Thread: Immigration overhaul weighs heavily on Republicans

Immigration overhaul weighs heavily on Republicans

By William E. Gibson | Washington Bureau Chief
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sfl-flaimmi ... 0555.story
August 27, 2007

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain has endured death threats along the presidential campaign trail. Sen. Mel Martinez has seen his public-approval ratings droop back home in Florida.

And President Bush, already mired in an unpopular war, faces open rebellion within his party over his attempts to turn undocumented immigrants into a legal work force.

Their cause — a comprehensive overhaul of immigration laws — has sparked a political backlash that has divided the party, forced Congress to shelve the bill and jeopardized Republican attempts in Florida and elsewhere to reach out to Hispanic voters.

"Politics is about perceptions, and indeed we've got a perception hurdle to overcome here," acknowledged Al Cardenas, a Cuban-American and former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

Though dormant in Congress, the immigration fallout continues to roil the presidential campaign. While Democratic candidates generally support legislation to open a path to legal status for millions of immigrants, most Republican candidates stoutly oppose the concept.

McCain, of Arizona, once the Republican front-runner, has acknowledged receiving death threats and relentless political attacks for his support of legislation that would have helped employers legalize their labor needs while boosting enforcement on the borders and in the workplaces.

"I have never seen an issue that has inflamed the passions of the American people the way the issue of immigration reform has, ever, including Iraq," McCain said at a policy forum in Colorado on Aug. 15.

Not hiding their exasperation, McCain and Martinez, R-Fla., each challenged critics to propose their own plan to meet labor needs and deal with the estimated 12 million people illegally in the country.

Martinez, who appears to be distancing himself from the issue, could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts over two weeks.

His national stature rose dramatically after brokering deals that brought an immigration bill to the Senate floor last year and again this year, but the backlash has thrown him on the defensive.

A statewide poll last week by Strategic Vision, a nonpartisan firm based in Atlanta, found that only 43 percent approved of his performance in office, and 42 percent disapproved. The tepid results followed another poll last month by Quinnipiac University, which found that 38 percent of Florida voters disapproved of Martinez's performance and only 36 percent approved.

Bush selected Martinez, a Cuban-American and the only immigrant in the Senate, to become general chairman of the Republican National Party largely to appeal to Hispanics and immigrant voters.

Key to this strategy was enacting an immigration bill that would stiffen enforcement while giving millions of undocumented people a chance to become legal residents and eventually citizens. But the backlash against the legalization provisions, leading to the collapse of the bill, left Martinez to lead a fractious party full of critics who have turned against him and the president, at least on the immigration front.

"Not long ago you could say the party was divided. But now the Republican Party seems to be in the clutches of its nativist wing," said Frank Sharry, director of the National Immigration Forum, a nonpartisan advocacy group for changing immigration laws. "That may play to talk radio, but it could amount to political suicide, especially in a state like Florida.

"Don't Republicans know they can't win without Florida? Don't they know the fastest growing group of voters in the state is non-Cuban Latino immigrants? Mel Martinez gets it, but I'm afraid many in his party don't."

Many Republicans, however, are convinced that the Bush-Martinez policy is a big loser in the political arena. Most Americans, including most Hispanics, simply don't want "amnesty for illegals," they say.

The Palm Beach County Republican Party delivered one of the most stinging rebukes to the bill's backers.

"We want people to know that support for this bill will cost them their jobs," said Sid Dinerstein, county Republican chairman, who organized an e-mail campaign to oppose the bill.

Even after the bill's demise, dissatisfaction rumbled across the country, prompting members of the Republican National Committee to pass a resolution on Aug. 3 that stresses completion of a fence along the Southwest border and use of the National Guard to block illegal entries. The resolution stops short of criticizing Martinez or Bush, but backers made clear it amounts to a rejection of their leaders' immigration policy.

Many rank-and-file Republicans seem to agree.

"I believe we must first secure the borders and then deal with the illegals who are here," said Joy Stone, a Republican in West Palm Beach. "They broke the law. I probably know some and would hate to see them sent back, but I don't see giving them amnesty."

She and other Republicans believe the party can attract Hispanic voters through the message of "less government, lower taxes and more freedom."

"Legal Hispanics, who are the ones who vote, want it done right," Stone said.

The strongest opponents to legalization plan to carry their anger into the election campaign.

"Republicans have a better argument in favor of enforcement by a long shot," said David Caulkett, founder of Floridians for Immigration Enforcement, based in Hialeah. "The fact that Sen. Martinez has become so aggressive in promoting pro-amnesty, anti-citizen legislation, yes, that will hurt him."

William E. Gibson can be reached at wgibson@sun-sentinel.com or 202-824-8256.

They are making them out to be martyrs for the cause.

Dixie

As poll after poll shows, the majority of Americans want the border secure and our immigration laws enforced. This is good politics and more importantly, it's good public policy.