La Prensa Endorses Busby
Brian Bilbray has the backing of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Now Francine Busby has the backing of La Prensa.
At a time when many Latino activists are motivated by the wave of immigration protests this could help Busby get supporters to the polls as she works to pull off a 50%+ victory on April 11th.
Excerpts from La Prensa’s endorsement of Busby:
For too long now Hispanics have had to struggle in the shadows within the 50th District. The issues that are vital to their well being or becoming a solid member of their community are not represented by the continued right wing attitudes of most of the candidates for public office!
Hispanics are looking for a representative who will be more comprehensive and compassionate in dealing with the daily issues that they face daily, In this regard, Democrat Francine Busby is the candidate that represents our concerns and interests the Best! Busby has served as a trustee of the Cardiff School District Board, is past president of the Cardiff Education Foundation. She is the founding president of the Casa Theresa Central Guild that provides assistance to pregnant women, and is currently an adjunct Professor of Women’s Studies at California State University, San Marcos.
Francine Busby opposed the war in Iraq from the outset, she would work for an improved health care plan, and her position on immigration encompasses a comprehensive approach to dealing with the issue, reflecting the importance of the border to San Diego and the North County.
It is time, to step away from extremism and elect a candidate that will represent all the residents of the 50th District and bring a practical and sensible approach to the issues affecting this community. It is time for a fresh face in the 50th and one that is not tied to old way of doing businesses via the back room. It is time to elect Francine Busby as Congresswoman for the 50th District.
Wow, La Prensa backing the candidate who supports McCain “buy your way to amnesty” plan. Hardly a surprise there. I know all of the Busby-ites out there love to tell me I’m wrong on this, but this new focus on immigration, as well as Busby’s moderated stance are a big net negative for her in my view.
Comment by Cross Tabs — March 31, 2006 @ 8:46 pm
Keep in mind that the entire GOP is divided on this issue. John Kyl is hardly considered a moderate republican, but he’s supporting the McCain bill, much to Bill Frist’s dismay. Denny Hastert and other GOP congressional leaders recently pulled the rug out from under Sensenbrenner and Tancredo by announcing that they’d draft a similar bill in the House if the moderate bill passes the Senate.
You’re already dead-set for a run-off between Busby and the top GOP vote getter. By then, the House and Senate will have already passed some sort of legislation and it will be signed into law by Bush. The message then becomes “Busby supports a moderate plan with strong bipartisan support”.
The politics behind getting support for stricter immigration bill is to redefine “amnesty” to be something it’s not. The word “amnesty” is a political anchor here in the 50th, but the Senate bill is not amnesty, and you’re going to have LOTS of Republicans on TV (McCain, Specter, Kyl, etc.) saying over and over and over again that this bill is NOT amnesty.
Comment by Nik — March 31, 2006 @ 9:13 pm
First off, La Prensa is one of the most mercurial newspapers in its endorsements. The paper wrote numerous articles in OPPOSITION to Cesar Chavez Day.
Second, I don’t think that Busby’s moderated stance hurts her at all. After all, when is it a minus to not be a racist? In this race if you’re a Rep maybe. And let’s face it, to make illegal immigration a felony and to throw out all the illegals is to throw out Mexicans of this district. And the agricultural industry in the District needs migrant workers (as do a number of other industries). So Busby’s stance helps her in a runoff by opening a venue for contributions and votes. Besides, she gets to run behind McCain’s plan.
BTW, are any of the candidates running any ads on Spanish language TV/Radio?
Comment by Jim Treglio — March 31, 2006 @ 9:17 pm
The “amnesty” attacks will stick. It’s poison in this district. ANd the fact that you refer to those who think we should punish, instead of reward, illegal behavior as “racist” show you to be out of the mainstream of public opinion in the 50th.
Comment by Cross Tabs — March 31, 2006 @ 10:11 pm
Also Cesar Chavez was a vehement opponent of illegal immigration (although this seems lost on many kids out “protesting” these days.) Therefore La Prensa’s opposition to him is not mercurial…it seems rather consistent.
Comment by Cross Tabs — March 31, 2006 @ 10:37 pm
Dude, you must be from DC. La Prensa opposed Cesar Chavez day because it was a state holiday, not because it was wrong to honor him. And Chavez wouldn’t have supported the Roach/Tancredo/KKK plan for immigration.
As for the district, please. These are people who hire, and have been hiring, illegals for generations. The 50th contains a lot of old farmland, and everyone here has spent a lifetime hiring illegals for odd jobs.
Comment by Jim Treglio — March 31, 2006 @ 10:53 pm
I’m actually from right in the district. And I’m sorry, but you are wrong about Chavez. He saw illegals as diluting the labor base, so he wasn’t able to ratchet up the union membership. Simple economics on his part. It may not be why La Prensa didn’t want a holiday named after him, but its still a fact when it comes to his views on the subject. And again with the KKK garbage. To equate people that have respect for laws duly enacted into the federal code as members of the KKK show you to be an exrtemist. And if you are so certain about the district loving illegal immigrants, why is stemming illegal immigration consistenly the number 1 issue voters cite as their primary concern? But in honesty I hope you are on Busby’s speed dial and her #1 advisor on this, because if she listens to the advice of folks who believe what you believe her campaign is in serious trouble.
Comment by Cross Tabs — March 31, 2006 @ 11:04 pm
Name the poll. Cite to it please. The KKK reference comes from one point: the push against illegal immigrants is about Hispanics, period. Stating that you want to deport 12 million people, most of whom are of one ethnicity (and all of whom are of one ethnicity in this district) is racism. Its a decision that is clearly made based on race. And Chavez would not have supported this.
You are right about the dilution of the labor base, but this is not the answer. And again, Busby gets to hide behind McCain on this one. Despite his conservatism, McCain gives her cover. She looks like the voice of moderation, as opposed to the extremist. And the House bill is extreme.
Besides, since when is paying a fine and back taxes amnesty? Give me a break.
Comment by Jim Treglio — March 31, 2006 @ 11:28 pm
You really need me to cite the numerous polls that have been for months and months all over this and other political blogs? Are you really that new to following this race? It would explain your ignorance of many of the dynamics this race, I guess. But since you are out of the loop, here ya go from the NcTimes (excerpts):
“In the last several weeks, a San Diego pollster as well as several candidates for the congressional seat left open by former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham say they have conducted surveys that showed that more voters were concerned about illegal immigration than about any other issue.
Candidates in the Apr. 11 election for the seat appear, according to the polls, to be acutely aware of which direction the political winds are blowing on illegal immigration. On March 14, San Diego-based Competitive Edge Research & Communication released the results of a poll paid for by the Sycuan tribe and conducted with a sample of 802 likely voters in the 50th District. The poll, according to the company, had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.5 percent. It showed that when it comes to the issue on which voters wanted to see their congressional representative work hardest, illegal immigration topped the list.
Polls conducted by several of the candidates in the 50th District race showed very similar results to the Competitive Edge survey, according to the campaign offices.
Campaign officials for Republican candidate Brian Bilbray said they recently conducted their own poll on the issues of greatest concern to voters in the district.
“What do you think is the most important problem or issue that you think your next member of Congress should focus on?” Danon said the pollsters asked.
That candidate poll, according to Danon, showed even more dramatic differences than the Competitive Research survey. According to the candidate’s figures, 27 percent of respondents identified immigration as their chief concern, while 14 percent said they wanted their congressional representative to focus on economic issues.
For 9 percent, according to the poll, the major concerns were local issues, including highways, traffic, growth and homelessness. The rest broke down at 7 percent apiece for national security issues, government and political issues, and education and children’s issues; 5 percent said health care and senior issues; and 4 percent said moral issues.”
And there have been many others, that I suppose you could look up on your own, so I don’t have to waste any more time proving something I already know to be true. But I hope some of this helps get you up to speed on this election. And again, I’m very sorry but comparing a huge voting block to the KKK is not a good way to win elections…
Comment by Cross Tabs — March 31, 2006 @ 11:43 pm
For kicks and giggles here are som Quinnipiac numbers taken earlier in March:
62 - 32 percent opposed to making it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens, with immigrant families opposed 56 - 36 percent;
54 - 41 percent opposed to making it easier for illegal immigrants to become legal workers, with immigrant families supporting the measure 51 - 44 percent;
72 - 25 percent opposed to allowing illegal immigrants to get drivers’ licenses, with immigrant families opposed 66 - 30 percent;
84 - 14 percent in favor of requiring proof of legal residency in order to obtain government benefits, with immigrant families in support 80 - 18 percent;
50 - 42 percent opposed to eliminating the automatic U.S. citizenship for illegal immigrants’ children born in the U.S., with immigrant families opposed 51 - 41 percent.
Guess there are a lot of KKK in our country, eh, Jim. But please! Call Busby up with all of your great advice on this issue. It will be fun watching the Busby campaign go down in flames if she listens to you!
Comment by Cross Tabs — April 1, 2006 @ 12:01 am
There, you backed up an argument with a fact. . .doesn’t that feel good. But, um, being up on cleaning out corruption by less than a percentage point is hardly burning up the charts. When you consider that Roach’s commercials, the protests, and the coverage of the debate in Congress, its hardly surprising. By the way, the number is 21.8% not 27%. Here’s the link: http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/03/29/news/top_stories/10_22_083_28_06.txt
Comment by Jim Treglio — April 1, 2006 @ 12:02 am
Please refer to my previous post so you can see the vastness of the numbers of people you like to refer to as KKK. And furthermore that poll in the article was taken March 25…two days before the protests and people seeing there newspapers and tvs emblzoned with truant kids wasting their tax dollars and waving the Mexican flag around. It can only have jumped considerably since then.
Comment by Cross Tabs — April 1, 2006 @ 12:05 am
Gov. Dean made the comments before union workers in Oakland, addressing his opposition to HR 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005.
“That’s what their strategy is on the Republican side: divide people, scapegoat them, set them aside, point the finger at them,” Dean said.
“If there is anyone dividing this country, it is Howard Dean and the hateful rhetoric coming from his party,” Boyer said. “This is the latest in a series of verbal blunders by the head of the Democratic Party - the second in the Bay Area in less than a year.
“In June of last year he tells a San Francisco reporter the GOP is a ‘white, Christian party,’ and follows it up with today’s rhetorical
gem,” Boyer said.
“As the proud husband of a Hispanic woman and the father of a Hispanic child, I strongly condemn the remarks of the Democratic leader in an attempt to cast his party as one of tolerance.
“What Mr. Dean has shown is this: unless you agree with him, he will make outlandish claims against you,” Boyer said.
“We should all denounce and reject the comments of the DNC leader and any other comments from anyone that are rooted in race-baiting that robs energy from the business at hand…protecting all residents of the country.
“What we need is a common-sense solution to the problem of border security,” Boyer continued. “Terrorists won’t care whether they hurt an American citizen or an immigrant, legal or not. “Our children’s future must be protected, and Mr. Dean chose not to lead in this case, but rather appeal to our worst instincts. We must elevate the dialog to pragmatic problem solving. We cannot support those who aim to profit from the cauldron of hate and divsion.
Comment by Bill — April 1, 2006 @ 12:23 am
Wow, so Jim, is your job writing talking points for Chairman Dean? You guys sound an awful lot alike! Oh wait, no, he didn’t call anyone KKK so I guess he is a tad less extreme than you!
Comment by Cross Tabs — April 1, 2006 @ 12:26 am
And I’m really sorry to keep harping on this, but here is the final result I will post from a Wall Street Journal/NBC poll taken in late January. Here is the money question:
Do you favor Deporting all illegal immigrants back to their home countries?”
50% Y 45% N 4% DK
Thank you Jim for calling at least half of all Americans KKK. PLEASE report to the Busby campaign and see if they will let you start doing communications for them.
Comment by Cross Tabs — April 1, 2006 @ 12:43 am
Maybe I am an extremist, maybe I’m not. But keep this in mind, legal immigrants, and the Spanish language media thinks this is about racism. When those high school kids start voting, who are they going to vote for? It sure as hell won’t be one of the wingnuts pushing to expel all illegal immigrants, who look just like their parents. Nope, they’re going to look to the media sources they have, such as La Prensa, Univision, etc, and they’re going to vote Democrat. The Reps are losing another minority group.
Also, remember I’m commenting on the House bill, which is WAY more extreme than anyone wants. It would throw priests in jail for giving communion to illegal immigrants.
Comment by Jim Treglio — April 1, 2006 @ 12:51 am
Way more extreme than “anyone” wants? I’d like to respond to your snide remark about ME not having facts to back up my claims in kind. Do you have any evidence to prove this is more extreme than “anyone” wants…in the face of a poll I cited saying at least half of Americans want all illegals here deported??? I’d love to see YOUR poll to back up your ANYONE claim. But at least you admit you might be an extremist. At least we’re getting somewhere there.
Comment by Cross Tabs — April 1, 2006 @ 12:56 am
Jim’s methods are probably not the best way to have a friendly debate on the subject, but you can’t deny that many of the anti-immigration activist groups are magnets for hate groups and blatant racism.
I know all the conservative talk-show hosts and blogs have tried to discredit this, but a recent study did find that people with racist tendencies overwhelmingly associate themselves with the Republican party.
Let me stress — that’s NOT saying that “Most Republicans are racists”, but that “most racists are Republicans”.
You see it in the hardcore NASCAR fans. You see it in the South where people still fly the Stars and Bars proudly (as if it wasn’t actually a symbol of treason against the union). You see it in the people that actually showed up at the border with the Minutemen project complaining about beaners and wetbacks.
Tancredo and Sensenbrenner are widely considered to be outspoken advocates of racist policies. Having them be the face of an anti-immigration bill makes it a racist bill to most minority citizens (i.e. potential voters).
So yeah — going as far as calling anyone who supports the Sensenbrenner bill a member of the Klan might be a bit much, but it’s definitely a race-baiting issue.
That much is undeniable.
Comment by Nik — April 1, 2006 @ 1:05 am
I love the fact that because of Cesar Chavez, I had the time to spend in a flame war with CT. About immigration, no less.
Comment by Jim — April 1, 2006 @ 1:44 am
Free republic. Little Green Footballs. RedState. Michelle Malkin. Ann Coulter. Rick Roberts. Jonah Goldberg.
Just to name a few off the top of my head.
All of them outspoken blogs, commenters, talk show hosts, etc… with tendencies to say undeniably flagrant (if not vulgar) racist crap.
And they are ALL pro-Republican conservative commenters. Many of whom are well in the “mainstream” of the national conservative media spotlight. The immigration issue is specifically marketed by the GOP as an emotionally-charged race baiting issue used to get their base to the polls.
They spin the debate to make their loyalists actually think that anything short of convicting undocumented migrants of felonies and deporting them is somehow “going easy on them”.
The reason that Tancredo and Sensenbrenner want to turn illegal entry into the US a felony is because it’s currently NOT. Crossing the border illegally is currently a misdemeanor. Staying beyond the deadline of a visa is a civil (not criminal) offense. The McCain bill PUNISHES migrants (via fines) for their crimes — again, this is NOT AMNESTY.
To suggest it is smacks of using political trickery and spin to appeal to an emotional response — one that is triggered in racists who can’t stand all the beaners and wetbacks who have taken over Escondido, Vista, San Marcos, Encinitas, El Cajon, National City, etc. etc. etc. etc…
Cross Tabs — I’m not saying YOU’re a racist. I’m saying that the immigration debate happening now was initiated as a campaign strategy by the national GOP.
Republicans have been in complete control of Government for 5 years now. Bush campaigned in 2000 as having lots of experience with illegal immigration because of he was the governor of a border state.
Why wait until now to do anything about it?
Because the GOP cannot continue winning on 9/11 and Iraq. Immigration is their new terror tactic.
Which is why 99% of the time anyone talks about immigration reform, they’re talking about MEXICO, but when you call them on it as being Anti-Mexican, the response is “no, we just don’t want a terrorist crossing the border with a dirty bomb.”
To date, there has been no proposal to build a wall between us and Canada.
Have a great weekend everybody!
Comment by Nik — April 1, 2006 @ 1:46 am
The economic impact of deporting 11 million workers is off the charts - especially for San Diego. It won’t happen without a full revolt in the business community.
Reps poll numbers just aren’t good enough to piss of their largest contributors. This is a wedge issue that dems should use.
The US Chamber is backing the McCain legislation.
Comment by Gil — April 1, 2006 @ 4:01 am
Nik,
Tell me how your generalist comments about the “Southerners” is in any way different than the race bashing you accuse the Republicans has having the near monopoly on.
If you target a group using generalized disparging remarks you are guilt of an “ism”.
As far as “the Wall” goes you are wrong again. Duncan Hunter and others have proposed the construction of a wall and the same poll orgainzation that shows Busby at 39%+ also informs us that 66% of America wants a wall.
For those that say a wall won’t work…perhaps they should take a look at a country that has to contend with more terrorists threats than us. Israel is building a 30ft wall in Gaza as we speak.
Have a great weekend yourself!
Comment by Bill — April 1, 2006 @ 4:45 am
Hmm Bill, I was going to chime in on CT’s defense, but I couldn’t have done it better myself. Thought for the day: 50% of Americans want all illegals deported….does that make 50% of Americans racist…and some of that 50% are hispanic…does that make them racist against themselves?
Comment by DC Guy — April 1, 2006 @ 4:59 am
Bill — I think you’re misrepresenting what I said. Maybe I wasn’t clear enough. I never said that all southerners are racists. But you can’t deny that racism is still rampant in this country, and is actually pretty openly displayed in areas, such as parts of the south and Idaho.
I’ll grant you that many people who fly the confederate flag do so because they feel that it represents some link to their ancestral heritage, but the sad fact is that it is a symbol of racism, of brutality towards blacks, of a war waged on behalf of slavery. Many other people in the south fly the stars and bars knowing that it’s a symbol of racism.
I’m not guilty of any “-ism” other than “realism” by mentioning this.
And DC Guy: You are also guilty of deliberately misrepresenting someone else’s statements. Once again — not EVERY PERSON in that 50% wants illegal migrants deported because of racism, but to try and deny that a large subset of those people are racist is simply delusional.
Comment by Nik — April 2, 2006 @ 1:36 am
Hey, one quick point on the poll that CT cites. Half of those who said that they want to deport illegal immigrants said they also want a guest worker program. That means that only 25% of those polled want to deport all illegal immigrants. And considering some other studies on racism (HDS study conducted in 2000), I can believe that 20-25% of the population are racist.
Comment by Jim — April 2, 2006 @ 5:53 am
Wow, Jim that one is pretty off. You see, you can have a guest worker program that does not include the people here illegally already. The question that 50% responded yes to is pretty clear: “Do you favor Deporting ALL illegal immigrants back to their home countries”? The 25% who want a guest worker program as well mean that they want to allow more visas for workers, if needed, to come here LEGALLY. It doesn’t mean they support legalizing the current lawbreakers. Thus their yes answer to the deportation question. And I know you will respond as to how ridiculous it is to believe such a thing is feasible, but that is a completely different discussion. The scope of what we are talking about is the opinion of this 50%. They answer a clear yes to a clear question, and their support of a vaguely defined “guest worker program” does not mean they still do not want all illeglas deported.
Comment by DC Guy — April 2, 2006 @ 9:06 am
Legalizing current law breakers?
You mean, like drafting a new law to retroactively legalize the the warrantless domestic wiretapping that’s been happening for 5 years??
Comment by Nik — April 3, 2006 @ 9:37 pm