comMITTed to Romney!

Because we have taken a hard line line on illegal immigration, as Gov. Romney did during the 2008 primary season, we have had to defend our positions on illegal immigration on several occasions.

One debate point that has come up frequently is: “What are you going to do, get 12 million people on buses and drive them back to the Mexican border?” The answer is: “We won’t have to do anything. Just turn off the jobs magnet and they will deport themselves.”

Turning off the jobs magnet produces results in two stages. The first stage is that, as the article states, the word gets out fast that the United States of America is not hiring and so illegals don’t come here in the first place. The second stage is that illegals already here will start self-deporting as they lose their jobs and are unable to find other work because of e serious recession. In fact, their was a report several months ago that the government estimated that over 75,000 illegals had already left the country voluntarily.

When you can escape the mismanagement of your own economy by a corrupt government, come here for wages that are 10 times what you can get back home, receive free medical care at tax payer expense and up until a few months ago, buy a new home with no money down, no credit check, while earning $10/hr., why on earth would you not come here???

They did come here, in droves, but we can now see very clearly that we, with the help of insane government policies and subsidies, created a fool’s paradise. As anyone who has to work for a living can tell you, paradise is emptying out.

~~John Cronin~~

By CAM SIMPSON

WASHINGTON – Illegal immigration to the U.S. may be slowing, but undocumented migrants who are already here aren’t likely to return home en masse barring a more severe economic downturn, according to a study to be released Wednesday by the Migration Policy Institute in Washington.
The nonpartisan group also found that the recession hasn’t limited legal immigration, because most of those people come to the U.S. on family-based visas that take years to secure.

Demographers have found since last year that the growth of the foreign-born population in the U.S. began slowing when the recession started at the end of 2007. Net illegal immigration is dropping to near zero, according to the institute and other groups. [Editor's note: emphasis mine]

But Wednesday’s study concludes that it is premature to expect a wave of returnees to home countries, even in Latin America. The study looked at current and historical data, finding “there is no definitive trend so far that can be tied in a significant way to the U.S. economic conditions.”
Instead, the institute found that even in the toughest economic times, illegal immigrants are likely to search for lower-paying work, then move within the U.S. to find other work, before considering a return home. Economic conditions in their native countries compared with those inside the U.S. also weigh more heavily in decisions about whether to return, the study’s lead author, Dimitrios Papademetriou, said.

Write to Cam Simpson at cam.simpson@wsj.com

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Polls this far out are more important for their entertainment value than for anything else, but they do offer a very general guide for “taking the Party’s temperature.”

On two unrelated notes, did you see where Louisiana has graced the Republican Party with two seats this year? Rep. Jefferson, the scandal-tainted Democrat who evidently foresaw the banking crisis by a couple of years and providentially deposited $100,000 in cold, hard cash in the freezer compartment of his refrigerator, was unceremoniously turned out of office. We have got a long way to go, but we are moving in the right direction.

On the second note, we went out to dinner last night at a new Mexican restaurant in a St. Louis suburb and except for a couple we saw dining in another area, the four of us were the only customers during what should have been the dinner rush. Because it was so slow, we had a chance to visit with our waiter and the manager of the restaurant, both from Mexico.

The waiter didn’t speak much English and he was talking to my brother and a friend of his, while I got into a conversation with the manager about, what else, politics.

He was against the war in Iraq, citing a documentary he saw about the war which showed the wounds that our service personnel are enduring and I saw the pain in his eyes as he recalled the footage. I told him we all wish the war was over and that the killing and casualties would stop.

But I told him that there are worse things than war. I asked him to keep in mind that Islamofascists flew two airliners into the Trade Towers in lower Manhattan and killed almost 3,000 innocent people whose only offense were that they were Americans. If we didn’t respond to that, the terrorists would have taken it as a sign of weakness and would have kept coming at us here, where we live. Instead of rolling over for them, we took the fight to their neighborhood, brought democracy to 50,000,000 people and secured the world’s oil supply. All in all, not bad.

We talked about the economy, the moral decline in America, his background of moving to Mexico from Spain and then from Mexico to California. He is a hard working guy, ( I could tell from his handshake that he has done a great deal of manual labor ) loves his family and is very worried about the direction that his adopted country is moving in. At the end of the conversation, I could tell that he is about a quarter of an inch away from becoming a Republican voter. His values are the same as the members of this site and I will encourage the RNC to reach out to these voters, not by promising the illegals something they haven’t earned, but by asking them to join a conservative party that will promise to enforce the law and help to restore, first to the Party and then to the country, the principles that made us the greatest civilization on earth.

~~John Cronin~~

http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/2008_12_05_Poll_finds_Romney_in_good_shape_for_White_House_run/

By Dave Wedge

Former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney’s bruising battle with Sen. John McCain has apparently left him in a good position should he decide to make another White House run in 2012.

According to a CNN poll released today, Romney is running third among possible Republican presidential candidates, slightly trailing Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Of the 460 Republicans polled, 67 percent said they would be “very likely” or “somewhat likely” to vote for Palin, followed by Huckabee with 65 percent and Romney with 61.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani ranked fourth with 57 percent, former House Speaker Newt

Gingrich with 52, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal with 44 and Florida Gov. Charlie Crist with 32.
Huckabee, who’s now hosting a Fox News show and recently put out a book, ranked first among those who said they’d be “very likely” to vote for him with 34 percent. Palin was second with 32 percent followed by Romney with 28.

Crist had the most opposition with 20 percent saying they were “not likely at all” to vote for him. Gingrich followed with 19 percent while just 13 percent said it was unlikely they’d vote for Romney.

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The political pressure from pro border law enforcement Americans, Dems, Pubbies and Indys, has resulted in a decrease of 1.3 million illegal aliens in this country.

Congratulations to everyone who called, emailed or wrote their Congressional delegations to force the Bush Administration to finally take action on this national security threat.

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=302483867308353

By INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY

Immigration: A new study showing fewer illegal aliens bolsters the case for putting enforcement first. What we’re seeing is the necessary first stage of reform.

Americans have grown so used to hearing about the rising tide of illegal immigration that they may simply not believe the latest news on the subject — that the number of illegals in the U.S. appears to have fallen, and by quite a lot.

That’s the conclusion of a study released last week by the Center for Immigration Studies, which estimated that 1.3 million illegal immigrants have left this country since Congress gave up on a “comprehensive” reform bill a year ago. Many were deported, but the CIS says most went back home on their own.

The CIS has long pushed for tougher immigration law, and its study will be criticized by those who don’t share the think tank’s pro-enforcement views. But the CIS isn’t alone in noticing the downturn. The Pew Hispanic Center also sees evidence of an outflow, though it has not tried to gauge its size. Observers close to the border also see a shift in the tide.

A Tucson, Ariz., clergyman who delivers water to migrants making the trek across the desert told the Associated Press, “Without doubt, people have left, and without question fewer people are coming.”

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In keeping with the theme of my post “Participatory Democracy”, I would like to introduce our readers to a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, who is running for Congress in the 1st district of Massachusetts, Nathan Bech.

I am still getting to know Mr. Bech’s positions on the issues, but as most of you know, two of the most important issues for me are Respect For Life and Immigration. Nathan Bech has the positions I am looking for in a candidate, with strong pro life and pro border law enforcement stands.

It’s my understanding that the 1st CD in Massachusetts includes the western region of the state, mainly rural, with Amherst and Holyoke being two of the bigger cities within the 1st district. Oh, and did I mention, very liberal. As conservative as Nathan is, (he describes himself as moderately conservative) running for Congress in western Massachusetts as a Republican is not for someone who discourages easily. As a veteran of Army Intel, it makes sense that Nathan is not the shy, retiring type.

Good Luck to Nathan Bech in his campaign to unseat another out-of-touch liberal Democrat.

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.nathanbech.com/pa/ge/24/immigration

IMMIGRATION

We are a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws. The sacrifice millions of hard working immigrants have made to come to the United States legally is undermined by those who seek an expedited path to prosperity by forgoing the process and breaking our laws. Nathan Bech believes that securing our borders is a matter of national security and fair play to the many law abiding immigrants seeking a new life in the United States.

Secure Our Borders

The first step we must take in order to tackle our immigration problem is to secure our borders. Nathan supports physical and technological barriers as well as a strengthened border patrol. Tight border security includes not just the entry and exit of people, but also the effective screening of cargo at our ports and other points of entry. Nathan also supports the toughest penalties for those who traffic in human cargo.

Tamper Proof ID system

Nathan Bech does not support a National ID card, but does support giving states the technological and financial assistance to create their own tamper proof ID which can be used for instant background checks. Employers who knowingly hire illegal aliens will face increased fines and actual incarceration. When work disappears the vast majority of illegal aliens will voluntarily leave the United States.

Increase Legal Immigration

We must create a temporary worker program for farmers and other seasonal business owners to hire foreign labor. Nathan supports a program that would allow foreign workers to travel to the United States to work for a period of no longer than nine months. Those workers would be required to return to their native countries for a period of time not less than the time spent in the United States before reapplying for temporary worker status.

Nathan supports family reunification as a goal of our immigration policy. Immigrant families are some of the strongest our country has and the decline of the family unit is one of the contributing factors to some of our most insidious social problems.

Nathan also believes we should actively recruit the best and brightest minds from other nations to immigrate to the United States. We need scientists to find cures for disease, technicians to develop software and doctors to care for patients as we begin to provide healthcare to all Americans. While American ingenuity is not dead, we should always be on the look out for the next Albert Einstein.

SANCTITY OF LIFE

Nathan Bech is pro-life and would support legislation which protects the rights of the unborn. Nathan believes that we must take action to protect women and their partners from such dire choices, by ensuring economic opportunity, promoting marriage, and educating them about humane alternatives to abortion.

Promoting Adoption

Musician Faith Hill, President Gerald Ford, Athlete Greg Louganis, and Steve Jobs founder of Apple Computers are just a few examples of adopted children who went on to have a dramatic impact on our culture, politics and economy. As a US Representative, Nathan Bech will seek ways to promote adoption as a first option for women struggling with a crisis pregnancy. Adoption is a gift that should be open to diverse families, and good parents should have the option to adopt inside the United States without undue amounts of red tape.

Torture of Prisoners

Nathan Bech believes we must have one standard for the treatment or prisoners of war or enemy combatants; they should be treated as we would want American service members in the same situation treated. Nathan believes that torture of our enemies not only is ineffectual but undermines our nation’s moral authority to compel human rights improvements around the world. Nathan further believes that we should not allow our allies to take actions on our behalf that we would not be willing to take ourselves.

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Jason Chaffetz rode the crest of voter anger and frustration over Congress’ dithering on illegal immigration and the energy crisis to sweep Open Borders Congressman Chris Cannon out of office! If I were an incumbent of either party who has been playing the “go along to get along” game while ignoring the express wishes of the people who put me in office, I would be experiencing an epiphany this morning.

Congratulations to the team of unpaid grassroots activists who helped put Jason over the top! Your campaign success is truly “Participatory Democracy” in action.

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700237809,00.html

By Tad Walch
Deseret News
Published: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 12:30 a.m. MDT

A groundbreaking grassroots organization built by challenger Jason Chaffetz combined Tuesday with a growing storm of Republican discontent to sweep six-term Congressman Chris Cannon out of office.

Chaffetz handily defeated Cannon, earning 60 percent of the vote to land the Republican nomination for Utah’s 3rd District seat in Congress, a seat held by Cannon since 1996.

“I got a nice call from Congressman Cannon wishing us all the best. That was a sweet call to take,” Chaffetz said after 200 supporters greeted him at 11 p.m. with chants of “Jason, Jason, Jason.”

Unhappy Republican voters stayed home Tuesday, and those who did vote expressed their frustration with $4 gas and other problems. Cannon termed it a revolution, a sign that the anger that swept Democrats to power in Congress had lapped up on Utah’s borders.

Chaffetz agreed voters are frustrated.

“We have to get serious about $4 gasoline, fiscal discipline and the illegal immigration problem in America,” he said. “This is just the beginning. I need your help. We need to take this all the way through November.”

He’ll clearly follow the same blueprint that won the primary.

.

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All eyes are on Utah this weekend as voters get ready to cast their ballots this Tuesday, June 24. The race between incumbent Chris Cannon and Jason Chaffetz is getting national attention because the stakes are so high and because the race is a surrogate referendum on whether we start drilling for domestic oil and wean ourselves from our dangerous dependence on foreign oil and whether we will finally secure our borders and insist that our immigration policies will be guided by the rule of law.

If you want to see these positions upheld in Congress and you live in Utah’s 3rd Congressional District, please be sure you vote for Jason Chaffetz and bring along 2 or 3 like minded friends or relatives.

Vote for Jason Chaffetz for Congress in Utah’s 3rd District this Tuesday!!

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3581444

It’s a primary election too close to call, and the hottest political races are among Republicans.
Congressman Chris Cannon is facing another close election next Tuesday, this time against fellow Republican Jason Chaffetz. And that’s not all: The state’s treasurer’s race is close too.

These are a hard-fought Republican-versus-Republican races, and an exclusive Dan Jones poll for KSL and The Deseret News shows no clear winner in either race.

In the 3rd Congressional District race, challenger Jason Chaffetz is aggressive about running for office. Before and since the Republican state convention, he’s been attacking incumbent Chris Cannon’s record.

The race has boosted interest in the primary. Of the 312 registered voters in the 3rd District, interest is high. All of them expressed they are very or somewhat likely to vote. But how will they vote?

The poll shows Cannon with a slight edge over Chaffetz, 44-40 percent. But the remaining 16 percent are undecided, which means Tuesday’s results could depend on turnout.

“Of those, those who show the most interest, Chaffetz is one or two points ahead. But of those who plan to vote, it is Mr. Cannon,” said political pollster Dan Jones.

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http://www.conservativefront.com/2008/06/05/
jason-chaffetz-within-two-percent-of-cannon/

According to the Conservative Front the email below was forwarded to the Utah Republican Assembly by Bay Buchanan, a conservative activist and author and Pat Buchanan’s sister. She sounds like she is really pumped by Jason Chaffetz’ chances against Chris Cannon in the upcoming primary.

Go, Jason, Go!

Dear Friend,

The race in Utah is heating up and our man, Jason Chaffetz, is closing in on one of La Raza’s favorite congressman, Chris Cannon. You remember the Cannon-he’s famous for saying that in Utah, “We don’t often times make the distinction between legal and illegal [immigrants]”

Two weeks ago, when in Utah for my son’s wedding, I made of point of having lunch with Jason and his wife. I wanted to be certain he was the kind of candidate who deserved the endorsement of Team America and your support as well.

I am excited to tell you he is all that and more. Solid on the issues, Tancredo-good on immigration-Jason is also tough and gutsy. He will not buckle under pressure. Jason is exactly what we need in Washington.

I just spoke with Jason and he is really thrilled with the feel of the campaign. As well he should be-he has closed to within 2% of Cannon!!!

But he needs our help if he is to beat Cannon. The establishment, ethnic lobbyists, and corporate buddies are once again pouring money into Cannon’s coffers. They know he is a solid vote for their amnesty and guest worker bills. They will do all they can to keep Cannon in Congress-and Jason out.

Jason’s knows he needs to get his message right to the people with strong radio ads. He has already cut the ads-now he needs to raise the money to get them on air!

And Chris Cannon is up to his old tricks. His website has an outrageously misleading video on immigration in which Cannon claims to be against amnesty!! We need to help Jason get the facts out about Cannon’s record and Jason will win this congressional seat.

He needs our help and he needs it now. If there is anyway you can make a contribution to him please do so TODAY. Jason has promised me that all the money Team America raises for him will be used to buy radio Your generous contribution will be used for Jason’s radio buy.

If you want to make your contribution directly to his campaign at his website. Otherwise contribute to Team America and mark in the comment section “For Jason”. We will then send Jason-overnight-a check for the total amount of earmarked contributions. (Team America keeps no portion of contributions earmarked for candidates.)

Thanks again for everything you do to protect and secure this nation.

Warmest regards,

Bay Buchanan

The quote below is from the website.

2% is likely within the statistical margin of error. Jason can win this election. The people of Utah are tired of Cannon’s empty rhetoric and constant inaction. Glenn Beck told his listeners today about the 6,000 people who have been killed along our border with Mexico over the past couple of years by violent gangs. Our legislators knew almost nothing about it. This is why we need strength in Congress. We need someone who can shake those dullards out of their sleepy comfort. Congress needs a new spine. Chris Cannon has failed us in that regard.
Let’s really hit Cannon hard in the next few weeks. Go Jason!

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I honestly wish I could stop posting about the illegal immigration controversy. However, the issue just keeps popping up. In a perfect world, we would respect the rule of law and not burden honest, hardworking taxpayers with illegal activities that we expect to benefit from and which they get to pay for, but as the Walgreens commercial says: “We don’t live anywhere near perfect.”

~~John Cronin~~

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/illegals-haunt-mccain-2008-05-21.html

By Jeffrey Young

Posted: 05/21/08 07:45 PM [ET]

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) is backing the renewal of a $250 million-a-year program that will pay illegal immigrants’ hospital bills.

The very idea that McCain is again supporting a program that some view as rewarding illegal immigrants is certain to attract attention from the same conservatives he’s trying to win over for the White House.

The article talks about some immigration hardliners supporting the bill, but opposing any amnesty proposals. It also brought up last summer’s dustup.

Yet McCain sponsored legislation with Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) that would offer a path to citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants. This damaged his credibility with conservatives, and they do not trust him on the issue.
Though the bill did not pass, many conservatives view the McCain-Kennedy legislation as a black mark on McCain’s record.

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News from Dr. Bob Onder’s campaign office shows a growing list of influential Missouri leaders have endorsed his candidacy. His first quarter fund raising shows some financial firepower as well.

While the national press is ringing the death knell for the Republican Party in this election, it seems the good citizens of Missouri didn’t get the memo.

~~John Cronin~~

Jefferson City – Representative Bob Onder today announced the support of twenty-two current and two former state elected officials in his bid to represent the people of the Ninth District.

Dr. Onder’s announcement comes shortly after winning the first-quarter fundraising race against
all other candidates to replace Representative Kenny Hulshof when he raised over $370,000,
more than any other candidate in the race regardless of party affiliation.

“As I prepare to bring my prescription for change to Washington, I am honored to have the
support of so many conservative leaders in the 9th District and around our great state,” said Dr. Onder. “These leaders understand what it takes to defend our freedoms and fight for mainstream Missouri values. I greatly appreciate their support.”

“Dr. Onder has been a leader in the General Assembly from his first day in office,” said House
Republican Majority Floor Leader Steve Tilley. “Simply put, he is a proven winner who gets
things done on the issues that matter most to Missourians. I know he’ll take that same ability to
Washington.”

“I can’t think of anyone more qualified to represent the people of the 9th District than Dr.
Onder,” said Representative Doug Funderburk of St. Peter’s. “His experience as a doctor and
lawyer, and his willingness to fight for the right-to-life and tax relief and to stop illegal
immigration and wasteful spending will serve the people of Missouri well in Washington.”

“From watching him work in the Missouri House, I know that Dr. Onder will stand up for
principle and Missouri values when he gets to Congress,” said Representative Jason Smith of
Crawford County. “He’s just the type of leader we need to fight the liberal excesses of Nancy
Pelosi and the MoveOn.org crowd in Washington.”

Representative Brian Nieves noted that Dr. Onder’s leadership is not restricted to the pro-life
issue. This year, Dr. Onder also sponsored House Bill 1549, an effort to outlaw sanctuary cities
in Missouri and to give local law enforcement the tools they need to stop illegal immigration.
“Last year, I stood side-by-side with Bob Onder when we passed my bill to put English as the
official language on this year’s ballot,” said Representative Brian Nieves of Franklin County.
“This year, I was proud to stand by him as he proposed House Bill 1549. When he gets to
Washington, I know Dr. Onder will fight for effective enforcement of our immigration laws and
against San Francisco-liberal calls for amnesty.”

Dr. Onder has been a leader his entire life, particularly on pro-life issues. After graduating with a
medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis, he opened his own medical practice in
St. Charles. Later, after seeing so many of his physician friends face frivolous lawsuits, he went
to night school to get a law degree at St. Louis University. He is an active member of St. Gianna Catholic Church in St. Charles, and has six children with his wife, Allison. He has served on the boards of Missouri Right to Life, the Catholic Medical Association, and the Center for Bioethics and Culture. In 2006, he led the statewide fight against Amendment 2 as President of
Missourians Against Human Cloning.

The growing list of endorsements, combined with the first-quarter fundraising win, shows
Onder’s increasing momentum and widespread support. A full list of endorsements and
statements follows:

ENDORSEMENTS

Senator Scott Rupp R-Wentzville
Brian Nieves R-Union
Jason Smith R-Salem
Sally Faith R-St. Charles County
Mark Parkinson R-St. Charles County
Doug Funderburk R-St. Peters
Cynthia Davis R-O’Fallon
Stanley Cox R-Sedalia
Jane Cunningham R-Chesterfield
Ward Franz R-West Plains
Tim Jones R-Eureka
Don Ruzicka R-Mt. Vernon
Dwight Scharnhorst R-Manchester
Shane Schoeller R-Willard
Ryan Silvey R-Kansas City
Rick Stream R-Kirkwood
Mike Thomson R-Maryville
Don Wells R-Cabool
Rod Jetton R-Marble Hill-Speaker of the House
Steve Tilley R-Perryville-Majority Floor Leader
Senator Jason Crowell R-Cape Girardeau
Former Representative Bob Behnen R-Kirksville
Former Representative John Bennett R-St. Charles
–##–

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Reasons to agree:

1. Obama said; he “will not support any bill that does not provide an earned path to citizenship for the undocumented population.”
2. Obama does not believe that twelve million illegal immigrants can be sent back. He said “It’s not going to happen. We’re not going to go round them up … We should give them a pathway to citizenship.” Obama at Joliet town hall. Everyone says Obama is smart, but how can he say such simple things? No one said you have to round them up. No one rounded them up, and forced them into this country. There are these things called, planes, trains and automobiles Barak. If we don’t let people have jobs who decided not to follow the lawful way of coming into this country, they can go back the same way they came in. It may sound mean, but we have to be grown ups. We can not be idealist. Sure, if you want more people to come into the country, that is not the issue. We just need to do it legally. If you want to argue open borders, that is fine, but at least be honest about what you are saying.  

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Friends of ALIPAC,

Standard reminder that ALIPAC is not endorsing any Presidential candidate and our focus is on warning the public about the pro-amnesty candidates, who are all of the Democrats and GOP candidates McCain and Huckabee.

We have to put that text into every email because we get so many false accusations that we are supporting this candidate or that.

While both Mitt Romney and Ron Paul remain on our No Amnesty list at ALIPAC, we are quite aware that voters in America who support anti-Amnesty Ron Paul and Secret-Amnesty Mike Huckabee are looking at the Mitt Romney campaign this weekend because they fear what DC insider John McCain will do to this nation.

We ask our supporters who favor Ron Paul to realize that ALIPAC did not create this situation, we are merely describing what we are seeing out there.

At the time of this e-mail alert, many of our activists across America are working feverishly to get our “McClintObama Amnesty” article out to the nation. Since this article warns voters about both McCain and Huckster, both Paul and Romney are beneficiaries of our efforts.

McClintObama Amnesty Plan: 20 million illegal alien voters by 2010
http://www.alipac.us/article-2920-thread-1-0.html

We have been receiving some repetitive questions and posts about the Mitt Romney campaign. We have done some homework and would like to share this

More »

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Governor Romney gave a great interview today on the John and Ken Show that was 80% immigration, 20% global warming. These hosts and their callers are hopping mad about McCain! This radio station has huge a listener base in California. It is the same station over which Rush is broadcast in Southern California. Click here:

POST INTERVIEW of Governor Romney, February 1, 2008 — Call-ins from Listeners

I am certain there were hundreds of thousands of voter hearing this as they drove home on a Friday evening.

~ Vic

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I’m updating and bumping this post to highlight an update below. This story is gaining major traction.

From the San Francisco Chronicle on 2/18/2000:

“I hate the gooks,” McCain said yesterday in response to a question from reporters aboard his campaign bus. “I will hate them as long as I live.”

As you can see from my picture, I am Asian by heritage (specifically Korean). I immigrated (legally) with my parents when I was four months old. They had two suitcases, a baby, and hope for a better life for themselves and their future children and grandchildren. We have lived the American dream.

Growing up, I heard stories of what life was like during the Korean War. My parents and grandparents fled down the Korean Peninsula to make it past the Pusan Perimeter with North Korean Communist troops at their backs. Their generation reveres General Douglas MacArthur and loves the United States of America for the brave sacrifices made in the defense of liberty and freedom. These were not small sacrifices: 36,516 American dead, 92,134 wounded, 8,176 MIA, and 7,245 POW in only 3 years.

John McCain was one of 2,459 POW/MIAs from the Vietnam war. I honor his service. I am thankful for his sacrifice in a way that only someone who understands all too well that were it not for the United States and men like John McCain, I would likely be digging trenches for Kim Jong Il in a labor camp or dead instead of sitting here writing this blog post in the comfort of my home here in Silicon Valley.

I can only imagine the pain inflicted upon John McCain and his fellow POWs by his North Vietnamese captors. I can understand his hatred for these evil men. I don’t judge him for his emotions when he remembers his experience.

At the same time, I am dismayed by a United States Senator and Presidential candidate’s use of the racial slur “Gook.”

Despite being called out on it by the media and Asian American advocacy groups, he refused to apologize. He claimed that he only uses it in reference to the specific North Vietnamese who were holding him captive, as if this should make it okay.

What an individual former POW says in the privacy of his own home, or amongst his personal friends is their business. What the most famous Vietnam POW in America says to the public using the MSM’s megaphone aboard his campaign bus is not just his business. It’s America’s business.

If John McCain had been beaten and robbed by a couple African American gang-bangers, would he be justified in announcing aboard his campaign bus that he hates niggers? Or what about a couple ’spics or wetbacks? Would it be okay as long as he clarified that he was only referring to those individuals who had robbed and beaten him?

Of course not. Words have meaning no matter how many caveats you put around them. The backlash from black or hispanic groups would have been fast, furious, and justified.

I don’t believe that he is a racist. I believe that he is angry and it is a deep seeded anger which has been refined in the fires of hate deep inside his soul for decades. Nonetheless, a man of John McCain’s position and stature using this kind of language sends the message across the country that racial slurs have an acceptable role in our national public discourse. He is contributing to the coarsening of America and validating the some of the worst instincts of the ignorant among us. Afterall, if it is acceptable for John McCain can use the word “Gook” why should anyone else or society at large be held to any higher standard?

*******************************************

UPDATE: This story is getting major traction. Here’s McCain’s response from the San Francisco Chronicle via Jonathan Martin at the Politico:

“I’m not going to waste my time,” a visibly tense McCain said when reminded of his quotes in the column. “You can say what you want. I’m proud of my record, my service with my comrades. And if anyone has any criticism of that, I can only say I stand on my record and my Silver Star, my three Bronze Stars and my Distinguished Flying Cross.

Huh? What do his medals and commendations have to do with his use of a racial slur? This is the classic McCain response to anything he doesn’t want to discuss…become indignant and hide behind his military service.

Please help Mitt get the nomination. Make a donation to his campaign today.

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Hat Tip to Ranzel for bringing this excellent analysis to our attention. Mitt Romney is nailing down the Reagan coalition.

NEW YORK TIMES

Tags: Florida, John McCain, Mitt Romney

Does Mitt Romney have a victory to cling to in Florida? Joshua Trevino, vice president for public policy at San Francisco’s Pacific Research Institute (and one of the founders of the conservative blog RedState), breaks down the numbers on his personal blog.

“Mitt Romney is in a bad way,” Trevino writes. “He blew through $10 million in Iowa and lost; and outspent McCain eight to one in Florida, and lost that too. But for all this, Mitt Romney is not done yet and the reason lies in the breakdown of this evening’s Florida vote.” He continues:

CNN has the exit-poll numbers, and they reveal some surprising things:

* Romney won pro-lifers.
* Romney won the mainstream religious. (Huckabee won the very religious ­ less than one-fifth of the pool.)
* Romney won the Protestants.
* Romney tied Huckabee with Evangelicals.
* Romney won the pro-GWB voters.
* Romney is the primary second choice of Giuliani voters, Thompson voters …. and McCain voters.
* Romney won the immigration hard-liners.
* Romney won the upper-middle class, earning between $100,000 and $200,000 annually.
* Romney won the terrorism-oriented voters.
* Romney won the self-identified conservatives and the self-identified very conservative.
* Romney won the values-oriented voters.
* Romney won the white voters.
* Romney won the tax-cutting voters.

In short, Mitt Romney won the Republican Party’s idea of itself ­ and that, too, is a big deal. If you’re white, Protestant, anti-abortion, go to church on Sundays, think well of the President, want lower taxes, hate terrorists, make a good living, want to do something about immigration, and live in Florida, chances are you voted Romney. The question before Florida was whether McCain could win a closed Republican race, and now we know he can. The question now is whether he can win conservatives ­ and in Florida, he did not.

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As we headed into election day on the morning of Jan.29, 2008 the RCP (Real Clear Politics) Average of the polls they follow showed McCain at 29.9 in Florida vs. Romney at 29.1. Obviously, the election didn’t break our candidate’s way.

So, what’s next? I can only speak for myself. I will continue to work to “get out the vote” on behalf of Mitt Romney, I will deliver yard signs to the people who have called me to request them and I will call from home to remind voters to be sure to get to the polls on Feb.5.

The reason I will do these things is that I believe in the conservative movement and movements transcend elections. Of course I am saddened by the final vote totals in the Florida primary election. But mostly I am saddened by the realization that the candidates who came in first in the election will change America profoundly and, in my opinion, for the worst. I am not conceding anything to McCain or to Clinton. Both of these politicians are the wrong choices for this country and I will continue to say so and to do everything within my power to stop them from taking our country to the left.

The Left of Jimmy Carter and hostages in Iran and “malaise” and 20% interest rates. The Left of Bill Clinton and Monica-gate and perjury and impeachment. The Left of Al Gore and global warming and melting polar ice caps and “reducing our carbon footprints.” The Left of John Kerry and “Swift Boats” and “voting for the war before I voted against it.” The Left of Hillary Clinton and $5,000 bonds for every baby born in America and huge new bureaucracies and the tax increases to support them. The Left of John McCain and Open Borders and limiting free speech and huge new energy taxes.

I will not do any of these things because it is fashionable. If we do not win this nominating election, whether in the primaries are in a smoke filled back room at the Convention, I can easily envision myself and others like me, very much out of fashion. I will do these things because they are right.

I don’t know how the Super Tuesday votes will tally. If the Republican Party bestows it’s nomination on John McCain, the damage done to the GOP will be immense. I hope the party realizes what they may be doing before it is too late and come to the realization that this man will nominate the kind of Supreme Court judges that will continue to chip away at our freedoms and to further weaken the Constitutional underpinnings of our country. It will be just a matter of time before the “No Illegal Alien Left Behind” bill is re-introduced into Congress. The damage from that alone would cause me to oppose this man and the designs he has on this country.

And so I intend to work from within the party structure. I will not leave the GOP if McCain wins the nomination. I will work to recapture the party from a man who once considered switching his registration to the Democratic Party. If McCain becomes the GOP standard bearer, he will have to form an unholy alliance with the Left, because the Reagan Coalition will never allow this country to slide back into the fever swamps of Big government, big taxes, big, but empty promises, foreign policy retreat, gutting the military and every other self-defeating policy that can be conjured up by the liberal mind.

I would like to remind our younger readers that Ronald Reagan was denied the nomination after a bitter convention battle in 1976, but went on to win the first of his landslide victories four years later. I am not suggesting that the battle is lost for now. What I am saying is that this party and the principles it stands for is worth fighting for. Hopefully, we will win enough delegates on Super Tuesday to carry the fight to the convention if need be. But in the event we don’t, I strongly suggest that we continue to work within the party to return it to the principles that made it great and to position Mitt Romney for the Presidency in 2012.

Below I have highlighted some thoughts from Michael Graham at THE CORNER, NRO. I don’t fully agree with his conclusions, but he is thinking what a lot of us are thinking as we observe the John McCain train wreck of a campaign.

~~John Cronin~~

So it is over. Finished. In November, we’ll be sending out our most liberal, least trustworthy candidate vs. to take on Hillary Clinton—perhaps not more liberal than Barack Obama, but certainly far less trustworthy.

And the worst part for the Right is that McCain will have won the nomination while ignoring, insulting and, as of this weekend, shamelessly lying about conservatives and conservatism.

You think he supported amnesty six months ago? You think he was squishy on tax cuts and judicial nominees before? Wait until he has the power to anger every conservative in America, and feel good about it.

Every day, he dreams of a world filled with happy Democrats and insulted Republicans. And he is, thanks to Florida, the presidential nominee of the Republican party.

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