Posted on 06/15/2006 5:07:04 PM PDT by Dane
Buchanan(Tancredo) PAC targets Cannon in radio ads
If you can define yourself in politics by the kind of enemies you make, Rep. Chris Cannon is moving up in the world.
Cannon, R-Utah, is now receiving the significant monetary attention of Team America, an anti-illegal immigration political action committee started by fellow GOP House member Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., and now run by Bay Buchanan, the celebrated sister of longtime conservative candidate/columnist Pat Buchanan.
Bay Buchanan, who appears regularly on national TV news and political opinion programs, put it bluntly in a telephone interview Tuesday: "We want to defeat Chris Cannon."
Knocking out "President Bush's point man in the House on amnesty and guest worker programs for the United States . . . will show that we intend to hold (other congressmen) accountable," Buchanan said. "The best way to do that is to defeat Cannon — that will put the whole (U.S.) House on notice."
Pointing to detailed Cannon votes on its Web site — www.teamamericapac.org — Buchanan said the group's ads tell "the truth" about Cannon's support for an illegal immigrant amnesty and guest worker program.
Not so, says Nathan Rathbun, Cannon's campaign manager. "Rather than relying on attacks from out-of-state special interests, we would suggest talking about Congressman Cannon's actual record.
"If you look at that record, you will see that it is not what those ads portray it to be. The ads are not true. Chris has always said he is against illegal immigration and for legal immigration. To suggest that Chris is somehow a Johnny-come-lately to enforcement is just plain wrong. For example, Cannon has voted five times since 1999 to authorize the use of military personnel on the border.
"We will hold that record up against a laughter-filled radio ad (by Team America) any day of the week," Rathbun said
Team America's accusations are so far off of the truth "we don't even know how to respond," Rathbun said. But Cannon's campaign apparently will try to do so. KSL Radio officials say Cannon is expanding his radio buy this week — he had a new ad running specifically saying he's tough on illegal immigrants — while Team America is spending $15,000 on anti-Cannon spots.
Why target Cannon rather than other GOP House members with similar voting records on illegal immigration?
"Chris Cannon is first up to bat," Buchanan said. "His primary just happens to come before some others. But beyond that, (Cannon) is not telling his constituents the truth. He's hiding from his real record" in voting on illegal immigration issues.
But Cannon would be in Team America's gun sights even if his primary were later in the year, she added.
Cannon "is a great opportunity for us. If we can defeat a sitting congressman in his own primary, it will send a shock wave through the whole House. Put all (so-called pro amnesty congressmen) on alert."
Buchanan showed up in Utah at the May 13 state GOP convention to speak for Merrill Cook, a former GOP 2nd Congressional District House member who was knocked out of the 3rd District race at the convention.
Team America is not giving any money to Republican John Jacob, who faces Cannon in the June 27 primary. "We are a small PAC," Buchanan said. "But we will run radio ads through next week until the primary."
The Team America PAC collects money from all over the country. But in late 2005, a Spanish Fork couple, Kevin and Jenny Baadsgaard, loaned the PAC nearly $10,000, its largest single contribution, Federal Election Commission reports show.
Buchanan said those specific funds went for a DVD production and are not directly going into paying for the two anti-Cannon radio ads now on local Utah stations.
Kevin Baadsgaard declined comment Tuesday on why his family supports Team America. However, the Baadsgaards donated several thousand dollars in 2004 to Matt Throckmorton, a former Utah GOP House member who tried, unsuccessfully, to unseat Cannon that year. Throckmorton's main campaign issue was illegal immigration.
So far, the Baadsgaards have not contributed to Jacob.
The district is heavily Republican, and the primary winner is an odds-on favorite to win the seat in November. If Cannon survives the June 27 primary, Team America will likely back away. "We are opposing pro-amnesty Republicans in their primaries, opposing Democrats in the final election," Buchanan said.
She doesn't expect Team America to be in Utah contesting Cannon's election in the November final campaign. "But with (Cannon), well . . . we'd still probably make that decision later," she said.
Hell no, do you think Gilchrist is interested in killing his cash cow?
Cannon voted for HR4437.
Let's review: CAnnon has a 100% ACU ratings. Cannon votes for HR4437. Yet, Tancredo is against Cannon.
I have no problem with opposing pols over one issue. That is why I tend not to call people "one issue voters". Given two similar conservatives with one being anti and one pro amnesty the decision for me is easy. This is the primary and the place for this to be done.
Ive been reading Cannons website. He voted for HR4437 but opposes every facet of it with the exception of possibly the border itself. Cannon is for citizenship for illegals.
So now that they have choose to be Democrats in everything but name, that pretty much demolishes any chances Tancredo ever had of being anything beyond a Congresscritter
Examples?
The first thing I just read on Cannon's site was this;
What's remarkable is that Throckmorton was Cannon's strong anti-illegal alien opponent two years ago in the primary.
Now he's working with Cannon as chairman of Cannon's Immigration Advisory Committee.
Oh BS Gilchrist has now abandoned hes phony fence to hired contractors since they couldn't get the cameras there everyday. Gilchrist and his organization endorsed a 3rd party guy against a GOP candidate that agreed with their position 100% and now he is in league with Tancreado to take down every conservative GOP house member they can find.
Yup, once I heard who was behind Team America, that was it for me. And then I read Bay Buchanan's last comment in this article, and I was really disgusted. They 'might' come back and contest the November election, even if Cannon wins the primary? Stupid and very short-sighted.
I have heard Cannon's commercials and John Jacob's commercials. Jacob's are very sarcastic. Cannon just tries to present the facts. Unfortunately I live in Jim Matheson's district, so am trying to undermine him and vote the Republican in.
I used to live in Cannon's district. I did my own little poll last weekend when I was in Provo. I did talk to 7 people, including my parents. 100% will vote for Cannon. They don't like that John Jacob is running on immigration only, and they think his commercials are stupid.
Gilchrist doesn't want a guest worker program. That's a non-starter.
Better?
No it is about MOTIVES.
How does somebody like Matheson get elected in Utah?
You have a hatred in your soul for Gilchrist and the Minutemen. You need to ask yourself why? They are doing the job the government refuses to do, yet you despise them for it.
LOL What "job" are they doing? They took up a collection and built a rancher a free fence. They couldn't even finish that because the cameras left and it got hot. Give it a rest. They are not national heroes.
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