Thread: Katherine Harris blasts Nelson on illegal immigration

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cct ... 678372.htm

Posted on Wed, Oct. 04, 2006

Harris blasts Nelson on illegal immigration

MITCH STACY
Associated Press



TAMPA, Fla. - Still far behind in the polls, U.S. Senate hopeful Katherine Harris went on the attack Wednesday, calling a news conference to blast Democrat Bill Nelson as soft on illegal immigration.

A Nelson campaign spokesman fired back, labeling the Longboat Key congresswoman's statements "bogus" and suggesting she is "conjuring up untruths" to deflect attention away from her failing campaign.

Harris, 49, acknowledged that beating Nelson on Nov. 7 will be "an uphill fight" and said she plans to use the weeks ahead to travel the state and highlight the stark differences between her and the senator from Orlando.

A Mason-Dixon poll released last week showed Harris trailing Nelson by 18 percentage points, and political experts say it's unlikely she can make up the ground in a little more than a month before the Nov. 7 election.

On Wednesday, Harris stood in front of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Tampa and claimed that Nelson's support of the Senate immigration bill means he supports benefits for illegal immigrants at great taxpayer expense, while voting against other measures that would ease the tax burden for Americans.

"Floridians need to know that Bill Nelson supports amnesty, that he flip-flops on issues of border security, that he will vote to let current tax cuts expire for Floridians but allow $50 billion of our taxes to support the cost of amnesty," she said. "Bill Nelson is part of the problem."

Harris cited a study by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, that estimated the cost of the Senate immigration bill - for which Florida's Republican Sen. Mel Martinez also voted and that President Bush supported - at $50 billion.

Nelson spokesman Bryan Gulley dismissed Harris' claims and noted that she was absent when the U.S. House voted on key border security issues last month.

"Just like everything else, she has no credibility on the issue," Gulley said. "Meantime, Bill Nelson is the one who toughened the Senate bill to require high-tech surveillance and unmanned aerial vehicles to patrol the border."

The Senate legislation included money to better secure the borders, provide a new guest worker program and give an eventual shot at citizenship to many of the estimated 11 to 12 million immigrants in the country illegally.

The bill does not provide amnesty, which Nelson opposes, but "requires immigrants to speak English, pay back taxes and play by the rules," Gulley said.

Gulley also disputed Harris' claims about taxes, noting that Nelson has voted more than 80 times to cut taxes, including votes to preserve or expand the child tax credit, eliminate the marriage penalty and reduce or repeal the estate tax.

Harris has become more aggressive in trying to turn voters' attention to the issues instead of her checkered campaign this year. Support from GOP leaders was lacking before the primary, fundraising has lagged and numerous campaign workers have walked out on her.

Also casting a shadow over her campaign are her dealings with defense contractor Mitchell Wade, who pleaded guilty to bribing a California congressman and admitted funneling illegal contributions to her campaign.

Harris is a snake too. NOW she changes her mind on "immigration?"

Palleeeeeessssssssse
What a bunch of heiferdust.

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

Harris is a snake too. NOW she changes her mind on "immigration?"

Palleeeeeessssssssse
What a bunch of heiferdust.

That's not a very nice thing to say.

Originally Posted by Brian503a

Originally Posted by 2ndamendsis

Harris is a snake too. NOW she changes her mind on "immigration?"

Palleeeeeessssssssse
What a bunch of heiferdust.

That's not a very nice thing to say.

SNAKE! I want my SNAKE, BRIAN
{pretty please}

I guess you missed the photo I added at the top.

Originally Posted by Brian503a

I guess you missed the photo I added at the top.

I emailed Bill Nelson back in May and got a letter back regarding the immigration issue.

Thanks for contacting me about immigration. All of us can agree the system is broken and needs to be fixed.
I believe the U.S. needs a smart, realistic plan to address illegal immigration - one that protects our borders and ensures that all immigrants play by the rules. To protect our borders, we need to use cutting-edge technology, including unmanned aerial vehicles. And, we need to enforce our existing laws.
We also need to create a guest worker program that provides a path to legal status for those who qualify and play by the rules and deport those who do not. Playing by the rules means paying your taxes, keeping a job, and learning English.
Thanks for sharing your concerns with me, and be assured I'll keep them in mind as the Senate considers this issue.

Nelson needs to go. Harris is a globalist. Martinez is a weasle. This state is a joke. Oh how I wish there was someone I could feel good about voting for.

Martinez is for both securing the border and the immigration reform policy. I agree with securing the border and finding out who is here illegally and then sending them all back! I emailed him on the same day I emailed Nelson and got a one and a half page letter from him. The only major part I agree with him is:

"American employers also need to take reaponsibility when determining the immigration status of individuals they hire. Too often illegal immigrants attempt to enter the United States chasing employment from unscrupulous employers who accept fraudulent citizenship documents. This hurts both American workers and immigrants whose sole aim is to work hard and get ahead. S.2611 would implement a simple, fool-proof, and mandatory mechanism for all employers to check the legal status of new hires, and we must peanlize employers that continue to hire illegal employees.