, tax evasion, breaking federal laws, stealing jobs, sucking tax dollars, school over crowding...hmmm...ok I'll let them slide on global warming!

A North County Republican political consultant, Jack Orr, said last week that in the race to see who will come out on top for the nomination to replace Cunningham, illegal immigration will be the primary issue.

"It is the issue of 2005-06, and all Republican candidates will be on it," Orr said. "If the Democrats don't, they will be buried quickly, because this cuts across party lines."

GOOD!

There is no doubt in my mind, that there is some good people that are here illegally. But the question in my mind. Is how would we stop the bad ones. Unless we can stop illegal Immigration all together.

First illegals should have respected my country's laws. When you don't respect, my country. You don't respect me. Then in turn, how just how can i respect you.

a immigrant that comes here, legally. I would give the shirt of my back to help in anyway. There is no doubt about that. This legal Immigrant, has shown me the upmost respect and is my friend. My eyes don't see color, race and my mind don't think. What religion are you. My hand is out and arms open to welcome, these people.

I agree about people coming here legally do contribute to our society and have a greater appreciation for the freedoms we have here. My way of think ing is that if you break the law to enter this country, then you will contniue to break the law once your here. I have never met someone who entered illegally and then became a law abiding citizen

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