Thread: Some Democrats Send a More Conservative Immigration Message

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/us/po ... ei=5087%0A

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn., Oct. 11 — In Washington, the Democratic leadership in Congress has maintained a united front on immigration, demanding legislation that would legalize illegal immigrants and create a guest worker program to ensure a reliable legal flow of foreign workers.

But here in Tennessee, and in at least a dozen other fiercely contested Congressional races, Democratic candidates are publicly breaking with that message.

In North Carolina, Heath Shuler, a former Washington Redskins quarterback who is running for Congress, ran a television advertisement declaring he would never “give amnesty” to illegal immigrants. In Georgia, Representative John Barrow has played up his vote to build a fence on the southwest border. In Ohio, John Cranley, the challenger to the Republican incumbent, Representative Steve Chabot, has accused Mr. Chabot of voting to legalize hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants.

In this state, Representative Harold E. Ford Jr., the Democrat running for Senate, reminds voters repeatedly that federal agents raided his Republican opponent’s business and found four illegal immigrants working there. Mr. Ford also proudly describes his vote for the border security legislation passed by the House last year, a measure condemned as anti-immigrant by many Democrats in Congress.

“I’m the only person on this stage who has ever voted for an anti-illegal-immigration bill, matter of fact the strongest in the country,” Mr. Ford said this week in a debate with his Republican opponent, Bob Corker. The congressman emphasized that his position put him at odds with his party and with President Bush, who pushed for legislation to grant legal status to illegal immigrants.

The vast majority of Democrats in Congress support their leadership’s call for legislation that would grant legal status to illegal immigrants and toughen border security. And politicians of all stripes go against their party leaders, on occasion, to address regional concerns. But the appearance of some candidates vying to be tougher than Republicans on border security, particularly in tight races in conservative states, shows how divisive the immigration issue remains.

The tough border security message is carried mostly by Democrats in the South and the Midwest, where a surge of Hispanic immigration is transforming small towns and cities. In such communities, some candidates are deriding legalization as amnesty, proclaiming border security as their priority or criticizing Republican challengers as failing to stem the tide of illegal immigration.

This stance has fueled an outcry from immigrant advocacy groups, including the National Council of La Raza and the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, which have accused some Democrats of abandoning their principles. They warn that Democrats and Republicans who demonize immigrants risk alienating Hispanic voters, who are expected to constitute a powerful bloc in coming years.

Democratic leaders have been treading carefully. This summer, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee withdrew an advertisement from its Web site displaying images of people scaling a border fence along with images of Osama bin Laden and President Kim Jong Il of North Korea. Several Hispanic groups had complained that it unfairly likened immigrants to terrorists.

“There is a disconnect between what the national party sees as rational policies and what Congressman Ford and other Democrats have determined they need to do to win,” said David Lubell, the director of the Tennessee immigrant rights coalition. “These Democrats are trying to out-right the right.”

Representative Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, who supports the legalization of illegal immigrants, also lamented the emergence of the trend in his state. “It’s who can claim ‘I’m not for amnesty’ and who can say that the loudest,” Mr. Flake said.

Republican campaign officials dismiss the phenomenon as insignificant, arguing that most Democrats still remain vulnerable on immigration, particularly among conservative voters.

“Democrats may try to talk a good game,” said Carl Forti, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, “but most of the incumbents have voting records opposite to what they’re now trying to claim.”

Some Democrats praise the shift in tone, saying internal polling shows that the traditional message of support for legalization for illegal immigrants lacks the backing of many middle-class voters, regardless of party affiliation.

“They think that Democrats are on the side of illegal immigrants even at the expense of citizens,” said Jim Kessler, vice president for policy at the Third Way, a centrist Democratic research group that has conducted polling on immigration. Mr. Kessler, who in recent months has briefed senior Democratic campaign officials and the staffs of dozens of Democratic candidates, has been advising them to take the offense on border security by charging that immigration enforcement has faltered under Republican leadership.

Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, who is leading the Democrats’ campaign to win Congress, and Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, Mr. Emanuel’s Senate counterpart, publicly praised Mr. Kessler’s research this year.

All three men emphasized that they supported the legalization of illegal immigrants but said that it was important to note the Republicans’ weaknesses on enforcement...

Pointing out the failure of the Republicans in secruing
the border is easy, but the Democrats seem to have no
better plans to enforce our laws.

I'm hearing the Dems fall back and say "going after businesses that hire them". That's all the have got.

Dixie

Originally Posted by Dixie

I'm hearing the Dems fall back and say "going after businesses that hire them". That's all the have got.
Dixie

That would be great if they did that, but most of them want to award amnesty at the same time. And of course we know the enforcement would be for show only.

I was told by Bill Ritters campaign Sunday...that the responsible thing to do is to have "comprehensive immigration reform". I asked this man if I could come into his home and claim everything he owns as mine also?
He didn't like that question...told me again that the responsible thing to do is to have CIR...! I also told him that they so obviously want to give amnesty in hope of getting the hispanic vote...THIS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE!

THEY DON'T WORK FOR ILLEGALS...BUT AMERICANS! THEREFORE...WHERE IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY????????????
AMERICANS ARE CONTINUALLY IGNORED! I will not vote for anyone who even thinks about giving AMNESTY!!!!!

They are trying to draw in the uninformed conservative voters. They are not talking about their amnesty, which goes by many names. They will use the term comprehensive... and say they will go after businesses...

They are trying to get the voters that are upset with the Republicans that are currently in office like Bush. They think the voters will come to them because they are upset with the current adminstration.

Just trying to trick people. Actually, that is the worst thing voters can do is to be duped by the Dems into supporting amnesty.

Dixie

Can someone explain to me Sean Hannity's hyper-enthusiasm for the Corker campaign?

Let me just say-for the record-that I believe the concern expressed by Ford fils about the state of illegal immigration is insincere, that his vote against amnesty was purely done out of political expediency, and that I would never in my life consider voting for that weasel under any circumstances.

That being said, why should Republicans be excited about voting for a Rockefeller Republican-and I'm being generous in that description-who has used contractors that hired illegal aliens in the past, and who has no proven record fighting illegal immigration?