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Klein blasts Shaw on immigration “dog and pony show”

Published Monday, August 21, 2006
by John Johnston


Ron Klein's campaign is confused about the season, picking a football analogy to criticize Congressman Clay Shaw this week.

However, there's little doubt about what Klein believes.

"In a move worthy of a pre-season scrimmage yesterday, Congressman E. Clay Shaw stumbled, bumbled and fumbled around the immigration issue while his go-to receiver Congressman Phil English (R-PA) dozed on the sidelines," begins a Klein press release.

"With his back already to the end zone, Shaw's attempt to score some quick, cheap points with voters sailed off mark. His crass political attempt to "stand up for principle" by hosting a congressional hearing that had been recommended by Republican operatives desperate to overcome major voter discontent, backfired," the press release concludes.

In response the Klein campaign issued the following statement:

"Congressman Shaw followed Karl Rove's playbook and it failed. Illegal immigration is a problem that affects local communities in South Florida. It is not a political football to be tossed around by Rove and Shaw when they want to "rally their base. Mr. Shaw learned that today."

"Mr. Shaw has been in Congress for many years and has done nothing to deal with the problem of illegal immigration. Now that we are in an election season, he feels the need to "listen" to local officials regarding this issue.

"Most recently Mr. Shaw has been fighting for the Republican House Immigration Bill which does little to address the problem of dealing with employers who higher illegal labor. On top of that he has been fighting for President Bush's guest worker program, widely seen as amnesty.

"What Mr. Shaw heard from the participants in this closely orchestrated "committee hearing" ran counter to the stance he has already taken on the issue. Even though Mr. Shaw did not allow public comment and only allowed a small number of observers, he still got an earful from local officials.

Confronting Mr. Shaw, Lake Worth Mayor Mark Drautz pointed out in HeraldToday.com:

I want you to understand, it isn't so much the immigrants that are the problem, it's the business that use them as cheap labor," said Lake Worth Mayor Mark Drautz. "Business has been taking advantage of those people for a long time."

"Finally, Mr. Shaw has tried to use this dog and pony show as a way to demonstrate his "seniority" by manufacturing a hearing form the committee he hopes to chair. In this effort he was able to secure one other member of the committee, Congressman Phil English, who could not stay awake during the hearing.

"If Congressman English is that tired of Mr. Shaw's dog and pony shows, just think how the voters must feel.

"Mr. Shaw owes an apology to Mayor Drautz, Sheriff Bradsaw and all of those who showed up expecting a real discussion of the issue but instead got a half-baked political stunt," the statement concluded.

Shaw Press Secretary Gail Gitcho was equally adamant:

"Once again, Ron Klein has his facts wrong and has yet again taken the opportunity to politicize an issue that is critical in South Florida," she told The Boca Raton News.

"The immigration forum was very productive. Congressman Shaw looks forward to taking the concerns heard during the forum back to the Ways and Means Committee. Congressman Shaw believes the Congress must work to find a solution that creates a guest worker program that makes sense and benefits immigrants, our businesses, all while our borders are protected and secured. Securing our borders should be our first priority. "

"The forum in Lake Worth was a public meeting.," she added. "The room was full and Congressman Shaw had the opportunity to hear from 6 local officials from both Broward and Palm Beach counties. It was not a political event, but a Congressional forum. Its unfortunate that Ron Klein injects politics every chance he gets."

The election is in 78 days.

John Johnston can be reached at 561-549-0833, or at jjohnston@bocanews.com.