Thread: Group Urges Vitter To Stop Illegal Immigration Ad

Group Urges Vitter To Stop Illegal Immigration Ad
Hispanic Chamber Of Commerce Demands Apology
POSTED: 11:24 pm CDT October 7, 2010
UPDATED: 11:51 pm CDT October 7, 2010

Comments (1)

NEW ORLEANS -- The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana said a new political ad is racist, and the group is calling on Sen. David Vitter to stop running the spot.

Vitter has long pushed for tighter border security. It's an issue front and center in his campaign, but the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce believes his new ad is a low blow.

The Republican senator chairs the Senate Boarder Security Caucus. On his website, Vitter says one in every 25 people living in the U.S. is here illegally. It's issue that he takes up in a new political ad to attack his opponent's record on immigration.

"We found the ad to be totally abhorrent and shocking, and I'm going to use the 'R' word and say racist," said Darlene Kattan, of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana.

Kattan said her issue is not with the senator's position on border security, but rather how he presents his message.

"In this ad, he has these Hollywood stereotypes, caricature-types portraying Latino workers," Kattan said. "First of all, he uses the word 'illegal' so many times."

Kattan said the more humane word is "undocumented," and she said most of the people entering the country illegally are not Latino.

"No one seems to be objecting to the cute little blond-haired, blue-eyed cocktail waitress with her darling little eastern Europe accents serving cocktails in downtown New Orleans, but everyone has a problem with the workers who have come here to rebuild this city," she said.

Kattan said she has called Vitter's offices in Washington, D.C., and in Louisiana and has even reached out to his campaign staff with a message.

"To Sen. David Vitter, we are saying you owe us an apology, we are offended, we expect an immediate apology and we expect this ad to be yanked from the airwaves immediately," Kattan said.

Thursday night, Vitter's office issued a statement, sticking by his ad.

"Sen. Vitter believes in a legal immigration process for those who want to pursue the American dream," the spokesperson's statement said. "But (Rep.) Charlie Melancon's votes making it easy for illegals to get taxpayer-funded benefits, highlighted in the ad, are offensive to the senator and many, many Louisianans."

WDSU contacted Melancon's camp, which released the following statement: "Louisiana newspapers have already called David Vitter's ads 'distorted,' 'misleading,' and untrue, and this latest ad is just plain dishonest. Truth is, Charlie Melancon has fought to stop illegal immigration, supporting a border fence, opposing amnesty, and cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants."

http://www.wdsu.com/r/25323197/detail.html

They're really running scared of the truth aren't they? I hope Vitter sticks by his ad from now to eternity.

I don't think they are going to brow beat Vitters.....

How many illegal aliens has anyone seen with blond hair and blue eyes maybe a few on over stayed visa's ( one of the 60 thousand from ireland) but out of the millions crossing the border?

DARLENE A. KATTAN
Email: dkattan@hccl.biz

Lets all drop Darlene an email telling her that We The People happen to agree with Senator Vitter. That if you jumped the border you are illegal. That We The People happen to think that having a "Hispanic Chamber of Commerce" is the ultimate in racism, and that people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

"To Sen. David Vitter, we are saying you owe us an apology, we are offended, we expect an immediate apology and we expect this ad to be yanked from the airwaves immediately," Kattan said.

Oh grow up! Your temper tantrums are boring... (yawn) and We The People think it's people like you who should be charged with aiding and abetting these invaders.

Vitter do not pay attetion to what the Chamber is saying. The Chamber always supports illegal aliens. We have to deport all illegal aliens. We do not care what the Chamber thinks about your campaign. What matters is that we have to deport all illegal aliens.

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana said a new political ad is racist, and the group is calling on Sen. David Vitter to stop running the spot.

I find it highly ironic that a group that defines itself ethnicity would have the chutzpah to call anybody a "racist.â€

Originally Posted by NoBueno

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana said a new political ad is racist, and the group is calling on Sen. David Vitter to stop running the spot.

I find it highly ironic that a group that defines itself ethnicity would have the chutzpah to call anybody a "racist.â€

Vitter immigration ad creates outrage
Posted: Oct 11, 2010 5:06 PM PDT
Updated: Oct 11, 2010 6:38 PM PDT
By Jeff Ferrell

SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) – Hispanic groups are demanding an apology from U.S. Senator David Vitter of Louisiana. They also want him to pull his anti-immigration television ad against his opponent, Democratic Congressman Charlie Melancon.

The Vitter campaign is not pulling back from its television ad. They insist the facts speak for themselves. In fact, it's the first thing you see when you go to the Vitter campaign web site. So, we wanted to give you a closer look, so you can decide for yourself.

That anti-immigration television commercial begins with the voice of the announcer saying, "Charlie Melancon! Thanks to him we might as well put out a welcome sign for illegal aliens." The commercial, at the time, shows men huddled close to the border fence, half bent over and then coming through a hole in the fence.

Melancon's senate campaign called the ad 'distorted,' 'misleading,' and just plain dishonest. Some Hispanic groups call it blatant racism. "I think like most politicians you can kind of galvanize a support base around hate, really. I mean he's demonizing Latinos for his own political gain," said local Hispanic leader Vincent Perez.

His comments echo those of Darlene Kattan, executive director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana. She's the one who has called for an apology and the pulling of the TV ad.

Perez, for his part, says the commercial feeds into exaggerated stereotypes and an over-simplification of a complicated issue. "Immigration is a bigger issue than just Mexicans coming across the border anyway. We'll start there," continued Perez.

Actually both Vitter and Melancon earned a B-grade from a leading immigration control group known as NUMERSUSA, with Melancon crossing party lines several times. But you'd never know it from Vitter's commercial.

Halfway through it the announcer says, "Melancon voted to make it easier for illegals to get tax-payer-funded benefits and actual welfare checks." Perez responded, "The idea that they're receiving benefits is just crazy."

So, did Congressman Melancon make those votes or not? The answer is ‘yes' and ‘no.' Both parties use procedural votes during the legislative process, before a final vote is conducted. Often those procedural votes can trap lawmakers into impossible choices and then use them later in political ads.

While opening his local campaign headquarters in Bossier City Sunday (10/10), Melancon warned against the use of so-called wedge issues, instead of the real goal a campaign: "Bringing us back and sharing our commonalities rather than dividing us on idiosyncrasies and ideologies."

What's strange is Vitter's use of such a hard hitting attack ad since every poll shows him with a double digit lead. Analysts say, you usually see such attacks by the underdog in the race - not the leader.

http://www.ksla.com/Global/story.asp?S=13305666