Posted on 02/22/2004 11:15:39 AM PST by Impeach98
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(Burlingame, CA) -- The semi-annual California Republican Party Convention was rocked Saturday morning by several hundred enthusiastic supporters of U.S. Senate candidate Howard Kaloogian who met for a rally against SB1160, the bill that would allow illegal aliens to get a California driver licenses.
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BURLINGAME, Calif. — An uproar over illegal immigration roiled the state Republican convention on Saturday as party leaders struggled to keep the rank and file united behind Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and President Bush.
Hundreds of GOP loyalists booed the president at a rally where U.S. Senate hopeful Howard Kaloogian and his allies denounced Bush's plan to give temporary legal status to undocumented workers.
"Enough is enough!" the crowd shouted. "Enough is enough!"
A Kaloogian supporter, Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado, told the crowd he knew a gynecologist who surveyed patients about the plan and found it rated "right below genital herpes."
But immigration was the issue of passion Saturday, and Kaloogian was the candidate capturing it at his rally with Tancredo in a crowded white tent outside the convention hotel near San Francisco Airport. Next to the stage, two boys wearing Kaloogian T-shirts carried posters reading, "No Terrorist Driver's License." The signs showed a driver's license bearing a photo of Osama bin Laden. Tancredo, who flew in from Colorado for the rally, said that America had taken "rabid, overstated multiculturalism" too far.
"People are still coming across our borders with the intent to do terrible things to us," he told the cheering crowd. He called Bush's proposal "lousy, lousy policy."
Gloria Irwin, the Glenn County Republican Party chairwoman, said she agreed that Bush's plan was "terrible."
"The main street in our little town looks like Tijuana," said Irwin, whose hometown, Orland, is 100 miles north of Sacramento.
As for Schwarzenegger's stand on driver's licenses, she said, "He's going along to get along, and that's not a good thing. I wish he would get a little more backbone."
Saturday morning, Senate candidate Howard Kaloogian led several hundred people in a boisterous rally against illegal immigration, including proposals to grant driver's
licenses to illegal immigrants in California and President Bush's plan to give legal status to millions of undocumented workers.
"We are a nation of laws and that starts at the border. ...I don't understand how you compromise. They either have a driver's license or they don't; they are either here illegally or they are not," Kaloogian said.
While Schwarzenegger has signaled a willingness to consider ways for illegally immigrants to obtain licenses, one GOP legislative leader says he faces a tough sell.
"I think the governor will have to talk to many of us in the Republican Party for us to move on this," said Assembly Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy. "I do not see ... a bill out there that we support or a concept that we support."
And last but not lease, GO KALOOGIAN GO! He'd make a fantastic Senator! :-)
Great event all the way around. "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!"
I'll post my pics hopefully Monday.
BTW, I was the one with the large sign with the ILLEGAL license plate.
Former Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian, in contrast, proclaimed himself a true conservative - provoking the most approving nods as he addressed the convention-goers, who traditionally are among the party's most right-leaning members.
"We cannot run from our base," he said during the lunchtime forum with his three rivals.
Kaloogian also said he believed that many women are "coerced into abortion."
He tried to boost his Senate bid by headlining a late-morning rally to protest resurrected legislation to give some illegal immigrants driver's licenses. Schwarzenegger persuaded lawmakers to repeal a previous law after he won office, but has said he would sign a new bill if it contained adequate security measures.
Hundreds of people gathered for the rally, some holding signs that read "No terrorist driver's license," and included a blow-up of a California driver's license with Osama bin Laden's photo on it.
(BTW, I'm glad I didn't see a Mexifornia license...Telemuuuuuundo would have had a field day with that!)
With the approving nods of the Melanie Morgans and Roger Hedgecocks and John and Kens of the world (Kaloogian was on all three again this week) and with the base constituency groups (immigration, traditional values, etc...) fired up, a low turnout primary could see Republicans flocking to the polls to vote for a candidate they are actually excited about!
I was the tall thin guy in the Kaloogian t-shirt at the front, who was taking notes to and from Melanie.
After the rally I thanked her profusely with hugs, a kiss on her hand and unending praise.
We've been talking about this rally for several weeks now and we are totally indebtted to her and Brian Sussman who really pushed hard to get people to turn out.
Ron Prince and his team did a great job as did CCIR - Barbara Coe's group/
A lot of organizations helped get 2-3 people here and there to go or to pass on word to their Bay Area contacts, and Morgan and Sussman kept the issue fresh in people's faces to make sure they made it a priority. It couldn't have worked out any better!
They also helped work our booth and stickered people all weekend.
I knew things were going well when we had to STRIP the convention of every Kaloogian sign we could find after the rally when so many people flooded the Kaloogian booth that we ran out of signs. We kept bringing more and more back and they still kept running out.
Paster Kwong and Grace Fong were also huge helps with this effort... it just all went great and was the end result of a lot of hard working people giving it their all because they believe in the causes they are fighting for. I think some of the people in that campaign who are supporters of a candidate other than Kaloogian are more interested in invites to the gucci receptions... it's what separates a Kaloogian supporter from the rest of the bunch!
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Were there any "Kerry for President" signs there -- there might as well have been.
This attack on President Bush is disgusting. Maybe Kaloogian shouldn't be running as a Republican.
The article should have read: "Hundred PRETENDING TO BE GOP loyalists booed the President". NO REAL "GOP LOYALIST" or even any half-sensible Republican WOULD EVER BOO PRESIDENT BUSH.
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