Lake Research (a Democratic polling firm) has a new survey out that shows Democrat Francine Busby ahead of Republican Brian Bilbray in the 50th district. The poll, which was conducted May 12-15, shows a ballot of 47%-40%.
MyDD has the story here.
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If you want a laugh, compare the Busby and Bilbray web/events pages. Busby lists 23 events (by my quick count). Bilbray has 8 events, half are out of date, and only one of the eight scheduled debates are listed on his web site.
Brian can’t keep his calendar full and he can’t keep his activities page up to date. This is basic stuff his people are failing to do.
Comment by KnightErrant — May 18, 2006 @ 6:22 am
Even if you don’t trust this poll, you know Busby must be doing pretty well or the NRCC wouldn’t have spent $2.5mil here so far, that is 10% of their entire budget. There are 435 House seats, I think all of them are up in Nov right? So each seat should only get 1/435 = 0.23% of the budget. Obviously it would never make sense to equally divide it, but still, that is an enormous figure to be spending on one race. They must be scared out of their minds.
Comment by yeah right — May 18, 2006 @ 7:35 am
Not only that, but the NRCC is really spending unwisely. They’re spending on absurd attacks that go so far over-the-line that they will likely cause some backfire…
Can’t they attack busby without comparing her to a drunk driver or without linking her to child predators? By making those ridiculous attacks, the NRCC only makes voters think the NRCC is desperate and that there are no legitimate grounds on which Busby can be attacked…
By contrast, attacks on Bilbray’s lobbying, while, perhaps, exaggerated, don’t go that extra step towards being farcical.
If the campaign the NRCC has been running in SD is any sign of the way they are going to play in other parts of the country, I’m not really all that worried…
Comment by seank — May 18, 2006 @ 7:52 am
The whole Bilbray campaign is odd. . .he was part of the Republican tide of 1994, close(ish) to Gingrich. He voted for impeachment (after milking his indecision for all it was worth). And he left (voted out) Congress when things were going good (Clinton as President). So, why not run on his old record? He could reach out to all those Reps who’ve lost hope in the last few years.
Busby, on the other hand, is running the kind of campaign she needs to. Focusing on one issue, really, and that’s corruption. Immigration won’t hurt her, because those voters that are 1000% behind the Minutemen, et all, were never going to vote for her anyway.
Comment by Jim — May 18, 2006 @ 5:44 pm
Interesting. Have Bilbray or the NRCC released any polling info?
Survey USA is still the best polling firm.
Comment by gil — May 18, 2006 @ 10:52 pm
Still no mention of Bilbray being called out for carpetbagging - this time from the D side, huh?
Comment by Narched — May 18, 2006 @ 11:20 pm
Check out the evening news. Channel 7, 8 and 10 are all running, or have run stories on this. Plus, the SDCDP sent a letter to the AG over it.
By the way, Bilbray isn’t so much carpetbagging as he is committing fraud. He’s pretty much admitted to claiming 3 different places as his “primary residence” simultaneously. And he’s doing it for “tax purposes.” Hmm. . .so he’s lying to the government to avoid paying taxes. . .and he’s admitting this? Not bright. . .
How long before this issue becomes the DCCC’s new ad?
Comment by Jim — May 19, 2006 @ 12:08 am
More Duke news today:
After a recent report that he was not fully cooperating with ongoing probes, Randy Cunningham is ready to assist in a new examination of congressional corruption announced by the House ethics committee this week, his attorney said Thursday.
“He will cooperate with that investigation just as he is cooperating with all the others,” attorney K. Lee Blalack said of Cunningham, who is in prison after pleading guilty to accepting more than $2.4 million in bribe.
There isn’t time for any fallout from his cooperation to affect the upcoming run-off, but it will likely generate some GOP-negative news stories before November…
Comment by Nik — May 19, 2006 @ 5:05 pm
North County Times had a front-page piece about the Bill Horn farmhand backyard trailer housing controversy today:
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/05/20/news/top_stories/20_10_585_19_06.txt
I dunno, seems like the guy living in the trailer is genuinely fine with it. So I don’t see Horn as a big jerk, as some seem to think. But gimme a break, if you’re going to be in charge of enforcing these laws, you need to follow them. I won’t be voting for Horn.
Comment by yeah right — May 21, 2006 @ 8:02 am
So the county board of supervisors are now in charge of enforcing laws?
It’s difficult for me to support a Brand W Republican:
At the end of his third term Bruce had the chance to be a part of history. Garnering signatures from 24 of his Legislative colleagues, he sent a letter to Governor George W. Bush of Texas, asking him to run for President. Bruce and his colleagues became the “First 25” in the nation to endorse Bush. Before Governor Bush threw his hat in the ring, he invited Bruce to Austin, TX. It was the beginning of a lasting friendship. Bruce was later appointed as a CA Co-Chair for the Bush 2000 Campaign, along with Condaleeza Rice and four others.
Comment by Nik — May 22, 2006 @ 7:43 pm
“It’s difficult for me to support a Brand W Republican”
Difficult for me to support either one. There are plenty of reasons to dislike Horn. Here’s one that sticks in my mind:
http://www.sdcitybeat.com/article.php?id=2744
Comment by Narched — May 22, 2006 @ 9:03 pm
So what is everyone thinking about Vargas-Filner III? I was somewhat disappointed that the race wasn’t as close as I thought, and then the hit pieces came out. Has there been one positive ad by either candidate? Its pretty clear that both guys are going for the throat — not just looking to win the race but to end the other’s political career.
Comment by Jim — May 23, 2006 @ 6:52 pm
Did anyone hear the Horn/Thompson debate on Hedgecock? Wow, you talk about a lop-sided debate! Thompson just cleaned his clock. I started to feel bad for Horn. By the way, who is Horn’s consultant? Because Bill Horn wasn’t ready at all for this one. A conservative Republican hiring illegals? Wow, hats off to Bruce Thompson
Comment by Drained — May 24, 2006 @ 1:09 am
Jim: I can only hope that Vargas’ political career ends after losing this race. Too many people in San Diego and in North County have very clear memories of their homes burning to the ground to consider giving Vargas a shot at “representing” us in Congress. It was Vargas, more so than any other politician, who left us out to rot while he was raking in the cash in bed with insurance companies.
Narched: FWIW — I wrote several angry letters to the county board of supervisors and to both local papers when that suggested pay raise happened. I remember that, and agree he is an asshole… but the raise didn’t happen. It was voted down.
You can always do what I’m doing and abstain from voting for either of those clowns. I’m going to write-in “Cross Tabs”.
Side by side, I don’t agree that voting to give yourself a 25% pay raise is actually worse than proudly claiming to be partly responsible for the Bush Administration.
Bush is by far the worst president in history. And anyone who supports him deserves derision and contempt.
Comment by Nik — May 24, 2006 @ 5:14 pm
Since Administrator seems to be on another vacation (lucky bastid!), Busby released this statement yesterday:
“Americans deserve the highest standard of ethical conduct from our members of Congress. We must fight corruption in both parties to make Congress work for the people of this country. Mr. Jefferson should do what is in the best interest of the people of his district and resign from Congress immediately.”
(PDF)
Comment by Nik — May 24, 2006 @ 5:17 pm
According to ABC News, House Speaker Denny Hastert is under investigation for his ties to Abramoff.
Comment by Nik — May 25, 2006 @ 12:27 am
Why not grow the site by adding another “editor” or two? seems to be lots to talk about and people interested in talking about it…
Comment by mp — May 25, 2006 @ 1:18 am
Gil for Vice Administrator!
Comment by yeah right — May 25, 2006 @ 4:25 am
(endorsed by California News & Review)
Comment by yeah right — May 25, 2006 @ 4:26 am
Damn Right.
Survey USA will be the offical pollster of SDPolitics.
Comment by gil — May 25, 2006 @ 5:23 am
PS: Busby has called on Rep. William Jefferson to resign.
Comment by yeah right — May 25, 2006 @ 5:55 am
WTF???!!!! Did anyone see this thing about the 52nd? Did someone really try to attack the Rinaldi campaign? Has anyone heard about this?
Comment by Jim — May 25, 2006 @ 6:12 am
I haven’t heard anything. Do tell.
Comment by yeah right — May 25, 2006 @ 7:18 am
The most intriguing part of attacks in these low profile/low budget races is that sometimes…no one knows there was even an attack. One of the candidates in the 53rd is constantly sniping at his opponent with degrading remarks and malicious and/or false statements…but no one is listening to him so why does it matter?
That whole 11th commandment thing is more myth than reality…
Comment by mp — May 25, 2006 @ 8:24 am
Here’s the story I saw on the news: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12961893/
Odd. . .
Comment by Jim — May 25, 2006 @ 5:44 pm
Quality journalism, no names, no campaign identification, but then again, the media only cares about the 50th district race.
Comment by MP — May 25, 2006 @ 5:57 pm
Cross Tabs for County Supervisor… got it!
Comment by Narched — May 25, 2006 @ 5:59 pm
Hey,
If any of you are interested in getting active in this race, please visit www.californiawomenvote.org!
And check out this article.
Dear Maren,
On June 6th, all eyes will be on California’s 50th Congressional District.
If Democrat Francine Busby wins the California special election on June 6th, her victory would send a shockwave through the political establishment. If Francine even comes close to winning in this solid Republican district, no Republican will be able to feel “safe” for the next six months. Just listen to how the Associated Press described it…
“Randy ‘Duke’ Cunningham’s former congressional district is a classic safe seat, custom-designed to generate Republican wins. But with Cunningham jailed in a mushrooming political scandal, the San Diego-area seat is now one the GOP cannot afford to lose.” - AP, 5/14/06
New polls show this California special election to be neck and neck with only two weeks left. With Dick Cheney in San Diego raking in millions for Francine’s opponent, we still have an uphill battle in this race. But we are not walking away from the fight. Not when we are fighting for change in Washington - not when we’re fighting to win.
No Regrets: Help make sure we can give Francine Busby and challengers like her everything they need to fight back against the Bush/Cheney cash machine. Give $25, $50 or more today.
The DCCC has already spent more than one million dollars supporting Francine against incredible odds, and it is working. We have aired television and radio ads in Busby’s district for weeks; exposing her Republican opponent’s disgraceful and ongoing career in the revolving door between Republican lobbyists and Congress.
In a top-tier media market like San Diego, one week of 30-second television ads can cost as much as $400,000. If every person on our list gave us $25, we would be able to keep up with Republican spending in this and other targeted districts across the country.
No Regrets: Help make sure we can give Francine Busby and challengers like her everything they need to fight back against the Bush/Cheney cash machine. Give $25, $50 or more today.
The Republicans underestimated Francine, and they underestimated how hard the DCCC would battle for her. Democrats will not roll over this year, and Republicans are learning that the hard way right now. We’ve helped Francine bring this race within striking distance and we need to make sure we are ready for the dirty, desperate tactics the Republicans are planning.
Will you make a contribution today so we can afford to keep up the fight in this and other races across the country?
In an important sense, Francine’s inspirational campaign, a model for clean campaigns everywhere, has already won. Our Republican counterpart, the NRCC, has blown a staggering $3 million on a race they earlier bragged about having in the bag. They haven’t spent a dime in this district for more than a decade - and now they are eating up resources they were counting on saving to use in November.
Everyone at the DCCC is working day and night to make sure we’re positioned to keep going blow for blow with the NRCC, Dick Cheney, and Karl Rove. But we cannot win without your support.
Will you join the DCCC, and prove to the Republicans their reign is coming to an end?
No Regrets: Help make sure we can give Francine Busby and challengers like her everything they need to fight back against the Bush/Cheney cash machine. Give $25, $50 or more today.
A new era is beginning. Thanks in advance for helping make it happen.
Sincerely,
Karin Johanson
Executive Director, DCCC
Comment by Rob — May 25, 2006 @ 6:01 pm
So has the flap over Bilbray’s residence passed? Could it make him disqualified for the election? This late in the race, can he be replaced with the 3rd place finisher (or 2nd place R finisher?)? Or could a candidate, found to be disqualified, simply be removed from the race? What happens to the absentee ballots?
Comment by Narched — May 25, 2006 @ 10:22 pm
Narched: Depends on what legal decisions are made. Like Tom DeLay, the GOP gets to choose a new candidate because DeLay has “become ineligible to run” in Texas because his primary residence is in Virginia, even though he won the primary. What’s really lame (imho) is that the GOP can choose whomever they wish to replace DeLay on the ballot, regardless of whether their chosen replacement actually ran, let alone came in 2nd, in the primary.
There frankly isn’t any time between now and the run-off for this to affect Bilbray. But it might affect the GOP candidate should Bilbray be found “ineligible to run” in the november general after winning the GOP primary on the same day as the runoff.
Now, if it turns out that the legal wrangling doesn’t mirror DeLay’s situation, then the GOP doesn’t get to pick their own candidate and Bilbray will have just forfeited his candidacy in the race, which means that Busby will only be running against all the 3rd-party candidates (Paul King et al)
Make sense? Can someone else verify or discredit me on this?
Comment by Nik — May 25, 2006 @ 10:39 pm
There’s no legal requirement that a Member of Congress live in his/her district — just in the state.
Any legal fraud finding that his official primary residence is in Virginia would have to be from an indictment, and that’s highly unlikely as he almost certainly had a primary residence in CA after launching his campaign, which is the only time that matters.
Ethical? Nope. A legal issue in a financial sense from the ‘primary residence’ claims? Yes. Enough to remove him from office? Almost certainly not. Enough to keep him from getting into office? We’ll see. . .
Comment by the other DC guy — May 25, 2006 @ 10:48 pm
I do think Bilbray is in trouble on this issue, but not in terms of his qualifications to run. There is no requirement of a Congressional candidate to live within the district, just the state. Clearly, Bilbray has enough ties in California to claim his residency here. However, he claims 3 different residences as his primary residence for “tax reasons.” Or, in other words, he’s openly committing fraud against the governments of California and Virginia. That’s not a place I’d want to be if running in a special election for a Congressman who’s in prison right now. Though I must say, I still have no idea why the DCCC isn’t running ads about this issue right now.
Comment by Jim — May 25, 2006 @ 11:00 pm
In addition to the tax issue, does he have mortgages on these homes? Sometimes the bank wants to know if it is your primary residence or not.
Comment by yeah right — May 26, 2006 @ 1:42 am
That’s the point. He refinanced his house in VA last August (2 months after registering in CA50) and marked the VA house as his primary residence. That was a part of the Dem press release.
Where’s Smart Democrat? I miss her.
Comment by gil — May 26, 2006 @ 3:16 am
That was sort of my point, though — not so much that his “primary” residence was in Imperial Beach, but that he still has a “primary residence” in Virginia.
Thanks for the clarifications, I should’ve been more explicit!
Comment by Nik — May 26, 2006 @ 3:13 pm
Check out the latest article on Busby - she has outraised her opponent by a ratio of 2 to 1.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/05/25/state/n212040D93.DTL&type=politics
Comment by Rob — May 26, 2006 @ 6:06 pm
Isn’t the RNCC outspending the Dem’s 3 to 1? It doesn’t really matter who raises more money at this point, only who spends more money (and more effectively). Personally I think the ads on both sides of the fence have been off the mark in many respects and could be far more effective then they have been.
Both sides seemed to have focused on the 2 L words, Liberal and Lobbyist. Why isnt either side running a positive ad about why those labels arent bad things? Either side could get a nice bump with “Yes, I was a lobbyist, and this is what I lobbied for and why” or “Yes, I have liberal beliefs on XXX and YYY and this is why…”
At the moment it seems they are just reinforcing their bases and disenchanting everyone in the middle…given the national climate I think this helps the Dem’s more than the R’s but enough to offset the R advantage in the district? Doubt it.
Comment by MP — May 26, 2006 @ 6:44 pm
WOW, outraised Bilbray 2 to 1. Where does all that money go after she loses on the 6th? The DCCC won’t allow her to keep it will they? Wouldn’t they give it to a more qualified Dem canidate? I mean how many times do you back a loser? If you go to the track and bet on a horse and it loses do you do it again? Maybe, but a third time, no way. A forth, come on, when Bilbray wins on the 6th the Democratic party will run a canidate and waste more money for the forth time that had no chance from the start. The Democratic party is in a bad way if this is the best they had to offer. Was there no one else? Who does a Dem from the 50th look to for answeres to why it couldn’t be done? Who takes responsibilty for not taking advantage of the current political atmosphere.
Comment by disappointed Dem — May 26, 2006 @ 7:39 pm
Hey all! Did you miss me? Had to take a break from all the negativity and rhetoric. I think this “disappointed dem” makes a good point,
” Wouldn’t they give it to a more qualified Dem canidate? I mean how many times do you back a loser?”
I think the person we need to all be looking into is Jess Durfey (please forgive me if I misspelled his last name). I know for a fact that Chris Young approached Jess last November about the lack of a good Democratic candidate for the 50th district. She spoke with him multiple times about what the hot issues for San Diego county are and why the Democratic Clubs of San Diego were failing to address them. Jess, for what ever reason, decided against telling any other members of the Democratic Clubs about Mrs. Youngs desire to run. So when Mrs. Young announced that she was going to enter the race… Vala! There is a whole herd of angry Democrats screaming that Chris Young is a plant by the Republican party and asking her “where have you been?”.
Fast forward a few months. After doing everything they can to avoid her and keep her out of the clubs, the Democratic Clubs finally agree to let her speak at one of their meetings. They are shocked to find out that Jess knew about Chris Young prior to her entering the race. They are even more shocked that Busby supporters had physically assaulted Chris Young and forcefully told her to step out of the race.
The person in charge of recruiting new candidates for the local Dems has actually apologized to Chris Young for failing her. But Mr. Jess Durfey is still standing firm in his complete disdain for her. He has said that he would rather lose than run Chris Young. Please tell me, how does this help the Democratic party? Why are we letting someone who puts his ego before our needs continue to control the local party?
I think its time that Busby Supporters and Young Supporters work together (a novel idea) to find out who this Jess Durfey really is. How did he become the head of the local Democratic Party and why does he think that he alone can decide who is worthy to be brought to the attention of the Democratic clubs.
Comment by Smart democrat — May 26, 2006 @ 9:15 pm
Jess Durfee is a long-time Democratic Party activist who has spent his time and hard earned money supporting the Party. Jess Durfee started with the San Diego Democratic Club, going up several offices until he became president. In case you don’t know, the San Diego Democratic Club is the largest Democratic Club, both in terms of membership and money, in San Diego.
During the time he served the San Diego Democratic Club, Jess Durfee also served as a member of the San Diego Democratic Central Committee. As a result of his hard work, Jess Durfee was elected onto the Executive Committee of the Central Committee as the Director of Clubs. Actually, he was elected Director of Clubs by the clubs themselves. After serving at least 1 term (though I think it may have been 2-3), Jess Durfee was elected, by the Central Committee, Chair of the San Diego Democratic Party.
That’s who Jess Durfee is. And guess what, he doesn’t control who clubs listen to. Chris Young could have (and should have) gone to each meeting to say hello. Jess Durfee wouldn’t and couldn’t stop her from doing that. If she wanted, she could have gone to the Council of Democratic Clubs meeting and met several club presidents at once. She could have gone to the Central Committee meeting, or the Executive Committee meeting (both open to the public) and introduced herself.
And she didn’t have to spend too much time looking up club meeting dates, as she could have looked up all these dates on the San Diego Democratic Party website (hooray San Diego Democratic DIRECT!). Or, she could have had volunteers done this for her. Lots of candidates do.
The one thing Jess Durfee is not, however, is a volunteer or campaign staff for Chris Young. She should have realized that. Next time, she can do better. And instead of working together to slime a dedicated Democrat (who, by the way, is not, and has NEVER BEEN PAID for his years of work for the Party), why don’t we work together to beat Bilbray.
Comment by Jim — May 26, 2006 @ 10:36 pm
Thank you Smart Dem for answering my question. His office will be my first phone call on the 7th asking why the 50th was lost to a Washington insider like Bilbray. If what Smart Dem is saying is correct about Mr. Durfee knowing about Chris Young wouldn’t he have had a responsibility to introduce her to the Council of Democratic Clubs, for no other reason than to ask her not to run.
From listing to Jim, it sounds like Mr. Durfee and Mrs. Busby have something in common. They spend alot of time at clubs, is that all it takes to make you qualified? At what point do we as Dems ask if we are being rightly represented at the local Dem level? When we loose do we bury our heads in the sand or do we demand ansewers? Do we demand new leadership?
When Bilbray wins I expect to see those two clubin’ and explaining to the 50th why we lost.
Comment by disappointed Dem — May 26, 2006 @ 11:42 pm
You know what, if Chris Young wanted to run for Congress, or if anyone wants to run, then you have to build a network of support. That starts with the clubs, because that’s where the Democrats are. You can also build your support online, or through other sources, but you have to build your network. No one is going to do it for you. And Busby was the only one who did the work, so she got backed. Its that simple. Quit whining and start working. We have a race to win.
Comment by Jim — May 27, 2006 @ 12:41 am
There she is….but it looks like someone forgot to read the title of the post.
Comment by gil — May 27, 2006 @ 1:38 am
Im still waiting for someone to answer my question reguarding what we do on the 7th. Please don’t tell me “bury our heads”.
Comment by disappointed Dem — May 27, 2006 @ 2:21 am
Is Jess Durfey part of the Hillcrest mafia? The same people who gave us that idiot mayor in CHula Vista? I’m pretty sure this incumbent mayor with the suv and the bodyguard was/is part of that posse. All from the local Democratic clubs. San Diego County Democratic Party is in a bad way. Very bad. Busby should have won April 11th. She only needed like 9000 more votes. How come 9000 more dems didn’t come out to vote? If busby is building all this support why aren’t voters inspired? Why doesn’t her presence light a fire in their bellies? Are we so disenchanted with local democrats that we’d rather stay home and let a Republican win? How come we don’t have better candidates?
John Stewart had Howard Dean on and Stewart listed all of the blunders and indictmetns and how we’re going to walk into office and then asked Dean, “So, how will the Democrats screw this up?” Are we screwing it up in the 50th? With everything going on why is she only neck and neck? Why isn’t Busby’s “charisma” and “appeal” making the voters come to her? Because she doesn’t have any. What is wrong with us? Why do we have such bad candidates? We better vote. Everyone of us had better get to the polls. Wonky
Comment by wonky — May 27, 2006 @ 4:22 am
On the 7th you drink. After you sober up, you will realize you have to endure another 4+ months of the same campaigning crap…more money being wasted on a losing candidate (is Busby the title holder for most money wasted on a congressional candidate in losing efforts yet?)…When you come out of the stupor in January…you start trying to find the right person for the 2008 race and building the organization.
It is still possible Busby could win on the 6th, then the situation gets stranger…Thanks to the DNCC’s kangroo ad’s, Busby can’t miss any votes to campaign for the General, and you know the RNCC will be fighting tooth and nail to get the seat back…she might as well not bother unpacking in D.C.
Get the right candidate, build some social and financial support and develop and execute a comprehensive strategy…The last part seems to be where many Democratic campaigns fall on their faces. The GOP are in general better at both fundraising and execution of complex campaign strategies. The Democrats are better at destroying their own best candidates (not that Busby was one). These things arent always true, but very often are.
Of course it doesnt hurt that the wealthy tend to lean right…
Comment by MP — May 27, 2006 @ 4:30 am
A new poll out puts Thompson over Horn by 23 points. I can’t believe the gap is so big. Horn is unpopular but can an incumbant lose by 23? Time will tell.
Comment by Drained — May 28, 2006 @ 6:30 am
Who did the poll? Link?
Thats incredible.
Comment by yeah right — May 28, 2006 @ 7:17 am
Sorry Jim I didn’t know I was whining, just looking for answers. I’m not in the 50th so I won’t be voting in that race. I am a SD Dem who is concerned about the direction my local party/clubs are going. I wasen’t all that interested in the 50th until all of the campain ads started showing up. It makes me laugh when people call them negative, looks like ads that get run every election to me, they should just be refered to as political ads.
I took a long look at the Busby and Young web sites. It looks like the local Dems already buried their heads in the sand. Young- bank VP and the past four years in law school. Busby- school board member for puny school district and past few years dining on finger foods and back slapping with the local Democratic wacks. WOW our local Dem leadership has truly failed us. After the special election has passed I will raise a flag to the highest levels of the DNC to bring attention to the failed leadership in the San Diego area.
Comment by disappointed Dem — May 28, 2006 @ 6:01 pm
You can’t stop a woman from shopping! I heard it from a person that heard it from a person, etc, etc. I don’t how credible the information is. Maybe Datamar will put out some polls this week on local races we can sink our teeth in!
Comment by Drained — May 28, 2006 @ 6:09 pm
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Comment by Bill Boyer — May 28, 2006 @ 7:39 pm
Busby can still win this election. With her solid war chest and the support of major political organization and grassroots volunteers, Busby stands a good chance of an historic upset on June 6. Visit www.californiawomenvote.com to see how you can help to make this happen.
Comment by Rob — May 29, 2006 @ 5:48 pm
Busby can still win this election. With her solid war chest and the support of major political organization and grassroots volunteers, Busby stands a good chance of an historic upset on June 6. Visit www.californiawomenvote.com to see how you can help to make this happen.
Comment by Rob — May 29, 2006 @ 5:48 pm
Yes, we heard you the first time.
Comment by Drained — May 29, 2006 @ 11:56 pm
Does anyone else here actually think that “Disappointed Dem” and “Smart Democrat” are two different people?
It’s uncanny. The writing style is the same. The Busby-bashing rhetoric is the same.
If they are actually two different people, I’d suspect that they’re related or good friends or something. Perhaps they BOTH work for Chris Young’s campaign.
But my hunch is that it’s still just Wendy… aka “Liberals against Lying”… aka “Smart Democrat”… aka..?
Comment by Nik — May 30, 2006 @ 3:05 pm
In the news rumor mill:
GOP Fears in a Bellwether Race
Staffers from the National Republican Congressional Committee are quietly telling GOP House members to prepare for a possible loss in the June 6 special election to fill the seat of Randy “Duke” Cunningham, now in prison for taking bribes. The Southern California district is heavily Republican, but some GOP insiders believe that Democrat Francine Busby will defeat former GOP Rep. Brian Bilbray and go on to win a full term in November. More alarming some worry that a Bilbray defeat could signal the GOP’s loss of control of the House. The NRCC has already pumped $3.1 million into the race. “It is becoming more and more likely,” says one GOP strategist, “that Bilbray will squeak out a victory.” But another longtime Republican operative isn’t so sure. “This is a district we should never lose,” he says. “It’s the stink of Cunningham, and the Bush problem.”
Now that MP’s asked the question: “is Busby the title holder for most money wasted on a congressional candidate in losing efforts yet?”
In another week or so, the answer may well be “No — That title holder is Brian Bilbray”. (I can only hope.)
Comment by Nik — May 30, 2006 @ 3:10 pm
In a similar vein:
Will Republicans Lose “Duke” Cunningham’s Seat?
May 29, 2006 9:30 p.m. EST
Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer
San Diego, CA (AHN) - Republicans in California are worried that a Democrat will win a special election called to fill the Congressional seat of Rep. Randy “Duke” who is now in prison for taking bribes.
According to U.S. News, staffers from the National Republican Congressional Committee are quietly telling GOP House members to prepare for a possible loss on June 6.
According to Washington insiders, despite the strong Republican voter base in California’s 50th District, Democrat Francine Busby seems likely to defeat former GOP Rep. Brian Bilbray and go on to win a full term in November.
Some lawmakers say its impossible to win after such a scandal in that district, while others point to an unpopular Bush Administration’s effect on the party-at-large.
And, although I understand you hear me the first, second, and third times, it is actually “californiawomenvote.org”, not “.com”. Apologies.
Comment by Rob — May 30, 2006 @ 5:55 pm
McCain cancels on Bilbray.
Comment by gil — May 31, 2006 @ 3:02 am
Nik -
I meant never winning…Bilbray has won, he was a Congressman for multiple terms…my point would be that people have continued to give her money and she has constantly failed to use it effectively. She has consistently missed the mark and seems less than worthy for the job. Is it her staff/advisors, or is it her? I couldnt say, but the reality is, she is the candidate and if she has a staff that can’t get the job done, she wont be able to get the job in Congress done.
Maybe she is being given advice and rejecting it, I don’t want to blame her or her staff, but this candidate and her campaign(s) have been less than stellar. If she loses on tuesday, and dares to venture out “fundraising” again, that would be tragic…she would be the human money pit.
Comment by MP — May 31, 2006 @ 4:03 am
Why do I seem to find myself apoligizing to the click of simpletons like Nik and Jim that frequent this site. I just want answers to why Busby is barely holding her head above water in an atmosphere of such Rep corruption. From what I here about the fabulous Busby from the familiars of this site, she should be 10 plus points ahead of the lobbiest Bilbray. What’s going on, what am I missing, PLEASE tell me why I should be so excited about her.
Come on Nik, have you convinced yourself that everyone in the 50th feels the same way you do about Busby. Didn’t those dismal numbers in April give you any indication that she excited only the core base of Dems. Tell me, what terrible thing have the Reps done of late for them to cross over and check the dreaded “D” box. NOTHING. Don’t tell me those terrible political ads on T.V. They might have hurt the feelings of the lunatic Dems but that is just business as usual for Reps, thats why they win. They play to win, they don’t get their feelings hurt.
Don’t misunderstand me fellas, I’m venting because I see the SD Dem leadership failing us just as it is through out the country. Just because I disagree with your strained excitement about a lukewarm candidate, I will not give you the comfort of accusing me of being someone else on this blog who sees things as they are.
Comment by disappointed Dem — May 31, 2006 @ 4:11 am
I think my prediction has come true:
Chris Young aka “disappointed Dem” aka “SmartDemocrat” has managed to post more messages on this blog than she got votes in the primary.
Now Howard will you let the administrator have a bit of time to post something new on this site?
Comment by the other DC guy — May 31, 2006 @ 4:49 am
Abysmal? She got the same numbers as John Kerry in ‘04. And the RNCC has spent 1/8th of its cash on hand to win this seat. . .spending more money than Cunningham donated to the RNCC over his tenure. And the race is still tight. . .
Prior to this race, this district wasn’t close Dem. It is not a swing district; it was drawn FOR Cunningham. The registration is +20 Rep. And Busby can still win this race. That’s amazing, and that’s why losing this seat would be devastating to the Republican Party. This is GOP turf, and we’re running strong.
Moreover, you don’t have any idea what kind of race Busby is running. Unless you’re in the target population, in the District, you don’t get the mail, the walkers, or the calls. And even then, you only see a part of the whole.
As for the Party leadership. . .here’s an idea, if you think the local party is not up to the task, then actually do something about it. The people you slam are volunteers, so volunteer. They run for Central Committee and get elected, so run for Central Committee. Show up to meetings. Its not that hard. Hell, I did it when I was a law student. And I’m just a simpleton.
Comment by Jim — May 31, 2006 @ 5:04 am
>those dismal numbers in April
What I find most hilarious about this quote, is that if 44% is “dismal,” then what is 1.7%?
I’ll hand it to Young, she presents herself well, has a nice speaking voice and presence, etc. Maybe she could have a future in politics. But if I were her, the last thing I would want to do is burn any bridges by being so negative towards local volunteers. Her strategy right now should be setting the foundation for name recognition and so on for some kind of race in ‘08 (either for this seat if Busby loses to Bilbray, or for assembly, state senate, city council, etc)
Comment by yeah right — May 31, 2006 @ 7:21 am
So… , and no one (administrator) thinks that’s worthy enough for a front-page post?
Instead we have to put up with Wendy having a mock conversation with… herself! And then put up with her throwing her same old tired Chris Young campaign rhetoric at me AGAIN because I called her out (AGAIN)?
I think we should all just start ignoring Wendy (in all her incarnations). She hasn’t added one substative point to the conversation. Pretty much ALL of her posts are attempts to marginalize a pretty impressive showing in a solid conservative district.
Who cares if Busby loses? This race has become close enough that Republicans should realize they’re losing their edge and quite possibly are going to lose the majority this year.
There’s no way in hell a district that’s been 20+ GOP favored should let any Dem (let alone a “loony left-wing liberal” like Busby) or John Kerry get above 40%.
Furthermore, even if Busby loses the election, I think her campaign would have been incredibly effective. Republicans have dumped MILLIONS of dollars into what should be a no-brainer safe district. That’s money that they have to take away from other potentially close races.
All things aside, Republicans have outspent Democrats in this district by a wide margin. Mission accomplished - Republicans are showing their hand here - they’re scared shitless no matter how macho of a game face they’re putting on in front of the cameras.
Talk to me in another two years when 20 more of them are under indictment or behind bars, then we’ll see how much MORE money the GOP spends in order to win back this “safe” district.
Comment by Nik — May 31, 2006 @ 4:51 pm
Blogsome ate my link. Lemme try resubmitting that first line:
So… John McCain cancels a Bilbray fundraising event , and no one (administrator) thinks that’s worthy enough for a front-page post?
Comment by Nik — May 31, 2006 @ 4:53 pm
The McCain snub is actually Good News for Brian Bilbray
Busby is tainting him as an insider, here he demonstrates his independence from the GOP, jump off the cliff hand-in-hand with the demos on Immigration Reform.
This is the hottest button in the campaign,…it trumps the Cunningham scandal.
Brain should stand up and be prideful of this snub. When 78% of people want “X” and the Senate offers “Y” and Bilbray says no give the people “X”…I say…”X” in the box for Bilbray on the ballot
Comment by Bill Boyer — May 31, 2006 @ 9:38 pm
Um. . .no. Bilbray would have gained if HE was the one who cancelled the event. Because if he was so opposed to McCain’s plan, then why take McCain’s money? The only way that McCain could have screwed him worse would be if McCain endorsed Busby. And we all know that won’t happen. Oh yeah, and McCain has permanent GOP outsider status (as much as that irks me), so a snub from McCain does not equal outsider status. A snub from Cheney does, and Cheney raised money for Bilbray.
Comment by Jim — May 31, 2006 @ 10:44 pm
On behalf of everyone who found SD Politics a useful blog over the last 12 months:
Someone start a new blog on San Diego politics and post the link here!
Comment by the other DC guy — May 31, 2006 @ 11:01 pm
Jim,
Well, your point is valid to a point, but McCain clearly decided if you aren’t with me on this one…I’m out. Where as most people and obviously Brian can be opposed to a Senator on one issue, agree with many more and still break bread and support those “in-common” issues.
The Senate wants to push the House into submission and this is yet another example.
Call it independence with intelligent discretion as opposed to McCains’ “I’ll take my ball and go home”. McCain is an outsider within the GOP, only because he is such an insider within the DNC and others who sell out the U.S. on this issue.
There is a battle brewing between the House and the Senate and Busby is clearly in camp with the Senate bill, the mi casa su casa President. We need to send in the reinforcements from the 50th to help the stand up Congressmen/women who are voting for broder security and employer sanctions first…amnesty later.
Hey D.C. Guy,…even if you disagree (actually especially if you disagree) check out the www.engageusa.blogspot.com
Comment by Bill Boyer — May 31, 2006 @ 11:14 pm
Nik, I think its funny how you keep accusing me of being everybody and anybody who disagrees with you. Have you ever been checked for schizophrenia? I mean really. I haven’t even checked this damn thing since my last post. Some of us actually have lives outside of the wonderful world of the internet. However since my name seems to have appeared so often in your comments as of late, I think I am going to start checking in more often.
Oh, and one more thing, do be careful about what you start accusing me. I would hate to have to hold you libel for slander.
But wait- you are ignoring me. What grade are we in?
Comment by Smart democrat — June 1, 2006 @ 1:45 am
Chris,
It can’t be slander if it’s said about an anonymous alias. Duh.
Comment by the other DC guy — June 1, 2006 @ 6:01 am
Oh man, thanks for making my day! I haven’t laughed that hard since your last comment!
And Mr. Boyer, someone, ANYone, PLEASE — explain to me how rounding up 11-20 million illegal aliens (undocumented migrant workers, whatever) would work.
How would you actually propose to implement that solution? Where would you get the man power to do such a thing? How would you identify those that are here illegally? How could you verify that, for example, *I’m* not here illegally, without subjecting me to an unreasonable or unwarranted search and seizure? What would you do when you find parents who are here illegally, but have children who are legal citizens?
How could you legitimately remove such a huge portion of our workforce and not actually cause a devastating collapse of our economy? You talk tough about cracking down on employers. How would you do so?
Do you realize that it’s really difficult for an employer to know whether their employees are here legally or illegally? You get your prospective employees papers, but how could you know if they’re really genuine?
A new high-tech ID card will not work. It would be incredibly expensive to implement and just as susceptible to forgery. Trust me on this. Security experts the world over laugh at the thought that a more high-tech solution would ever fix any problem. There will always be a breakdown due to user error. There will always be ways to exploit the system.
How would our agricultural industry survive the near-instantaneous loss of the majority of it’s workforce? How would the meat industry? Hotels? Restaurants?
I’ve never bought into the argument that undocumented workers take the jobs that American citizens don’t want or won’t do. That’s misleading, because it leaves out a very important part: Illegal aliens are willing to do jobs for wages that American citizens can’t afford.
But as soon as you begin paying living wages and providing healthcare to citizen workers doing the jobs previously done by undocumented migrants, the cost of pretty much everything starts to skyrocket.
It’s simply a pipe dream to think that any enforcement-only immigration plan could work. It’s on par with those who think the solution to outrageous deficits is just to “print more money”.
Comment by Nik — June 1, 2006 @ 5:52 pm
Here’s a great move by Busby. You want to scroll down to the article. She’s saying, hey, if you don’t like my position on immigration, vote for the guy endorsed by the Minutemen, not Bilbray. Say what you will about Busby, she (or the people around her) are running a great campaign.
Comment by Jim — June 1, 2006 @ 5:59 pm
My point reguarding dismal numbers in april is that the typical base of Dems came out to vote for her giving her exactly what was predicted. Approx. 15000 more Rep showed up to vote in april. How is Busby going to pull them to her side? Let me guess, her stance on immigration. I think there’s only about 100 people who think that’s a good idea and they work in DC. She was interviewed on T.V after her meet and greet with Pelosi and she said ” this just shows that people are tired of partasian politics”, WHAT, how many Reps were there? Busby should not be allowed to speak without someone coaching her. The NCT reported that at the Busby event reguarding illigal immigration, ” barely a mention of the issue “, my God she is so out of touch.
I hope the other dc guy dosen’t make a living by making predictions, if he did he would be in the poor house. I hate to disappoint him and Nik but I am neither Chris Young or smart Dem, but I’ll make you a deal. After the 6th I will tell you my name right after you tell me yours.
Comment by disappointed Dem — June 1, 2006 @ 6:37 pm
Good moves by Busby now do not cancel out the what…3 years?…or ineffective and inept campaigning. She is hitting some decent pitches now, but she started the game down 14 runs…she needed to make up more ground in the early innings, she didnt. If she wins on Tuesday it will be more for the RNC/Bilbray camps follys than for her successes. Both sides missed some hanging curveballs, and both sides threw too many pitches in the dirt.
I think both the RNC and DNC would have been happy for a rain out and replayed the game with different strategies…is that enough baseball metaphors for the day?
Comment by MP — June 1, 2006 @ 9:35 pm
MP, I like your style!
You know, I had forgotten how close this next election is. Time really does fly when your having fun.
Comment by Smart democrat — June 1, 2006 @ 10:23 pm
MP: you forgot to include a part about somebody throwing dust in the umpire’s eyes, and whether or not the crowd comes to watch the players or the umpire.
Comment by yeah right — June 2, 2006 @ 3:17 am
Nik,
Glad you are LOL. Let’s see if I can answer your questions in less than 8 paragraphs…
*what “round up” are you referring to?
However, if your question is about interior employer enforcement…how about deploying those guys who hold up traffic at the Temecula and San Clemente borders…get them on the road stopping by those employers who the SSI administration knows are using bogus SSI numbers. (cost not one nickel more, but with the fines…would actually generate income, not waste my time and gas as they wave me by!
Yes, there are challenges with documentation, but pull out an I-9 form (it isn;t rocket science). I’m content with those employers who make a good faith effort and go after the most severe offenders to start with.
*If the issue is sooooo overwhelming (ie. 11 million +), than why aren’t you advocating true border security (unless you prefer to deal with a 30 million population in 5 years).
*Importing under-the-table, no payroll tax employees has at least 3 major downsides;
1) Depress U.S. wages for people typically Democratic oriented (lower income) These U.S. citizens are already squeezed by gas and housing prices, now get their income artificially.
2) Illegal workers who have access to social and health care services, but are not (in some cases) paying taxes. Double the Fun!
3) It is immoral. Yes, the first Republican President actually settled that issue in 1863. You are advocating for workers being paid less than State mandated wages (or turn a blind eye…there was alot of that in 1850’s).
So, suffice it to say, I am not in league with this Bermuda Triangle of Political Obstructionists who for 3 main reasons have decided to call the Senate action a “comprehensive immigration reform” bill. An oxymoron similar to the GOP calling the reversal of civil liberties a “Patriot Act”, or warrantless phone record reaping as an act done to protect us.
You’re post are full of passion, but seem to lack wisdom…I am going to take a SWAG and guess your age at sub 30. Which would mean you don’t remember Amnesty round 1 when the illegal population was estimated at less than 3 million.
So, either you are very shrew and expect that the DNC will be gaining a new and growing voting block (damn the consequences) or you are woefully misinformed.
Comment by Bill Boyer — June 2, 2006 @ 3:51 am
Umpire? i thought they were playing school yard rules…if its in the vicinity of the plate, its a strike…so take a big swing! If either side were to shorten up their stroke they would have been racking up runs like…well any team playing in Colorado pre-humidor.
Busby took a couple good cuts the past few days…but I’m not sure its going to result in any runs.
At this point I project Bilbray by 3-5%, I’d vote for him if I lived in the 50th. Busby is not the real deal, hopefully if she loses this race (and the replay in november) she will never be heard from again. Keep in mind I havent been following the polling and such in the 50th for about a month and I’m just basing it on the ad’s and commentary I’ve absorbed since.
But seriously, there are primary’s and elections in about 2000 other races culminating on Tuesday…why is the 50th all anyone cares about? Lots of fun races out there…I guess if we had mr. administrator to post some of the stories we might have more to chat about….
Comment by MP — June 2, 2006 @ 8:51 am
I know for a fact that blogsome allows Administrator to appoint Vice Administrators with varying levels of power. This is getting ridiculous.
Comment by yeah right — June 2, 2006 @ 3:55 pm
Put me in coach
Comment by gil — June 2, 2006 @ 4:59 pm
Mr. Boyer,
Two quick things first: I was LOL at being suspected of schitzophrenia, and no, I’m not under-30. I’ll try to take your comment that I lack wisdom with a grain of salt.
There are a lot of people, smarter than you and I put together, who I agree with on border and immigration issues. Similarly, there are also people, smarter than you and I put together, who you agree with on the same issues.
I’d be willing to put money down that both of their intentions are not inline with ours.
You’re correct in stating that you and I have the same inherent intentions: we’d like to preserve economic stability while providing genuinely decent employment opportunities for legal residents, without turning a blind eye to the necessity of immigrantion.
The reason why illegal immigration cuts at the base of the issue is because they are exploited by employers which has the following negative side effects:
* Decreased tax revenue from either reporting low wages, or working completely under-the-table.
* Increased healthcare costs because of the reliance on urgent care and emergency rooms for medical treatment.
* Decreased wages for legal laborers.
The solution to these problems is not the naive approach — that is, to round up and deport all illegal immigrants and be done with it. It’s not so simple, and one who suggests that it is is the one without any foresight or wisdom.
*what “round up” are you referring to?
However, if your question is about interior employer enforcement…how about deploying those guys who hold up traffic at the Temecula and San Clemente borders…get them on the road stopping by those employers who the SSI administration knows are using bogus SSI numbers. (cost not one nickel more, but with the fines…would actually generate income, not waste my time and gas as they wave me by!
You think that the 50 or so people regularly stationed in San Clemente and Temecula could handle employer enforcement?
Or are you saying that the funciton of these two border patrol stations are completely useless?
Or both?
Yes, there are challenges with documentation, but pull out an I-9 form (it isn;t rocket science). I’m content with those employers who make a good faith effort and go after the most severe offenders to start with.
This is ridiculous. Any form can be easily forged. Employers can only make a cursory effort to establish documentation of legality — the effort made by employers in “good faith” is exactly the same that’s made by employers in bad faith. It’s actually an illegal violation of a citizen’s rights (discrimination) for an employer to question the authenticity of a document, even though (no matter what Pres Bush says) the employer could be fined up to $10k if found to have illegal immigrants on the payroll.
*If the issue is sooooo overwhelming (ie. 11 million +), than why aren’t you advocating true border security (unless you prefer to deal with a 30 million population in 5 years).
First of all, true border security has nothing to do with illegal aliens looking for a job picking strawberries in Carlsbad or Oxnard.
Putting up a bigger obstacle will not deter an impoverished, starving, and desperate person to figure out a new way over, under, or around whatever obstacles we erect.
Border security has to do with preventing those who would do our nation harm from entering the country covertly. True border security is more than just Mexico. It’s increased technology and funding for our ports, coast guard, airports, southern border, and our border with Canada. In fact, it’s probably easier for a terrorist to cross unnoticed across the northern border than it is to cross from Mexico, simply because the nation’s attention is being focussed on places like San Diego and El Paso.
The ONLY way to stop the flow of undocumented migrants who are crossing to look for work is to deal with the sources of the problem — the huge economic imbalance between our country and those to our south (i.e. SUPPLY), and the availability of jobs and open solicitation for workers by employers in the states (i.e. DEMAND).
A border fence does nothing to mitigate these factors, and they’re the ONLY things that, when dealt with, can affect a positive change.
Everything I’ve advocated or supported, when dealing with the issue of the 11-20 million illegal immigrants who are here to work, has to do with addressing the SUPPLY and DEMAND parts of the equation.
Now, it’s a hell of a lot easier for a federal agent to, say, storm the ConAgra Foods headquarters and raid their slaughterhouses than it is to, say, watch your neighborhood for a week and check to see who you hire to cut your grass and clean your house.
And it’s not practical to randomly detain day laborers standing on the side of Encinitas Blvd or Alga Road or El Camino Real and demand they show proof of citizenship. Protection from unreasonable and unwarranted search and seizure is arguably still in our constitution. After all, do you walk around with proof of citizenship?
Do you really think your drivers license proves anything? Or social security card?
Comment by Nik — June 2, 2006 @ 9:18 pm
You can always use FlashReport:
http://www.flashreport.org/blog0a.php?postID=2006060217421088&post_offsetP=0&authID=2005110112071864
Comment by Barry Jantz — June 2, 2006 @ 9:59 pm
Yeah, because what we commenters want is the official spin from party-line Republican operatives.
The commenters on this site are (almost) all not affiliated with any campaigns, we’re not paid by any party or political consulting firm. We’re just locals who want a venue to talk about stuff in a relatively neutral forum.
I’d sooner use FlashReport for my San Diego news as you’d use My Due Diligence (MyDD), KLSD’s forum, or DailyKos.
Comment by Nik — June 2, 2006 @ 11:01 pm
More local news about another local “Family Values” Republican candidate.
Republican Jim Galley, who is running for Congress as a “pro-traditional family” candidate, was married to two women at the same time, defaulted on his child support payments and has been accused of abuse by one of his ex-wives.
Discuss.
Comment by Nik — June 2, 2006 @ 11:26 pm
A new poll!!
http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=c4c2efa1-cdaa-461f-8c18-733493cb9e2c
SUSA’s summary: “Turnout Will Decide CA 50 Special Election: In a special election in California’s 50th Congressional District today, 6/2/06, 96 hours till polls open, Republican Brian Bilbray and Democrat Francine Busby are locked in a fierce firefight that could go either way, according to a SurveyUSA poll of 448 Likely Voters, conducted exclusively for KGTV-TV San Diego. 4 days until the 6/6/06 Special Election, Republican Bilbray gets 47%, Democrat Busby gets 45%.”
The MOE is 4.9% so could go either way.
Comment by yeah right — June 3, 2006 @ 2:58 am
Oh goodie. I can’t wait for gil to come defend the “pinpoint accuracy” of Survey USA and to predict the Bilbray win! Gil?
Comment by DC Guy — June 3, 2006 @ 3:10 am
do those cross tabs make anyone else wonder about the sample? Bilbray ahead with blacks and hispanics, Busby ahead with the 80k+ crowd? 13% of rep’s voting for Busby? 10% for Other? (Maybe the Busby commercials for conservative votes to a 3rd party are working?)
I find it very hard to believe that 13% of republicans will actually go to the polls and cast a ballot for Busby. Of course we could launch a discussion on the difference between an opinion poll and a real ballot…maybe those reps are trying to send Bilbray a message.
Also theres a McCain radio ad in fairly heavy play saying Bilbray is the proven leader the 50th district should send ot Congress, Busby is too much of a risk in these troubled times…dont quote me on that, someone correct me if needed, i only heard the add 5 times in 15 minutes.
Comment by MP — June 3, 2006 @ 3:12 am
Nik, let’s try Bill instead of the Mr. stuff (hence my guess as to your age). OKAY…
There are multiple interior inspection stations that actually recover not just the ones I mentioned. A wall would allow even more agents to convert to interior enforcement duty. However, let’s just talk about the potential impact of these two staffs. The tiny staff of 50 Border Agents actually stopping by the worst employer offenders would have a chilling and healthy impact on those who play in the gray due to no enforcement.
If 50 checks a day were made (assuming that a team of 2 could hit 2 businesses a day), that would be about 41 more than we had in the entire year last year.
WALLS WORK,…just ask Israel (who btw, have a bit more to worry about that we do). Which brings me to the comment you made suggesting that my focus is soley on illegal immigrants. Clearly, the unsecured border(s)/Port(s)…is a universal issue. The 1 million a year who do cross illegally simply signals to Osama wanna bees…enter this way. WALLS allow a smaller force to perform the job. WALLS can and should be a combination of concrete, technology and human resources…it simply means regain control of your border from intrusion (passive workers and potential terrorists alike).
It is the combination of true border security and truly enforced economic sanctions that will create the attrition and re-legal entry the norm as oppose to the exception.
Finally, since it is clear that the open borders/no enforcement group are at least delaying/obstructing action…I have opted NOT TO WAIT FOR MY GOVERNMENT TO ACT…instead I am going to fund and promote a private citizens, totally positive, affirming, and business-centric approach…check out http://www.engageusa.blogspot.com
HIRE RIGHT, BUY RIGHT
Comment by Bill Boyer — June 3, 2006 @ 3:57 am
Nik (and all you other Dems), lets look at this wall thing for a second. Wouldn’t you rather an illegal immigrant see a great wall blocking his/her way into the United States than a bigot (aka minute man) holding a gun? I know I would. You have to stop the flow into the US before you can adequately begin to deal with the illegal immigrants already here. Otherwise its like trying to bail out water on a sinking ship with out plugging the hole first.
Ok, another thing. Nik- illegal ALIEN? I would expect that from a Repub, but from a Dem? We are supposed to be the humanitarian party. Where do these people come from- Mars? They are immigrants not aliens and to use that word is about as insensitive as you can get. Ok, I understand the definition of alien is anything foreign to a particular area. But come on, it just sounds racist and callous. The use of that word has been one of my biggest pet peeves with this whole campaign.
And last but not least, Mr. Boyer. I have met you a few times. I got some great hair care tips from your wife. I know you to be a great guy with a good heart. I have a feeling that the whole “Mr.” thing (a taboo in California for what ever reason) is most likely an attempt to sound respectful. I know it was pounded (figuratively speaking) into me as a child. I would take the “Mr.” thing as a complement.
Comment by Smart democrat — June 3, 2006 @ 6:01 pm
Survey USA is never accurate. These are obviously way off.
Where’s datamar.
Comment by gil — June 4, 2006 @ 12:17 am
My theory is that SUSA had Busby too high last time, so now they over-corrected by going too low. Datamar, having Busby too low last time, will over-correct and have her too high. Once we get Datamar, we can just average the two.
I’m only half-serious.
Comment by yeah right — June 4, 2006 @ 3:28 am
Whoever is doing this blog obviously abandoned it, which is too bad.
Imagine if someone were covering the BS spewing out of the right wing talk show hosts this morning about Rodger Hedgecock’s clip tape of what Busby said last week?
The Union Dubloon did their typcial “Smear against Democrat Makes News” story, where they repeated the smear, and made more news. I’d like to see someone go behind the camera.
Comment by Steverino — June 5, 2006 @ 3:33 pm
I thought the whole thing demonstrated how inept Busby really is. If you are still convinced she isn’t a stuffed shirt, you havent been watching.
It is rather sad that most races today come down to dem vs rep or right vs left…what happened to the candidate’s intelligence and abilities mattering?
A more amusing story imo is the NRL’s ads portraying Bilbray as pro-life…its an amusing dance on a very thin wire to get the conservative vote.
Comment by MP — June 5, 2006 @ 6:31 pm
If I can get a couple of you willing to contribute as “vice-admins” I am willing to try to get a non-partisian (or more accurately a both parties represented) blog going…email me : sm@curtisfong.org if interested. Seems like there is a great deal of interest, and plenty of us with the desire to argue to keep this thing going.
Comment by MP — June 5, 2006 @ 6:55 pm
Smart Dem: I’m not a Democrat. I use the terms “undocumented migrant worker” and “illegal alien” interchangeably for simple reasons: Because this is a conservative-leaning forum, and I refuse to give anyone here who disagrees with me the opportunity to disregard my remarks because I dare not use their terminology. Also, by using these terms interchangeably, it reinforces the idea that people can actually use the term “undocumented migrant” in place of “illegal alien”.
I am trying to make salient points, and would prefer that someone respond to my point rather than my terminology.
I can’t seem to win for losing — the right-wingers here seem happy enough, but you decided to attack me on the opposite flank.
Mr. Boyer, Bill, whatever: I called you Mr. Boyer out of respect. You are the only one here that has provided your full name. I was impressed with your letter of kind words to all your challengers in the April special. I appreciate your efforts to create a blog of your own to encourage discussion and debate, as opposed to party-line spin and baseless attacks.
If you want me to call you Bill, I’ll take that as a compliment. Thanks.
Now then, I think the comparison between our borders and Israel’s is wildly misleading. Israel is in constant aggressive conflict with it’s neighbors. We are not at “war” with Mexico, no one is lobbying explosives into San Diego from Tijuana, people aren’t walking into American churches and businesses and detonating themselves or opening fire on civilians.
I say again to you and anyone else who constantly beats the drum of enforcement-only policy: What will you actually do to address the root causes? A wall is NOT the solution. Deportation is NOT the solution.
Going after businesses who knowingly hire undocumented illegal migrant alien workers (everyone happy?) is a good start, and we’ve never disagreed on that point.
The method of enforcement is open to debate. Currently, most people here illegally are here because they’ve extended their stay beyond what their legal visa allowed. Building a wall won’t change that.
The reason we have so many migrants crossing the border is because there is a demand for people to fill those jobs. If we need that many people immigrating here for work, we should dramatically increase the number of visas we allow from everywhere (not just mexico).
We should have increased federal funding for the Border Patrol and Coast Guard. We should increase the number of agents working and improve the technology used to detect people crossing illegally.
But I have yet to hear anyone.. ANYONE.. discuss what must be done to correct the economic imbalance between our nations.
You will have a limitless supply of people willing to risk injury, disease, and death to get to America. That’s the actual hard problem of illegal immigration, and one that no political leaders are willing to discuss because it’s a) too complicated to campaign on, and b) too difficult to do without strong bipartisan support and a willingness to openly participate (interfere?) with a foreign government.
The GOP has been so viciously divisive these past years that any GOP member willing to work with a Democrat is marginalized and attacked by their own party.
Look at John McCain and his immigration deal. Look at Arlen Specter whenever he suggests outrage (however hollowly) at executive overreach, such as in the NSA wiretapping program or last year when Republicans went on a disgusting publicity spree over Terri Schiavo.
Locally, look at Susan Hartley runnign for reelection to the school board. She is a registered Republican who’s seeking reelection for a supposedly “non-partisan” office. She’s being challenged by Gary Felien, an active member of the local GOP committee. She’s being targetted for not toeing the party line on the failed Prop 76 in the last statewide special election.
How, in this climate, can anyone hope to achieve anything?
It’s this, more than any other reason, why I’m so pro-Democrat right now. It isn’t because I’m a life-long Dem who’s married to the party (the way, I would venture to guess, most of you are with your own party affiliation). It’s because our country is headed down the toilet because the GOP has been hijacked.
Debt and deficits are at record levels. We are stuck in a quagmire in Iraq. We’ve started a civil war and stuck a stick in the hornet’s nest that is the Middle East. We’ve allowed millions of citizens to be screwed out of their pensions, healthcare, and jobs because of giveaway legislation, written by lobbyists and passed in the middle of the night without any oversight or opposition allowed.
Republican house committee chairs completely rewrite bills submitted by Democratic members in order to completely subvert the original intent of the bill, then attack Democrats on the text of the re-written version. The media is complicit in the attacks.
Look at John Murtha. Look at anything submitted in Sensenbrenner’s committee — particularly his “sex offender” rewrites.
This is what your stupid immigration debate has become. Another distraction from what’s really going on.
Nothing’s going to happen with Immigration this year. Nothing’s going to happen with Gay Marriage. Or Abortion.
But it sure gets you all riled up and ready to vote straight-ticket Republican, doesn’t it?
We’re going to continue giving away our liberties to an unchecked executive branch. We’re going to let the NSA continue spying on innocent citizens without a search warrant, but we won’t dare keep the sale records of semi-automatic assault rifles by God!
Republicans USED to be the party of “limited government”, of “reduced spending”, of “personal privacy”.
Now it’s “do whatever you want to do — tell me who I can or can’t marry. Listen in on my phone calls. Track my library records and purchases. Monitor my blogging. Increase my cost of healthcare. Double the cost of gas. Deploy my son to Iraq and don’t give him any body armor. Extend his military obligation past his original exit date. Redeploy him three or four times in as many years in a combat zone.”
What on earth is going on here?
Comment by Nik — June 5, 2006 @ 6:56 pm
Nik,
I’d be happy to call you, just give me the info on my old congressional email (boyerforcongress@adelphia.net).
The Israel Wall analogy was provided for two reasons
1) To demonstrate that a country that is truly interested in it’s own interest deploys a wall (regardless of the reason)
2) Since our President and prior Presidents have not nutted it up to deploy true enforcement, the wall is necessary as the consistenct of interior enforcement is to date a dream
I am a lifelong Republican, but certainly think we (the core of the party) need to re-take our party from the globalist blue-bloods. Unfortunately, the Demo’s have failed to take advantage of the situation and move center. So, if I were to change (after 32 years) in would be Independent. That said, I am confident that either the November elections or an internal GOP insurgency will bring the party back to the people.
We also agree on the Warrantless telephone record and easedropping issues. There was no need to proceed in the manner the admin did. The Natioanl Security Act of 1976 specifically provided acess to 24/7 judges to address the nimbleness needed. So, we could have had judicial oversight and security acumen, but the 493 billion dolalr question is Why Didn’t it Happen…I’m old enough to remember the last time a President made this move. I do think Bush is genuinely motivated, but wrong to proceed the way his team has….I am less confident of those around the President.
We also agree that the Gay marriage garbage is being used as a distraction from what really needs to be engaged…I beleive this will be yet another Rove miscue. Right up there with Busby’s child porn ad. For the record I’ll vote Bilbray/Hauf tomorrow, Brian will win by 4% over Busby. As for the primary…I have no idea.
The ISSUE WE BOTH EMBRACE IS THE FARCICAL DNC/RNC hijacking that has occurred. Do you remember Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neal? It was a better time.
Comment by Bill Boyer — June 6, 2006 @ 3:48 am
Predictions for tomorrow????
Busby 80%, Bilbray 10%, Griffith 10%!!
Anyone care to take a stab at Kolender/Ruff or Horn/Thompson? Or Angelides/Westly?
Comment by yeah right — June 6, 2006 @ 5:34 am
Bilbray 51%, Busby 45%, Griffith 3%
Bilbray 80, Hauf 18 in the primary
Ruff by 2-3%
Barton by 10% in the 53rd CD.
Filner by 14% in the 51st CD.
Westly by less than 1%.
both props will fail.
Comment by mp — June 6, 2006 @ 5:52 am
Don’t forget — “Cross Tabs” for county supervisor — 0.001% (write-in)
Comment by Nik — June 6, 2006 @ 6:30 pm
Okay I was wrong…not about immigration, but about Bilbray’s election win spread…it was 3.87% not 4%
***************************************************
I’d be happy to call you, just give me the info on my old congressional email (boyerforcongress@adelphia.net).
The Israel Wall analogy was provided for two reasons
1) To demonstrate that a country that is truly interested in it’s own interest deploys a wall (regardless of the reason)
2) Since our President and prior Presidents have not nutted it up to deploy true enforcement, the wall is necessary as the consistenct of interior enforcement is to date a dream
I am a lifelong Republican, but certainly think we (the core of the party) need to re-take our party from the globalist blue-bloods. Unfortunately, the Demo’s have failed to take advantage of the situation and move center. So, if I were to change (after 32 years) in would be Independent. That said, I am confident that either the November elections or an internal GOP insurgency will bring the party back to the people.
We also agree on the Warrantless telephone record and easedropping issues. There was no need to proceed in the manner the admin did. The Natioanl Security Act of 1976 specifically provided acess to 24/7 judges to address the nimbleness needed. So, we could have had judicial oversight and security acumen, but the 493 billion dolalr question is Why Didn’t it Happen…I’m old enough to remember the last time a President made this move. I do think Bush is genuinely motivated, but wrong to proceed the way his team has….I am less confident of those around the President.
We also agree that the Gay marriage garbage is being used as a distraction from what really needs to be engaged…I beleive this will be yet another Rove miscue. Right up there with Busby’s child porn ad. For the record I’ll vote Bilbray/Hauf tomorrow, Brian will win by 4% over Busby. As for the primary…I have no idea.
The ISSUE WE BOTH EMBRACE IS THE FARCICAL DNC/RNC hijacking that has occurred. Do you remember Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neal? It was a better time.
Comment by Bill Boyer — June 6, 2006 @ 3:48 am
Comment by Bill Boyer — June 7, 2006 @ 8:02 pm
I cant beilive how funny Bill and Hillary look in these old school pictures. Theres also some pretty scary ones of her.
http://www.kogo.com/cc-common/sandiego/morecrazyphotos/morecrazy.html
Comment by Jake — January 31, 2008 @ 10:02 pm