December 14, 2006

12/14: Immigration And '08

Maybe it's because we're close to Christmas, but outside of Michelle Malkin the usual righty blogger suspects aren't blaring as loud as normal following 12/13's Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid of meatpacking plants in 6 states. The early consensus on ex-Rep.-elect Ciro Rodriguez's (D) victory over Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX) seems to be that hardline GOP positions on immigration cost them the seat. Already, one righty blogger is questioning the political expediency of pushing the immigration issue. With MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R) deputizing state law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws, how many other '08 hopefuls will move closer to Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) position on immigration?

TX 23: Rove's Nightmare Comes True?

Almanac of American Politics editor Charles Mahtesian's Hotline On Call observation on Rodriguez's victory drew wide blogger reaction. Mahtesian wrote: "Take a look at these remarkable numbers in Maverick County. Bonilla won it with 59% in 2004, even as Kerry was carrying the county; Bonilla lost it 86-14% tonight. Maverick County is a border county and home to Eagle Pass, where the border fence issue was huge. Bonilla's vote in favor of a fence made an enormous difference here."

DailyKos' founder Markos Moulitsas comments: "Boy, has the "border fence" issue backfired disastrously on the GOP ... Here's what Rove knew -- second-generation Latinos were more likely to be Democratic. Naturalized Latinos, however, trended heavily Republican. Bush won recent immigrants in 2004. Liberalized immigration laws and a path to citizenship would've solidified millions of Latinos as future Republicans, grateful for being given the opportunity. Instead, the Tancredo crowd has pushed Latinos into the open arms of the Democratic Party."

AMERICAblog's Joe in DC weighs in: "The GOP decided to follow the immigrant-bashing strategy of "Tex" Sensenbrenner. The Republicans can only demonize and beat up on people for so long before they fight back. Of course, that doesn't help explain why one in four gay people vote Republican."

The analysis even had some righty bloggers re-thinking their immigration stance. Ankle Biting PunditsBull Dog Pundit writes: "To me, this story is very disconcerting to those, like me, who have a "Border Security First" view of the immigration issue. ... What gives me trepidation about the result is that it appears Bonilla's support of the border fence cost him the race ... ominously for those of us who agree with the view of "enforcement first", I don't think there's any other way to spin this race other than to say that argument caused Bonilla's defeat - in a "border" county no less. For the record, I'm not saying I think my view on immigration is the wrong one in practice. I'm just saying that politically, it may not be a winner."

Other non-immigration related thoughts on the race include:

• Kos: "Tom DeLay's redistricting gambit was a huge disaster. ... I used to be in favor of tit-for-tat mid-decade redistricting in Democratic-controlled states. I've changed my mind."
• The Corner's Jonathan Martin: "There is, however, one bright spot in yesterday's results, at least for true-blue conservatives. Rep. Henry Bonilla's (R) loss marks the seventh defeat or retirement this cycle of a Republican appropriator - eight if you include the Duke-stir.
• The Right Angle's John Gizzi: "Withered Grassroots Helped Defeat Bonilla, Says Texas GOP's Ex-Chairman ... So says Tom Pauken, former Reagan Administration official, longtime conservative activist, and state Republican chairman of Texas from 1993-96. ... He added that the decline in volunteers and grass-roots activist "is something apparent in most of our counties, including Bexar County [San Antonio]," which is the hub of the district Bonilla has held since 1992."

IMMIGRATION: In A Completely Unrelated Story ...

Immigration and Customs Enforcement's raid on meat-packing plants in 6 states drew heavy blogger attention, the heft of it from the right. Michelle Malkin and The Right Angle's Ivy Sellers focussed on the identity theft angle of the story, with Malkin noting "One of the victims was a Border Patrol agent!" CO's Slapstick Politics rounded up MSM coverage of the story and Malkin complains that New York Timescoverage of the raids highlighted "arrested workers' families in tears" and not "any of the hundreds of American victims of illegal alien identity theft whose Social Security numbers were stolen to enable the illegal alien workers to work."

The Lonewacko calls the raids "too little too late" and sees them only as evidence of Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Pres. Bush serving their "massive amnesty" masters. Lashawn Barber and Captain's Quarters both want more punishment for companies like the raided meatpacker. CQ writes: "The company faces no charges because they acted in good faith. They used the Basic Pilot system to check on the credentials of their workers, and the system reported that the SSNs were legitimate. ... However, that did not keep Swift from angrily denouncing the raids and Basic Pilot as ineffective, a position they took at Congressional hearings this summer. ... The government has let private industry off the hook for their use of illegal immigrants for too long, and it's good to see that change. However, we had better be prepared for the economic damage this could cause."

Malkin seconded CQ's call for economic sacrifice: "Yes, it's something I've repeated often. We have all been immunized from the consequences of lax immigration enforcement. On 9/11, 3,000 people paid for some of the costs with their lives. Higher meat prices, more expensive hotels, and costlier produce are nothing compared to what many other victims of open-borders chaos have suffered."

On the left TPMmuckraker's coverage was widely cited by other bloggers. Muckraker highlighted two MSM stories: one on ICE agents allegedly separating workers by skin color to determine citizenship; and another on a baby left motherless.

GOP FIELD: Conservative Candidate Wanted

The Corner's Rich Lowry says a piece on ex-VA Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) "reminded me of my 2008 Republican-primary principle: if you're a conservative, run!" Lowry profiles the rest of the field: "Romney projects as a strong candidate, but if he stumbles, there is going to be a big gap for a non-McCain conservative. Who would fill it? Brownback? Huckabee? If you are a conservative office-holder (or former office-holder apparently) out there, you've got to think, 'Well, why am I any more unlikely than any of those guys?'" He concludes: "Jim Gilmore wants to fill the slot George Allen's defeat left open."

BROWNBACK: The Next Pat Robertson?

Eye on '08 doubts Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) has the star power to eclipse MA Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) as the conservative alternative to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): "I've heard that he's been on the phone this week contacting leaders who are publicly and privately unhappy with Romney. Right now, conservatives and evangelicals, especially, are looking for a leader who is genuinely with them, not just someone they can rent. ... But, in the end, Sam Brownback doesn't become President, and I don't think Brownback thinks he will be President. He thinks that either, he becomes VP or he becomes the public spokesman for the conservative Christian movement, in the same way that Pat Robertson's 1988 race made him the public face."

GIULIANI: Forget DuHaime, Is K-Lo Faltering?

The Right Angle's Matt Lewis describes ex-NY mayor Rudy Giuliani's (R) hiring of Mike DuHaime as "huge" because "it is a clear signal that Rudy -- currently the most popular GOP candidate in America (if you believe the polls) -- is in this thing."

At The Corner, Romney/Santorum fan Kathryn Jean Lopez describes Giuliani as "positively Santorum-like" for his recent comments on "Islam-fundamentalist terrorists" and adds: "And Rudy did campaign for Rick . Giuliani-Santorum 2008? That might make Peoria give the NY guy a second look."

MCCAIN: Regulate First, Ask Questions Later

Team McCain moved rapidly to squelch bad blogger buzz after Drudge and Slashdot both linked to a CNET story on McCain's "Stop the Online Exploitation of Our Children Act." McCain's office contacted Instapundit claiming the bill does not create a blogger obligation to monitor or discover child porn, only to report it once aware of it. Apparently the bill is directed at "the MySpaces of the world," not individual bloggers. Instapundit was not convinced: "I've given the bill a quick read -- text here -- and it doesn't seem entirely clear to me that it doesn't reach individual bloggers, regardless of intent. ... UPDATE: Email from InstaPundit readers is universally mistrustful of McCain, which is indicative of just how much damage he's done himself with his support of campaign finance "reform."

The Directors at RedState were less forgiving, calling McCain "The Regulator" under the header "John McCain Wants To Regulate You Until You Shut Up." The Directors add: "We'd love it if, just once, John McCain's good intentions led to something besides massive government regulation of our daily lives." Also at RedStatemachiavel adds: "As a pander to what the Senator endearingly terms "the far-right base" it's probably good politics -- or at least someone in his office thought so. But, as legislation, it's very poorly crafted and shows a certain cluelessness when it comes to the medium he has repeatedly tried to regulate to death. It also dashes the hope expressed by some that McCain would represent a revival of the Goldwater-Gingrich "leave us alone" coalition that could drive a stake through the heart of Big Government Conservatism. As with CFR, as with Kyoto, as with the gun-show loophole, McCain's answer is always to regulate first, and ask questions later -- the essence of Big Government "conservatism."

Reacting to Robert Novak's 12/13 op-ed on GOP liklihood of nominating McCain since he is the "corporate choice," Captain's Quarter's writes: "The problem with the corporate choice, in Novak's history, is that it tends to favor the Rockefeller Republicans. Gerald Ford, Dole (Ford's running mate in 1976), and Bush all came from the moderate wing of the party. ... I tend to doubt Novak's analysis in this case. The previous corporate choices, if they can truly be known as such, had one particular quality even above their political moderation: consistency. McCain, on the other hand, has spent the last several years nurturing his reputation as a maverick. He has waffled on tax cuts, opposing them for most of the time since they got enacted in 2002-3 until deciding to run for President. He has been unreliable on judicial nominations, and reliably bad on free speech."

Captain's Quarters also has doubts as to whether MN Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) has the credentials to shore up the GOP's conservative base.

ROMNEY: Where Is Romney On Iraq?

Romney continues to take heavy blogger criticism for his 1994 statements on gay marriage. The Right Angle's Ivy Sellers and Ankle Biting Pundit's Bull Dog Pundit both are unimpressed with Romney's brush off of AP inquiries into gay marriage record. Eye on '08 notes that Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network's The Brody File is on day three of their Romney "assault." The Brody File even posts an email response from Romney's Communications Director including Romney's 6/04 Senate testimony on the Federal Marriage Amendment and his remarks to a 10/06 "Liberty Sunday" event.

Eye on '08 is even moved to respond to commenter suggestion that Romney is "toast." The Eye writes: "In the end, Romney has three things going for him which will make him the most important #2 to McCain: 1) Romney may be able to raise as much or more money than McCain; 2) Romney will have all the talent he needs at all levels; 3) He is still the most credible anti-McCain because of 1 and 2. ... Simply put, I don't believe that anyone else can put together a 50-state operation, especially in Iowa, which is what it will take to challenge McCain."

In addition to troubles on the social conservative front, trouble on the national security front is slowly brewing as well. The Corner's Rich Lowry asks: "Just curious-has anyone heard him say anything on troop levels in Iraq? If he has, I've missed it." Streiff at RedState also wants to know when Romney's position on the ISG will be forthcoming.

Turning to good blogo-Romney news, The Right Angle celebrates Romney's "tough stance on immigration" and Krusty Konservative's IA sources tell him Gentry Collins will lead Romney efforts in IA and will play a role nationally. KK adds: "This move shows us how important Iowa is in Romney's quest to win the Republican presidential nomination. Gentry Collins is hands-down one of the best people that you could get to run an Iowa kampaign."

Finally, The Right Angle's Matt Lewis argues its high time Team Romney hired an official blogger and links to Robert Bluey's earlier list of GOP blogger options.

CLINTON: Ski Bum

Tom Schaller at Tapped cites a Rocky Mountain News story suggesting that Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) would actually benefit from Denver, calling it "spot on." Schaller: "Yet a source close enough to the site machinations told me last week that Clinton is really pushing for New York. I confirmed with Clinton blogger nonpareil Peter Daou that, in fact, Hillary wants NYC to host the convention. As an advocate of the pan-western strategy for Democrats, with special focus on the Interior West and Midwest, I think it would be a tragic error to have the 2008 convention in New York." Schaller says Denver would help so much it "makes me wonder if the Hillary teams is really providing any resources beyond lip service to secure New York as the site."

Later, Schaller reports on a conversation with James Carville, who thinks HRC can win FL, OH, CO, NV, MN and IA -- all states Pres. Bush took in '04.

Firedoglake's Jane Hamsher criticizes HRC for "hanging out with Holy Joe" Lieberman "and scolding folks about violent video games." Hamsher suggests Clinton and Lieberman "really need to do something" about Wal-Mart's refusal to pull the Left Behind: Eternal Forces video game, in which one opponent of the game says "you are mowing down your enemy with a gun. It pushes a message of religious intolerance."

OBAMA: No Crowbar Needed To Pry Him Into The Race

TMPcafe's Eric Kleefeld reports on an ad on behalf of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), being run by DraftObama.com movement in NH. Kleefeld has a copy of the ad and surmises that "if Obama's recent high-profile activity in New Hampshire is any indication, conscription may not exactly be required to get Obama in the race."

Over at the Coffeehouse, M.J. Rosenberg comments on recent CNN segments featuring several on-air personalities questioning Obama's name. "Pretty racist, if you ask me. I don't recall CNN playing with Joe Lieberman's name when he first went national in 2000." More: "You can't mock Jews or African-Americans and you can mock people with Arab-sounding names and so CNN will." He concludes: "Anyway, no reason for us Obama fans to be upset. It is still 2006. They can ridicule the Senator's name for another year. The joke will be long stale by the end of 2007." For the record, Rosenberg also suggests a running mate for Obama: Al Gore.

BLOGGERS VS. BELTWAY: The Season Of Giving

At Daily Kos, Adam B is able to shed more light on how much money Dems gave to the DCCC and individual Dems. Top 10 "heroes":

Nancy Pelosi (raised/gave $59,400,143) Rahm Emanuel ($42,200,158) Debbie Wasserman Schultz ($14,923,765) Chris Van Hollen ($13,997,311) Joe Crowley ($7,799,144) Steny Hoyer ($7,441,619) Mike Thompson ($5,453,005) John Murtha ($4,514,249) Jan Schakowsky ($3,516,160) George Miller ($3,320,050)

And the top "Misers" who sat on the largest CoH.

Marty Meehan (MA)
Frank Pallone (NJ)
Robert Andrews (NJ)
Lloyd Doggett (TX)
Steve Rothman (NJ)
Bill Delahunt (MA)
Jerry Costello (IL)
Bud Cramer (AL)
Tom Lantos (CA)
Richard Neal (MA)
Jesse Jackson Jr. (IL)

MyDD's Jonathan Singer writes that one of the few disappointments in '06 was allowing incumbents like Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA 42) to run unopposed. The Los Angeles Times reported this week that Miller, on the day Monrovia's City Council was to vote on whether to turn land owned by Miller into a wilderness preserve, asked a staffer to find a way to place one of the councilmen on the "prestigious" National Park System Advisory Board. And internal memos show that Miller "continued to push for the councilman's appointment even after staff members warned him that trying to secure the park board seat for the councilman could appear to be a bribe." The Hill adds that Miller attempted to secure earmarks for the city to buy property he owned.

Singer: "In short, this guy has a serious ethics, if not corruption problem and we -- the Netroots, the Democratic Party, and House Democrats -- were remiss for not actively recruiting a candidate to run against him this year. This mistake cannot and must not be repeated this year, either in California's 42nd district or anywhere else."

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Another Shameless Republican

Reacting to Tom Delaysuggestions that righty bloggers need to fight harder on line, Insta-Wife Dr. Helen responds:

Many times, people mistakenly call me a Republican although I am a right-leaning libertarian. Apparently, labeling one as a Republican gives ammunition to call one sexist, evil, mean-spirited or just plain scum. How many times do you hear someone apologizing for having right leaning views -- "Oh, no, I am not really a Republican, I have other views etc." My question is, what if one is a Republican or right leaning. So what? Is that a crime? Are those who are Republicans afraid to speak their views at universities, in academic settings, in the media etc. for fear of being labeled something vile? Maybe speaking up and not slinking around in shame would be a better strategy.

It seems like those with views other than liberal must wear the Scarlet R. Well, I will not hide any longer. If people want to call me a Republican, I will wear the label with pride with the R proudly displayed on my forehead whether it really fits or not, just to show my solidarity with those who are oppressed by such labels. Maybe you should too.

LEST WE FORGET: Blame Canada

Deadspin links to an Out of Left Field makes the case that Canada dominated its neighbor to the south in the sporting world this year. Items on his list include:

• Cindy Klassen, whose five medals were the highlight of this country's most successful Winter Olympics, was named the winner of the Lou Marsh Award just minutes ago as Canada's outstanding athlete. She symbolizes this year in Canadian sport, before Steve Nash and three other reigning MVPs -- soccer's Christine Sinclair as U.S. women's college athlete of the year, Justin Morneau in major-league baseball and Joe Thornton in the NHL.
• The World Series was a mistake-fest that was won by a team which had fewer regular-season victories than the Toronto Blue Jays, not that St. Louis Cardinals fans should feel need to apologize for their unlikely victory.
• World Baseball Classic? Canada, with a lineup of pros who earn less combined than Alex Rodriguez, who couldn't even decide what team he wanted to play for, beat Team USA, which was triumph enough. The powerhouse U.S. team couldn't even get to the semifinals.

Posted by Conn Carroll at December 14, 2006 12:26 PM