By Debra J. Saunders
Critics of Arizonas tough new immigration law which makes illegal immigration a state crime have called supporters of the bill racist mean-spirited and un-American.
Heres the newsflash: The measure is also good politics not only in Arizona but nationally.
Usually after a measure like this has passed the news media respond with stories about how the measure will hurt the GOP among Latino voters. This time not so much.
A New York Times/CBS poll found that 51 percent of Americans see the Arizona law as about right and 9 percent said it does not go far enough; 36 percent support the measure. Note the poll didnt ask a phony amorphous question like whether voters support immigration reform -- the usual fodder that provides the rationale for said stories.
President Obama called the Arizona law misguided and said he favors common-sense comprehensive immigration reform. Its all lip service. Obama reneged on his 2008 campaign pledge to push immigration reform -- with a path to citizenship for undocumented aliens -- during his first year in office because well its political poison.
At a Cinco de Mayo event last week Obama had a new promise -- to begin work this year on an immigration bill. In Spanish that translates into: Adios amigos.
Of course not all Latino voters want to relax immigration laws but to the extent that they do they have guaranteed that the Democratic Party will take their votes for granted.
Meanwhile why should Republicans stick their necks out for a demographic that abandoned John McCain in the 2008 presidential election? He risked his political ambitions by pushing for a federal bill with a pathway to citizenship in 2007 and then according to an Edison/Mitofsky exit poll McCain won a lousy 31 percent of the Latino vote -- down from George W. Bushs 44 percent in the 2004 presidential contest.
Obama helped kill that bill and he won 67 percent of the demographic. When its in their interests Democrats ditch their pro-illegal immigration corner. In 2003 the Democratic California Legislature passed a bill to allow illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. Voters revolted and recalled Gov. Gray Davis who signed the measure. In a craven act of cowardice the Legislature quickly voted to rescind the bill it had passed.
In 2009 the Obama administration deported 5 percent more illegal immigrants than the Bush administration deported in 2008. As part of his immigration reform proposal New York Sen. Chuck Schumer a Democrat is pushing for a national ID card for all American workers -- the very type of documentation that critics of the Arizona law have said will turn Arizona into the Your papers please state.
Hector Barajas a former California Republican Party spokesman said of Democrats Theyll attend an immigration march and march with you but on the back end theyll say they want more agents to deport you. Its become a racket.
Back to Arizona. The Arizona legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer amended the law so that local and state authorities can only question individuals on their immigration status after theyve been stopped for a non-immigration offense. This change was designed to address critics very real concern -- also expressed in this column -- that the law would lead to racial profiling.
Its not whats in the bill Allan Hoffenblum publisher of the nonpartisan California Target Book and a former GOP consultant told me; its the tone of the debate: Its not what you say its how you say it; its the shrillness of it. And: California Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein talk about securing the borders but we (Republicans) get shrill.
Hoffenblum prefers the take of Republican pols from Latino-rich states -- like Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Florida Senate hopeful Marco Rubio -- who rejected the Arizona law.
I agree with Hoffenblum. It is important for Republicans to show empathy for the plight of people who come to this country looking for work and a better way of life. But GOP pols also have to listen to the voters.
GOP gubernatorial hopeful Steve Poizner and the Senate GOP candidates -- Tom Campbell Chuck DeVore and Carly Fiorina -- have supported the Arizona law. Hoffenblum sees this as risky but I think it cant hurt them in November.
In 1994 California voters passed Proposition 187 which sought to deny health and welfare benefits and public education to illegal immigrants by a whopping 59 percent of the vote. Then theres the drivers license bill fiasco. And by the way a 2006 Los Angeles Times poll found that 38 percent of the states Latino voters opposed drivers licenses for illegal immigrants.
Most of those voters I think simply believe that everyone should play by the same rules -- and they dont want the government to reward people who flout the law.
As GOP Senate candidate Campbell told The Chronicle editorial board last month the Arizona law essentially upholds existing law; its provisions in a nonpolitical environment would be noncontroversial.
Barajas doesnt buy the racist-baiting. I think in reality whats happening in Arizona and across the country he said I think people are sick and tired of feeling like theyre being overrun and nothings happening.
By Debra J. Saunders
Critics of Arizonas tough new immigration law which makes illegal immigration a state crime have called supporters of the bill racist mean-spirited and un-American.
Heres the newsflash: The measure is also good politics not only in Arizona but nationally.
Usually after a measure like this has passed the news media respond with stories about how the measure will hurt the GOP among Latino voters. This time not so much.
A New York Times/CBS poll found that 51 percent of Americans see the Arizona law as about right and 9 percent said it does not go far enough; 36 percent support the measure. Note the poll didnt ask a phony amorphous question like whether voters support immigration reform -- the usual fodder that provides the rationale for said stories.
President Obama called the Arizona law misguided and said he favors common-sense comprehensive immigration reform. Its all lip service. Obama reneged on his 2008 campaign pledge to push immigration reform -- with a path to citizenship for undocumented aliens -- during his first year in office because well its political poison.
At a Cinco de Mayo event last week Obama had a new promise -- to begin work this year on an immigration bill. In Spanish that translates into: Adios amigos.
Of course not all Latino voters want to relax immigration laws but to the extent that they do they have guaranteed that the Democratic Party will take their votes for granted.
Meanwhile why should Republicans stick their necks out for a demographic that abandoned John McCain in the 2008 presidential election? He risked his political ambitions by pushing for a federal bill with a pathway to citizenship in 2007 and then according to an Edison/Mitofsky exit poll McCain won a lousy 31 percent of the Latino vote -- down from George W. Bushs 44 percent in the 2004 presidential contest.
Obama helped kill that bill and he won 67 percent of the demographic. When its in their interests Democrats ditch their pro-illegal immigration corner. In 2003 the Democratic California Legislature passed a bill to allow illegal immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. Voters revolted and recalled Gov. Gray Davis who signed the measure. In a craven act of cowardice the Legislature quickly voted to rescind the bill it had passed.
In 2009 the Obama administration deported 5 percent more illegal immigrants than the Bush administration deported in 2008. As part of his immigration reform proposal New York Sen. Chuck Schumer a Democrat is pushing for a national ID card for all American workers -- the very type of documentation that critics of the Arizona law have said will turn Arizona into the Your papers please state.
Hector Barajas a former California Republican Party spokesman said of Democrats Theyll attend an immigration march and march with you but on the back end theyll say they want more agents to deport you. Its become a racket.
Back to Arizona. The Arizona legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer amended the law so that local and state authorities can only question individuals on their immigration status after theyve been stopped for a non-immigration offense. This change was designed to address critics very real concern -- also expressed in this column -- that the law would lead to racial profiling.
Its not whats in the bill Allan Hoffenblum publisher of the nonpartisan California Target Book and a former GOP consultant told me; its the tone of the debate: Its not what you say its how you say it; its the shrillness of it. And: California Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein talk about securing the borders but we (Republicans) get shrill.
Hoffenblum prefers the take of Republican pols from Latino-rich states -- like Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Florida Senate hopeful Marco Rubio -- who rejected the Arizona law.
I agree with Hoffenblum. It is important for Republicans to show empathy for the plight of people who come to this country looking for work and a better way of life. But GOP pols also have to listen to the voters.
GOP gubernatorial hopeful Steve Poizner and the Senate GOP candidates -- Tom Campbell Chuck DeVore and Carly Fiorina -- have supported the Arizona law. Hoffenblum sees this as risky but I think it cant hurt them in November.
In 1994 California voters passed Proposition 187 which sought to deny health and welfare benefits and public education to illegal immigrants by a whopping 59 percent of the vote. Then theres the drivers license bill fiasco. And by the way a 2006 Los Angeles Times poll found that 38 percent of the states Latino voters opposed drivers licenses for illegal immigrants.
Most of those voters I think simply believe that everyone should play by the same rules -- and they dont want the government to reward people who flout the law.
As GOP Senate candidate Campbell told The Chronicle editorial board last month the Arizona law essentially upholds existing law; its provisions in a nonpolitical environment would be noncontroversial.
Barajas doesnt buy the racist-baiting. I think in reality whats happening in Arizona and across the country he said I think people are sick and tired of feeling like theyre being overrun and nothings happening.
