Thread: CO-Senate immigration debate gets heated

Published: August 17, 2008 03:12 am | No comments posted.Font Size:

Senate immigration debate gets heated
Four candidates for U.S. Senate appeared Saturday in Colorado Springs.By CHARLES ASHBY
CHIEFTAIN DENVER BUREAU
COLORADO SPRINGS - In a heated debate over immigration, four candidates for the U.S. Senate traded barbs over who had the best ideas for dealing with the controversial matter.

In an event sponsored by the Catholic Charities of Colorado Springs, Republican Bob Schaffer, Democratic Rep. Mark Udall, Green Party candidate Bob Kinsey and American Constitutional Party candidate Douglas "Dayhorse" Campbell tried to answer questions about jobs, border security, free trade and what the nation should do about the millions of illegal immigrants already living in the nation.

At the same time, the candidates interjected stinging barbs about how the others were unfit to be in the U.S. Senate.

"We have a broken system," Udall said in starting out the debate. "Our national security depends on getting it right, and that solution starts with securing our borders. We also have to hold employers accountable, I believe, and find a way to deal with the 12 to 15 million people who are in an undocumented fashion."

All those topics were covered during the hour-long forum at Sacred Heart Church in central Colorado Springs. Questions ranged from what to do about border security, whether free trade agreements are part of the problem, and how should the nation deal with a shortage of farm and service industry workers as states begin to clamp down on illegal immigrants.

Though the debate focused more on those subjects, Schaffer took the opportunity to tout his support for the military in a city that owes much of its economic base to the armed forces.

"There's a huge difference between Congressman Udall and me when it comes to the nation's defense and the support for it," Schaffer said. "In fact, I'm the only one here who believes that the nation's defense is among our highest priorities in the country."

If that were true, Udall later countered, why didn't Schaffer fight to get onto the House Armed Services Committee when he served in Congress as Udall has done.

Udall threw a few barbs of his own at Schaffer, accusing him of turning a blind eye to slave labor and siding with U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo's "extremist" views on immigration.

Those comments sparked Schaffer to interrupt Udall, saying, "Mark, that's not true," at least four times throughout the debate.

Udall responded with a few retorts of his own, particularly after Schaffer accused him of supporting an amnesty program for those illegal immigrants already here.

"What he's suggesting is we should provide amnesty to those who are here in front of us illegally today, and let (others) wait in another country because they're trying to come in the legal way," Schaffer said.

"What I proposed isn't amnesty," Udall countered. "In fact, (former) congressman Schaffer (who) wasn't heard from for many, many months on his thinking about immigration reform, basically joined me in suggesting we ought to have an earned path for illegal status."

"Mark, that's not true," Schaffer interjected.

"But congressman, you ought to clarify your record because you've tried to have it both ways," Udall said.

Meanwhile, Campbell argued that the nation allows too many legal immigrants into the nation and doesn't crack down hard enough on preventing illegal ones from coming here, while Kinsey said the real problem stems from bad economic conditions in other nations, saying the U.S. should help them improve their own economies.

In the end, though, Campbell got in the final barb:

"My Democrat opponent said that the Republican is a hand-in-the-till, corporate fat-cat elitist. He doesn't deserve your vote, and you shouldn't vote for him," Campbell said in his closing statement. "My Republican opponent says the Democrat is a tree-hugging, tax-and-spend, big government elitist. He doesn't deserve your vote, you shouldn't vote for him either.

"I say you should listen very carefully to these people and take their advice."




http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/ ... 754550.txt

IT TOOK MORE THAN TWENTY -FIVE YEARS TO GET ANYONE TO EVEN SPEAK ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

GO AT IT ELECTED OFFICIAL, LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

CLOSE THE BORDER, PUNISH EMPLOYERS, USE 287, ICE, AND ANCHOR BABY LAW.

find a way to deal with the 12 to 15 million people who are in an undocumented fashion."

Now that's a new one