Posted on 10/21/2006 4:06:05 PM PDT by calcowgirl
SANTA ANA, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, calling an intimidating letter sent to thousands of Hispanic voters "a hate crime," said Saturday the Republican candidate whose campaign it was linked to should quit the race if he had anything to do with it.
"I think this is one of the worst letters that anyone could send out. And I think those kind of tactics are illegal and it is a hate crime," Schwarzenegger said.
During a re-election campaign swing through Southern California on Saturday, Schwarzenegger met with a Hispanic business group in Orange County, where the mailing has infuriated Latino activists and may have scuttled the campaign of Tan D. Nguyen, a Republican congressional candidate.
"I think that anyone that knew and if he knew has to resign immediately," Schwarzenegger said. "I think there should be no tolerance for this kind of behavior."
A call left for Nguyen was not immediately returned Saturday afternoon.
Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant, is trying to unseat five-term Democratic Rep. Loretta Sanchez in the 47th Congressional District.
Nguyen has rejected previous calls from other officials in his party to abandon the race, saying a campaign staffer sent the mailing without his knowledge and has been fired.
The letter, written in Spanish, was mailed to an estimated 14,000 Democratic voters in Orange County. It warned: "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time."
Adult naturalized citizens are eligible to vote. Secretary of State Bruce McPherson said Friday that his office will send letters to homes that received the mailing to clarify voters' rights before the Nov. 7 election.
On Friday, law enforcement agents searched Nguyen's Santa Ana home, his campaign headquarters in Garden Grove and a home in Anaheim listed as belonging to a Nguyen staffer.
Meanwhile, Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., wrote to the U.S. attorney general urging that a federal investigation be completed swiftly.
"This shameful and dishonest scheme to discourage Latino citizens from voting is a blatant violation of the Voting Rights Act, and all those involved should be held accountable as soon as possible," Kennedy said.
Shortly after news of the letter broke Nguyen said he would hold a news conference Friday to explain what had happened. When Friday arrived, however, he didn't show up to meet reporters.
Jon Fleishman posted this on OC Blog:
http://www.ocblog.net/ocblog/2006/10/secy_of_state_t.html
Secretary McPherson has announced that, "he will be issuing an official, non-partisan voter education letter to Latino voters who recently received a letter attempting to intimidate them."
The release goes on to say, "The letter will be sent out next week and will go to each voter affected by the recent attempt to intimidate voters in Orange County. It will contain information regarding the laws for voting eligibility and participation. The letter will meet all the legal requirements for state mailings and will not contain the name or signature of Secretary McPherson."
And Arnold's response is hyperbole.
The whole episode makes me sick.
That's the key problem to this letter.
No, it isn't. According to what the letter said it would be illegal for Arnold to vote for himself. Calling what may very well be an honest mistake a "hate crime" is hyperbolic, but I can understand how Arnold as an immigrant himself would be angry about it.
But it isn't the truth. Immigrants that have become naturalized citizens can in fact vote. This letter says it is illegal to vote if you are an "immigrant" - not "illegal immigrant."
"hate crime" is a silly phrase to use, but it is totally understandable why he would be upset about the letter, and it is totally appropriate. Being an immigrant himself he was probably very insulted and had a right to be.
The translation is not rocket science, even for an English language user.
Does the spelling of emigrado look like immigrant or emigrant. Does the spelling of inmigrado look like immigrant or emigrant.
Immigrant citizens are welcome to vote.
No they can't because they don't exist. For the purpose of this discussion of the current Federal Voting Rights Act, there are either immigrants or naturalized citizens. A naturalized citizen was, but is not now, an immigrant.
Immigrants can't vote in a federal election. They haven't legally been able to vote in a US federal election for almost 100 years.
How right you are! If I remember correctly, Loretta stole that election by approximately 500 votes. It was later proven that illegal aliens voted and gave her the win. What I can't understand is why they never over-turned the election or called for a re-vote - or checked signatures - or???
I'm SURE he's aware of the legal status of most of the citizens in SA too?
Perhaps Arnold still sees himself as an Austrian, rather than an American citizen.
Schwarzenegger is, by both prevailing US law and a legal exception to prevailing Austrian law, an Austrian citizen. Schwarzenegger doesn't need to see or pretend or dream that he is an Austrian.
rather than an American citizen.
That's why his ascension to the office of the Governor of California, as a foreign citizen, would have been illegal prior to 1984. The fact that he might consider himself one or the other is the basis for the long standing prohibition.
As a dual citizen, Schwarzenegger should never have been supported by the Republican Party as a gubernatorial candidate.
"Is it wrong to tell the truth?"
Apparently.
"I hear you on this. I don't see how that letter could be intimidating to anyone unless they were illegal. If they are legal residents or naturalized then whats the big deal throw the letter in the trash bin and be on your merry way. If you are illegal, however I see how it can be very intimidating that someone knows this and knows where you live."
I, for the most part, agree with you. The only thing I saw in the letter was that it was not clear about people who once had been immigrants (and may still consider themselves immigrants) versus those that are presently immigrants. That said, the first sentence said if you are a citizen it is ok to vote. Our citizenry includes all who have become naturalized, so there is no problem with them voting the same as someone who was born here.
I see no "hate crime", but rather a warning to those who are not eligible to vote, which is the law of this land. A law I support.
How petty.
The Gov does one thing you don't like and that's it.
I really don't believe you would have voted for him in the first place.
Not petty at all, as I've been teetering between voting for him and voting 3rd party for months now. He is unacceptable on social issues, but marginally better than the DemonRats. This "hate crime" thing was merely the last straw.
I'm ashamed to admit that I voted for him in 2003. If it was a closer election, I might vote for him. As is, with the RINO enjoying a double-digit lead, I've a free vote.
Republicans did not like B-1 Bob. He voted for the Constitution rather than the Party, so they punished him.
That is the Washington Way: "Go Along to Get Along." "Party above all else." Etc., etc.
I remember when Loretta Sanchez stole the election from B1 Bob Dornan thanks in part to illegal alien votes. Her district is now mostly hispanic and is illegal alien heaven.
Many Republicans are not Republicans anymore.
Maybe I was wrong about you. Sorry.
But I still don't get the point of wasting your vote on the third party candidate, who you know can't win.
I'm sick of the DemonRats playing the race card every time they have a tight election. It's kind of a last minute dirty trick, implying racism on the part of Republicans. It REALLY ticks me off. To see a so-called Republican do so is disgusting and should be penalized.
"It is certainly not illegal for immigrants to vote."
It is if the immigrant is not yet a naturalized citizen.
On the other hand, the letter implies that all immigrants cannot legally vote, which is wrong considering that all naturalized citizens (technically they were, but no longer are immigrants) can vote legally.
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