Group says Perry's has gone too far on immigration


By Annmarie Timmins / Monitor staff

December 2, 2011


A group based in Minnesota called Cafe Con Leche Republicans wants you to know there are Republicans who welcome "immigrants and the descendents of recent immigrants." And that group wants Rick Perry out of the presidential race.

Perry's fatal mistake, the group said yesterday in a press release, was accepting the endorsement of Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a controversial figure thanks to his approach to illegal immigration. Arpaio has raided Hispanic neighborhoods and has been vocal about deporting illegal immigrants.

It's a tougher stance than Perry advocated as Texas governor when he endorsed allowing children of illegal immigrants to attend state college on reduced in-state rates.

The endorsement didn't make sense to a top New Hampshire Republican either.

Former New Hampshire Republican Party chairman Fergus Cullen wrote a piece this week for New Hampshire Journal saying he could not understand "why Perry would think that campaigning with Sheriff Arpaio would help him."

Cullen added, "a hard-line, anti-immigrant position is not especially popular in New Hampshire, even among likely Republican primary voters." In addition, Cullen wrote, Arpaio had questioned President President Obama's citizenship and has been investigated by a federal grand jury for abuse of power. Cullen's piece is at nhjournal.com.

In its statement released yesterday, the Cafe Con Leche Republicans called on Perry to quit his campaign.

"By hitching his star to Joe Arpaio, Rick Perry has effectively torpedoed his campaign," the group statement said. "We believe it is critical that the GOP nominee be a credible candidate, not only among Republicans but the general electorate, in order to defeat (President) Obama in the general election."

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