Rick Perry's pro-immigration Texas base
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As Mitt Romney starts to turning to an immigration contrast with Rick Perry, the Texas governor's own supporters are highlighting his stands on that topic that may not wear well with a majority of early-state Republican activists.

POLITICO's Ken Vogel passes along an email sent by Perry contributor Norman Adams, which contained a separate email from Steve Hotze, also a Perry bundler based in Texas. Both emails make donor solicitations that underscore Perry's position helping to kill a bill similar to the Arizona immigration legislation, for instance.

The upshot is that these are not necessarily positions that either primary and caucus voters know about Perry, or which will sit well with them.

As I noted in another post, it's not clear that immigration is the driver of voter interests in presidential primaries that some believe it to be. But it will be interesting to see how Perry tries to keep both his donor base of Texas businessmen, who tend to favor the immigrants who aid the state's economy, and voters happy.

Adams' email, titled "Governor Perry and immigration," is below:

Thank you for signing the checks! You helped Dr. Steve Hotze fulfill his fundraising promise to Governor Perry.

We raised $43,000 of the $205,000 Steve Hotze handed him last night.

In years past I have presented the Governor honorary awards for Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, for TLR, and for The Justice Foundation. However, it was the latest legislative session that gave Dr. Steve Hotze and me the best opportunity to convince Governor Perry that business owners, the economic engines that drive our economy, are overwhelmingly opposed to Arizona-style legislation. Republican Representatives and Senators, many of them our close friends, filed 108 Arizona-style bills! With the Texas legislature overwhelmingly Republican controlled, most were expected to pass.

With the help of business owners including you, we packed the hearings, we faxed, we phoned, we emailed the right people, and they listened! I was delighted last evening when the Governor looked across at me called my name and did not shoot me! Instead, he grabbed me by both arms, and of course, I grabbed him. I told him, Governor, the Houston Hispanic Chamber just named me an "Honorary Mexican" and I am here to tell you, if you will help us, Steve Hotze and I will lead the charge getting the Hispanic vote! They are Pro Life and Pro Family. They belong in the Republican Party. We must attract the Hispanic vote and together rid this country of the Obama Plague!

So, will the Governor listen? Let's hope and pray he does! If he listens you will have played an important roll!

I have been asked to speak to the C Club on September 20th, and to the Texas Roofers Association on September 21. Both groups want to hear what happened in the Texas Legislature. I hope to inspire them to get involved. Our immediate challenge, in addition to getting Governor Perry elected, is in Washington DC. We have to convince Lamar Smith that deporting illegal immigrants is not a pathway to full employment, but rather it is a pathway to economic disaster!

It should be obvious to you, I am encouraged, and I hope you are!

God bless you, and may He help us help America!

Norman E. Adams

Co-Founder

Texans for Sensible Immigration Policy

And here is Hotze's email:

Dear Norman,

Thank you so much for your investment of $5,000 in Governor Rick Perry's campaign for President and your help getting others to do the same.

You have taken advantage of a great opportunity to restore our nation and return it to its Constitutional foundation.

Because of your support and the other members of our team, we raised over $205,000 in investments for the Perry for President campaign. We were second in the greater Houston area and third in the state.

We are involved in a life and death struggle with the dark forces of socialism and Marxism.

Under the leadership of Rick Perry, free enterprise will once again flourish and conservative and Christian values will be revived.

With God’s help and your support I am confident that we shall be victorious in our efforts!

With much appreciation for your friendship and support, I remain, as always,

Sincerely yours,

Steven F. Hotze, M.D.

President

Conservative Republicans of Texas


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