Posted on 12/11/2007 12:49:00 PM PST by pissant
Update: Here’s the official Huckabee campaign post on the endorsement.
A commenter there also notes:
Another positive sign is the fact that Roy Beck of NumbersUSA has changed several of his ratings for Governor Huckabee from “red” to “green” in response to his new immigration plan. This is a big turnaround from just a few days before, when Beck characterized the Governor as a “disaster” in the area of immigration.
Here’s the new Numbers USA grid:
We are entering Alice in Wonderland territory.
***
Yeah, you read it right–the founder of the border control group, the Minuteman Project, is endorsing open-borders-turned-expedient enforcement convert GOP candidate Mike Huckabee:
With Mike Huckabee’s record on immigration now the subject of negative television ads in Iowa, the candidate today embraced the endorsement of one of the most outspoken anti-immigration crusaders of recent times.
Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minuteman Project, appeared with Gov. Huckabee at a news conference here, and said that after months of searching for a candidate, his organization has decided to endorse Governor Huckabee and his plan “to solve this illegal alien invasion problem.”
Asked if Mr. Gilchrist’s backing signaled a new “angry” approach to the problem of illegal immigration, Mr. Huckabee said, “I’m not angry with the people, I’m angry with the government.” He added, “I’m not angry that immigrants want to come here. I’m kind of flattered that people look at America as a place they’d like to be.”
Mr. Gilchrist’s organization has been criticized for a vigilante-style of intervention that includes the use of armed volunteers on the border. His volunteers have occasionally intercepted illegal border crossers, but more often raised the profile of a shadowy alliance of anti-immigrant advocates and far-right militia groups.
In today’s news conference Mr. Gilchrist seemed to try to moderate his group’s profile by describing it as a “multi-ethnic multi-racial law enforcement advocacy group.” He said “We believe in legal immigration of prescribed number of legal immigrants” who will contribute to national prosperity and who are “people with integrity and character.”
Mr. Huckabee said, I don’t agree with all of Jim’s positions on every issue, but that is the great thing about America.”He added, “What we’re agreeing on is that the problem needs to be fixed.”
Huckabee called the endorsement “providential.” I know many grass-roots immigration enforcement supporters will have far less kind words than that.
WaPo:
“Frankly, Jim I’ve got to tell you there were times in the early days of the Minutemen I thought what are these guys doing, what are they about,” Huckabee said. “I confess I owe you an apology.” He said of Gilchrist, “nobody can question his commitment to his country.”
Gilchrist, an ally of the candidate who has been most anti-illegal immigration in the GOP field, Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, said his endorsement of Huckabee stemmed from the former governor’s recent statements on the issue, particularly a plan that Huckabee put out last week that would require illegal immigrants country in the country to go to their country of origin before trying to return. The plan also would build a border fence and increase fines on employers who hire illegal immigrants, similar to proposals offered by some of Huckabee’s opponents in the GOP nomination process.
“It was a plan I myself could have written,” said Gilchrist, who noted the Huckabee campaign reviewed the proposal with him before it was released.
A piece of paper, an empty promise, with nothing behind it.
No matter. Via Allahpundit, he’s running away with Iowa!
Start your search with racist abortionist John Tanton, founder of both those groups, and conclude it with the radical leftist zero population growth (abortion, sterilization, one child policy) statements still buried in the back pages of those organizations’ websites.
My search shows a who’s who of Hate-the-USA groups who have nothing good to say about the man, which becomes an endorsement to at least some degree. I will keep your concern in mind.
But conservatives should despise him for his liberal, human-hating philosophy that says population growth is the problem and that restricting immigration is just one means toward the ultimate goal of population control, and be skpetical of groups like FAIR and NumbersUSA who subscribe to similar philosophies.
I really believe that one thing holding the immigration reform movement back is a lack of skepticism when confronted with strange new bedfellows. Common purpose is one thing, but common principle can be entirely different.
I like your perspective.
And the following:
“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else.”
— Theodore Roosevelt, Republican President
Several years later now, and it looks like that is exactly the case. Gilchrist's endorsement is for sale.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.