Thread: FL: Immigrant bill hurts Martinez in polls

Immigrant bill hurts Martinez in polls
The Florida Republican senator's approval ratings are at an all-time low.
Tamara Lytle
Chief Washington Correspondent

June 8, 2007

WASHINGTON -- A new poll shows that U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez's approval ratings with voters have plunged to an all-time low, apparently reflecting his support for a controversial immigration-reform bill.

Only 37 percent of those polled by Quinnipiac University approved of the way Martinez was handling his job, while 34 percent disapproved and the rest were undecided. That's down from a high of 48 percent approval -- and 22 percent disapproval -- in February, before the latest immigration bill was announced.

Martinez, in a brief interview Thursday afternoon, shrugged off the poll numbers and vowed to keep working for the reform legislation.

"I didn't come here to take the easy way," Martinez said.

Thursday evening, however, senators refused to halt debate on the bill, prompting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada to yank it from the floor. Reid said he didn't know when it would come back up.

Martinez, who is not up for re-election until 2010, is part of a bipartisan group that has negotiated a delicate compromise to offer a path toward legal residence for 12 million illegal immigrants and a temporary guest-worker program for future immigrants. The plan has been criticized from the right as amnesty for lawbreakers and from the left as not providing enough help to immigrants who want to bring family members to the United States.

"An incumbent with a 37 percent approval rating needs to mend some fences," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, which polled 1,174 Floridians from May 24 to June 4 as the Senate worked on the immigration bill. The poll has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

The issue has cost Martinez, who lives in Orlando, the support of voters like John Gilbert, a retired aerospace engineer from Orange County.

"What we've had is a nonviolent invasion of our country," said Gilbert, a Republican who voted for Martinez when he was elected in 2004. Gilbert said giving legal standing to illegal workers is not good for the country and will strain schools and hospitals. He said Martinez, who came to the U.S. from Cuba as a legal immigrant as a teenager, would not support it if he weren't an immigrant."I can assure you: Those of us who didn't walk ashore or swim ashore oppose it," Gilbert said. "We see people coming in and taking over our nation."

Martinez said he has gotten his share of angry phone calls from immigration-reform opponents but also "Way to go" comments from others. He said he has no regrets, despite the dive in poll numbers. "The alternative, frankly, is to leave the problem unresolved, to leave the problem lingering longer," Martinez said. "The 12 million that are here today illegally will become 13 and then 14 million, only making it a bigger problem. This is the time to fix it."

Immigration may not be the only issue hurting Martinez's popularity, said Aubrey Jewett, associate professor of political science at the University of Central Florida. Martinez took over the general chairmanship of the Republican National Committee this year, a partisan post that may alienate some Democrats, especially as it links Martinez to an unpopular president.

President Bush is wildly unpopular among Democrats in Florida -- only 6 percent of those polled approved of the way he is doing his job. His overall approval rating is 32 percent. Martinez's approval rating is above that but lower than the 47 percent for fellow Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat.

The Quinnipiac poll shows Martinez's support dropped among Republicans and Democrats but held steady among independent voters.

"He still has a few years before re-election, so it's not crisis mode, but it is worrisome for him," Jewett said.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/loc ... 1425.story

wonderful, Since he entered the country in a boat from Cuba he believes that everyone who has enter the country illegally should get to stay. It is time that we change the policy of letting Cubans who enter our country illegally to stay in America once they have stepped foot on soil. Face it these people are as illegal as other illegals, and they are many who are pushing for amnesty for all illegals instead of being grateful they are trying to destroy American.

Originally Posted by Beckyal

wonderful, Since he entered the country in a boat from Cuba he believes that everyone who has enter the country illegally should get to stay. It is time that we change the policy of letting Cubans who enter our country illegally to stay in America once they have stepped foot on soil. Face it these people are as illegal as other illegals, and they are many who are pushing for amnesty for all illegals instead of being grateful they are trying to destroy American.

I'm not sure whether he's just an a-hole (probably) or if he really believes he's doing good in some delusional way, but he certainly does not represent the way most Cubans who came early on think. Those that come now, different story, different people altogher. And I agree, no more Wet Foot/Dry Foot

It just goes to show you he has no loyalty to this country, anyone who loves this country would not want to blatantly destroy it!!!

ive sent this traitor so many emails and calls and not once have I gotten a response. I voted for this clown last time, never again.