Posted on 06/02/2006 5:44:35 PM PDT by new yorker 77
The Associated Press WASHINGTON - Immigration and its politically controversial cousin, amnesty, are co-starring in the closing act of a House race with national implications, a close and costly production in Republican-friendly San Diego.
In a conservative district roughly 30 miles from the Mexican border, Democrat Francine Busby is under attack from Republican Brian Bilbray and the House GOP, depicted as an advocate of amnesty for illegal immigrants.
"Busby even said she would protest making English our official language," says a GOP party ad. "Even worse, Busby opposes tougher visa regulations that would make it harder for terrorists to enter the country."
Busby is tied or slightly ahead in several recent polls after she and the Democrats fashioned a campaign around an anti-corruption theme the party hopes to ride to victory in this fall's midterm elections.
Its local appeal seems obvious in a race to succeed Republican Rep. Randy Cunningham, who resigned from Congress and went to jail for accepting bribes. And she routinely refers to her opponent, a former congressman, as "lobbyist Bilbray."
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is running an ad that says Bilbray has taken thousands of dollars from Cunningham and his co-conspirator in the bribery scandal, a reference to campaigns Bilbray ran while serving in the House in the 1990s.
Immigration plays a role in the Democratic campaign, as well.
"Even lobbyist Bilbray's conservative opponent stated that Bilbray failed to pass any laws to stop illegal immigration during his 12 years as a career politician and lobbyist," Busby claims in a radio ad that began running on Wednesday. She disputes advocating amnesty, and has used the words of Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona to buttress her case.
Whatever the outcome of Tuesday's vote, Democrats are already claiming victory.
"We've already shown that the message of change versus the status quo is especially salient, even in very Republican districts," said Bill Burton, a spokesman for the DCCC. The organization has spent nearly $2 million to win the seat.
It's a theme Democrats have vowed to use in races stretching from upstate New York to Columbus, Ohio, and Albuquerque, N.M., in their drive to win control of the House this fall. They need to gain 15 seats for a majority.
Carl Forti, a spokesman for the House GOP committee, said Republicans intend to base their campaign strategy on local issues. The party group has criticized Busby as a liberal prone to raising taxes, citing her record as a school board member.
"We've long maintained, change only works in a district where corruption has been a problem as it was in" the race to succeed Cunningham, countered Forti. "If that's a message Democrats intend to take in November, we're probably going to do very well."
As a measure of concern, the GOP campaign committee has spent nearly $4 million trying to retain the seat, an unprecedented amount made all the more striking given the Republican nature of the area. Cunningham dispatched Busby with ease in 2004, winning 58 percent of the vote, and President Bush won 55 percent en route to re-election.
Vice President Dick Cheney has been in to campaign and Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., met privately this spring with one of Bilbray's primary rivals, helping to persuade him to abandon a potential third-party race.
McCain, too, agreed to campaign for Bilbray, but he abruptly canceled a recently scheduled visit when Republican strategists decided it might cause Bilbray political problems. McCain, a strong draw for GOP voters, is also a leading supporter of legislation that recently passed the Senate. The bill combines enhanced border security with a guest worker program and a shot at citizenship for many of the illegal immigrants in the country.
Busby supports the bill, and even before the visit was canceled, stressed her position. McCain issued a written statement of support for Bilbray in place of his trip, sent him a check and is expected to record an endorsement message to be telephoned to thousands of voters in the district.
At the same time, Busby is hoping the presence of another rival will siphon off conservative votes that Bilbray needs and that immigration will be the Republican's undoing.
"Independent William Griffith is endorsed by the San Diego Minutemen and San Diego Border Alert because he opposes guest worker programs, amnesty and the hiring of illegal immigrants," she said in one recent ad.
Bilbray's Web Site calls for several steps related to immigration, including construction of a fence "from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico," and banning "illegal aliens from any access to Social Security benefits." It does not oppose a guest worker program and offers no plan for treatment of the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants currently in the country.
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright © 2006 ABC News Internet Ventures
I believe she even made the claim today at some rally that documentation wasn't needed for illegal aliens to vote - in spanish.
Last night at an Escondido Spanish only rally She was recorded by the MINUTEMEN and the tape is being played on KOGO in San Diego.
Busby is running radio ads lambasting Bilbray for not wanting to 'reform' immigration, and implying that she's some kind of hardliner by she wants to get tough on illegal immigration via the McCain bill. That's like saying you'll get tough on criminals by making their crimes legal. Meanwhile she got taped at a rally with Hispanics in which at least one man said he didn't "have papers." She then tells him he can help her campaign and vote anyway.
If she keeps doing that the GOP's open borders crowd will try to draft her and renounce Bilbray.
One in the same.
It's not your imagination.
One can hear Busby, on www.rogerhedgecock.com he has an audio of her telling illegals they dont need papers to vote....
This one says the repub is two points ahead, essentially a tie.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/kgtv/20060603/lo_kgtv/9314986
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642545/posts?page=18#18
link is at post 16...I can't wait til that gets some coverage..no papers to help!
Bilbray will probably lose. Because Busby will get the illegal vote.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1642576/posts
And don't expect the GOP poohbahs to help Bilbray if he loses due to
election fraud (votes by illegals).
They didn't help "B-1" Bob Dornan when he lost thusly to Loretts Sanchez.
She did!!!! A Minuteman smuggled a tape into her meeting. I heard it played back on the radio this afternoon.
repub is two points ahead,
Its a Survey USA Poll. Favors Dims by about 5 to 7 points.
Okay, that is funny. LOL
At least it's a different way to open the usually snarky biased columns the AP puts out.
"Busby even said she would protest making English our official language," says a GOP party ad.
Lacking a conscience, the pro-open borders amnesty GOP funds an ad attacking a pro-open borders amnesty Democrat for being pro-open borders favorable towards amnesty and the loss of our distinct national culture and soveriegnty. Not attacking the ad....just the hypocrisy of the party funding the ad.
She disputes advocating amnesty, and has used the words of Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona to buttress her case.
LOL! I have tears in my eyes...laughing...so hard.
Whatever the outcome of Tuesday's vote, Democrats are already claiming victory.
Oh brother.
McCain, too, agreed to campaign for Bilbray, but he abruptly canceled a recently scheduled visit when Republican strategists decided it might cause Bilbray political problems.
Wait! Hold up...I'm confused? Didn't Dowd and the rest of the amnesty brigade tell us amnesty was, um, popular? That the House approach is a killer? Who are these renegade Republican stategists, then, that state otherwise? Paging M. Dowd!!!
McCain, a strong draw for GOP voters, is also a leading supporter of legislation that recently passed the Senate. The bill combines enhanced border security with a guest worker program and a shot at citizenship for many of the illegal immigrants in the country.
If McCain is such a favorite [sarcasm] of GOP voters, then shouldn't he be down there to encourage strong turnout? I don't know, something just doesn't seem to compute here! Dang 'nabbit if this yahoo can make heads or tails of this...
Unless it has something to do with McCain popping out in another Republican setting preaching amnesty, that Resulted in Cannon coming in second to Jacobs Resulting in an elective challenge in a few weeks. Why, if I didn't know better I'd guess the GOP is well aware amnesty is none too popular?
Meanwhile she got taped at a rally with Hispanics in which at least one man said he didn't "have papers." She then tells him he can help her campaign and vote anyway.
ROFL!!!
If it weren't for the fact he has a record strong on illegal immigration I'd say toss him based on his record on practically everything else, I've had my fill of Liberals, but I'm making an exception for the Liberal based on this one issue. It's too important. Elect Bilbray.
""Whatever the outcome of Tuesday's vote, Democrats are already claiming victory.""
I second your "Oh Brother". A "victory" in the inability to knock off an opponent whose party predecessor was as scandalously corrupt as Cunningham?
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