During a May 4 Washington, D.C. forum sponsored by the Latino Coalition, Representative Chris Cannon (R-Utah), a congressional point man for the Bush administration’s illegal immigrant amnesty proposal, suggested that fellow Republican congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado "ought to reconsider his membership in the Republican Party," reported the Rocky Mountain News.
While Rep. Tancredo, like most politicians, has a lot to answer for – such as his support for the Iranian Mujahiddin al-Kalq, a Marxist terrorist group – his stance on immigration reform and border control has been sound and commendable. He has clashed repeatedly with the Bush administration over its proposed amnesty for illegal immigrants, and been pointedly rebuked by the White House on more than a few occasions.
By way of contrast, Rep. Cannon’s attitude toward the Bush administration is one of utter servility. His relationship with the "Reconquista Lobby" – foundation-funded open borders groups like the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) and La Raza – is close kindred to treason.
In March 2003, Cannon helped create the U.S.-Mexico Political Caucus. In a June 6, 2002 speech to a gathering of MALDEF, where he was presented with the group’s "Excellence in Leadership Award," Cannon declared: "We love immigrants in Utah… And we don’t oftentimes make the distinction between legal and illegal. In fact I think Utah was the first state in the country to legislate the ability to get a driver’s license based on the matricula consular [card] and of that I am proud." The "matricula" card referred to by Cannon is an insecure ID card issued by Mexican consulate to Mexican nationals in this country, whether here legally or illegally.
During the 2004 campaign, Cannon faced an unexpected primary challenge by immigration reform candidate Matt Throckmorton, who offered a strong showing despite being outspent by several orders of magnitude. On several occasions Cannon accused his immigration-reform critics of being in league with eugenicists, neo-Nazis, and other despicable folks. Cannon plumbed similar depths of dishonesty during the May 4 discussion.
"I don’t think there’s a place in the Republican Party for racism, for xenophobia, for ideas that are fundamentally un-American," groused the Reconquista Lobby’s favorite Republican congressman. Referring to Rep. Tancredo, Cannon declared: "I think he ought to consider his views and decide whether they’re consistent with the Republican Party."
It apparently hasn’t occurred to Cannon that all congressmen (himself included) swore an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution, not the platform of the GOP, the policies of the president, or the whims of foreign lobbies like MALDEF. Agitating on behalf of the abolition of our national borders may be "consistent with the Republican Party" as led by George W. Bush, but it’s hardly consistent with that solemn oath of office – and fellow traveler with the likes of MALDEF are in no position to cast aspersions on the patriotic standing of those who believe in enforcing our immigration laws.
**********************************************************************
Related article from The Los Angeles Times, May 5, 2005:
California Border Patrol Is Proposed
By Robert Salladay, Times Staff Writer
SACRAMENTO — California would create its own border patrol of more than 1,000 officers and volunteers under a possible 2006 ballot initiative introduced Wednesday by conservative activists and a state assemblyman.
The California Border Police Act was submitted to Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer for legal review Wednesday, the first step in getting it qualified for next year's June ballot.
Its main sponsor is Assemblyman Ray Haynes, a Republican from Murrieta, who must collect 600,000 valid signatures for the initiative to qualify.
"The federal government has proven itself incapable of securing our borders, so it is time for Californians to step up and take matters into our own hands," Haynes said.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is not connected with the initiative effort and is not commenting on it, his office said.
Political consultant Dave Gilliard, who is organizing the signature-gathering effort, said the new immigration police force would report to the governor and hire 1,000 to 2,000 new officers at an estimated cost of $300 million. It also would allow the state to train volunteers to patrol the border.
The measure would ask California voters to declare a state of emergency on immigration and renew that emergency status in 10 years through another ballot measure.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said if a new police force required "spending more state dollars, I think we have to take a second look at that because we do have to be fiscally prudent."