COngressman Tom Tancredo (Left), U.S. Senate Candidate Howard Kaloogian (R) (Center), and KSFO AM 560 Talk Show Host Melanie Morgan (Right)
Posted on 02/22/2004 11:15:39 AM PST by Impeach98
WOW!
Yesterday's rally against giving drivers' licenses to illegal aliens (as proposed by Democrat Gil Cedillo's SB1160 which Repub. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he supports) was a H U G E success.
The rally planning had been going on for several weeks. It was set to take place Saturday, February 21st at the Burlingame Hyatt, where the California Republican Party Convention would be taking place.
Since Governor Schwarzenegger has said he thinks giving drivers' licenses to illegal aliens is a "fantastic" and "excellent idea" (after he made conservatives very happy by repealing an existing law by Gil Cedillo that Gray Davis had signed that did the same), the thinking was that Arnold would get the message when Republicans turned out to say "WE DON'T WANT IT - NEITHER DOES CALIFORNIA."
The location had to be changed a couple times because officials with the California Republican Party establishment were offended that Kaloogian has rallied Republicans to oppose Bush's amnesty/guest-worker plan and Schwarzenegger's "sell out" on the illegal alien drivers' license plan.
With Kaloogian's opponents for U.S. Senate uncomfortable with challenging either the Bush plan or the Schwarzenegger-backed plan (they will speak to vague policy but not these specific proposals for fear of alienating Bush or Schwarzengger and their establishment suppport), the rally united immigration reform advocates and Kaloogian campaign supporters.
A little after 10:00 AM people began gathering outside, right in front of the Hyatt Hotel. Kaloogian for Senate staffers and volunteers were handing out Kaloogian signs, bumper stickers and lapel stickers.
People were simultaneously streaming towards the Kaloogian for Senate table inside of the convention and were being directed to join the now-growing crowd outside.
At the same time, last minute preparations were taking place at a giant tented pavillion located next to the hotel's pool at the back of the hotel complex. A stage with blue-curtain backdrop and "Kaloogian for Senate" wall would serve as the dais. Approximately one-dozen Kaloogian volunteers were assisting in the set-up effort. People seeking out the rally location began arriving at this location too.
By 10:20 AM things were crazy!!! There was now a crowd of a few hundred people outside that was growing fast. More and more people were running up to the Kaloogian table inside the hotel to find out the rally location and at the poolside pavillion (site of the rally) supporters were being directed to join the crowd at the front of the hotel.
Melanie Morgan and Donald LaCombe of the Kaloogian campaign were now firing up the crowd with chants over a megaphone. There were a handful of reporters and cameras covering the mass of people out front who were shouting "Enough is Enough," "No License for Illegals," and "Stop Them at the Border."
Finally at 10:30 AM, with the crowd now a giant sea of people, completely fired up, we opened the front doors to the hotel and Melanie Morgan chanting "Enough is Enough" into a megaphone led the procession of people through the hotel, down one of the main corridors to the back of the hotel where the crowd would exit, walk the pathway towards the poolside pavillion and assemble for the rally.
A number of interesting things took place. First, the procession passed right by the press room and reporters were shocked to see this massive and boisterous gathering of people streaming through the hotel screaming and chanting. Also, liberal Republican Vice Chair of the CRP, Mario Rodriguez, was conducting a seminar teaching Repubs. how to reach out to Latino voters and was horrified to see the protest march... apparently he is unable to distinguish between the difference of "illegal" individuals and legal citizens of the United States.
The throng of people was so wide, two sets of double-doors had to be opened to allow the crowd to flow in. But then the final mass of people who had gathered in the lobby in front of the Kaloogian for Senate booth formed a third 'feeder' stream to the procession. There were so many people now marching towards the rally location in the back that people could not enter the rally tent fast enough... we had a human traffic jam and this 10 foot wide hallway that runs several hundred feet was now completely jam-packed with participants.
People contiued streaming into the giant tent and tried to squeeze in to allow as many people as possible in. But there were so many people that not everyone could fit... there were dozens of people flowing out the side entrance, straining to see over the heads of those inside, and an even larger group of people at the back end of the tent who could not get in because of the overflow crowd.
Melanie Morgan and Brian Sussman of KSFO AM 560 - San Francisco were the emcees and had the crowd fired up... it wasn't hard. The energy in the room was electrifying. They introduced Kaloogian who received a hero's welcome from the crowd.
Kaloogian was on fire and delivered one of the best speeches I've heard him give on the stump so far. And the crowd responded with passion and energy. The tent was rocking folks!!
Just as Kaloogian was finishing his remarks, we got word that Tancredo was arriving in the back entrance (having been picked up by one of our Kaloogian staffers at the SFO airport). So Kaloogian then transitioned into welcoming Congressman Tom Tancredo, a hero to our cause, just as the Congressman entered the facility.
Tancredo bounded up to the stage and grabbed Kaloogian's fist. They raised their hands into the air - pumping up and down. The crowd was hooting, hollering, screaming, chanting. Melanie Morgan and Brian Sussman were up there on stage still and were themselves cheering and beaming from ear to ear. It was a moment of magic and the energy was incredible.
Now during all of this time there was this steady stream of television camera crews arriving. While we had worked the media over pretty heavily to tell them about the rally, and who would be there, they had been dismissive. They weren't interested in covering a bunch of right-wing kooks complaining about immigration policies. So at the start of the rally we only had a handful of print reporters, 4 or 5 television cameras and 2 or 3 radio reporters. But by the end of the rally news organizations, learning of what was happening, had rushed over scores of additional reporters, camera crews, and microphone-carrying radio techs and reporters.
Tancredo gave a great speech. He explained that a series of events had led to him almost not making it. Delayed flights, cancelled flights, being held up on the tarmac, having to change connecting flights and airline carrier. Everything was a mess and a mass frustration (he was supposed to arrive at 9:30 AM so we could get him settled, instead he didn't make it until about 10:55 AM).
Tancredo told this story and explained that he would go through this kind of hassle every single day between now and Election Day if this would help to elect Howard Kaloogian to the U.S. Senate.
Again, the crowd exploded.
Tancredo went on to explain during his speech that he had NOT ONE immigration reform friendly member in the U.S. Senate... and that without an ally in the Senate to join him in leading the charge on the immigration issue that we could not bring about the change in our failed policies that we need.
Tancredo was funny, gracious, passionate and simple but eloquent. At the end of his speech he again urged those in attendance to go to work to get Kaloogian elected to the Senate and announced he'd be doing all he could till Election Day to propel Kaloogian to victory. Tancredo and Kaloogian raised arms again and the crowd cheered and the camera flashbulbs flashed.
Tancredo and Kaloogian webt out back for a press conference/media avail.
Over the course of the next 45 minutes, Mike Spence, Founder of "Save Our License" (the group that collected signatures to repeal the original drivers' license for illegal aliens bill, SB60), Rick Oltman of FAIR, Ron Prince - author of Prop 187 and Proponent of Save 187 all addressed the crowd.
Crowd estimates have varied. I heard one person say 600-800 but I think this was high. Maybe 500-550.
All the press reports have said several hundred people.
Realize that there were only 1400 delegates listed for the CRP convention, so maybe 1200 were actually at the Hyatt. But while Marin and Jones could generate rallies of 50-75 people, Kaloogian had a massive crowd of cheering and raucous supporters who would then linger throughout the convention for the rest of the day - wearing Kaloogian t-shirts, carrying Kaloogian signs and bumper stickers.
It was an awesome day!
I got a recorded phone solicitation from Toni Casey claiming she was the only Republican candidate who is against the President's immigration proposal.
What kind of Republican pulls a dishonest stunt like that?
Both Marin and Jones spent a lot of time having paid staffers recruit college Republicans to come to the convention. They paid their airfare and bought them hotel rooms (although sometimes quite a few were packed into each room) and got them to do 'marching' drills, lit drops, sign duty, and sticker patrol.
Sometimes these kids freelanced and did things on their own.
What we found interesting is that these kids were there because they know in the larger battle of Republican ideals and Democrat ideals that they are with the Republicans. But they knew next to nothing about Marin or Jones.
We had Marin and Jones volunteers from the college Republicans who came to our rally and regularly would stop us during the weekend to whisper that (they didn't know much about Jones or Marin, and before this weekend had heard little about Kaloogian, but now they understood that Kaloogian speaks their language and earned their vote). We appreciated that!
So, do you think that Kaloogian manufactured people to be angry about the U.S. government sell out of sovereignty and secure borders?
Or do you suppose that MAYBE the White House deal with Vincente Fox on this amnesty proposal is WRONG and OPPOSED by a majority of Americans?
hmmmm....?
We turned him down before he went to Casey. We tried his service during the recall effort to identify pro-recall folks to mail recall petitions to and found that most of the people who he claimed were "pro-recall" were exactly the opposite.
But that's OK, because during the recall we did a free trial run (if the idea had worked we would roll it out to the entire state, it didn't so we didn't go forward).
Casey owes Gabe big $$$ and will be unable to advertise much if any at the end of the campaign.
Our radio and TV ads start airing THIS WEEK!
"Hundreds of GOP loyalists booed the president at a rally "
THIS is how it appeared in the paper, which gives great aid and comfort to the Democrats.
If they hadn't written this same story every year about the CRP convention for the past 10 years I would understand your disgust at California Republicans.
Both Tancredo and Kaloogian support Bush. That's what makes them special... they say where they agree with him, but where they think he is wrong they speak clearly and without forked tongue... they believe Bush is hurting himself, his party, and his nation with this plan and as people who agree with him on many other issues are trying to get him to wake up to the travesty that has become our nation's border control - whether from the standpoint of welfare for aliens or national security risks such as what happened with 9/11.
Seeing as the President swore an OATH to "preserve and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God," and since Article IV of that document REQUIRES him to protect the states from invasion, perhaps it is Bush who is no Republican.
Were there any "Kerry for President" signs there -- there might as well have been.
Stupid hyperbole. Do you think we control the entire State electorate? If the President's proposal goes any further, he might as well write off the entire southwest. He did this to himself and knew damn well what kind of response it was going to get from his base and chose to do it anyway. Best he learn that it was a mistake and get Congress to bail him out of it before the election. We are helping him learn that.
This is supposed to be a representative government "of the people." Given that 70% of the people want illegals deported, just who the hell do you think you are telling us to kowtow just because of a rotten proposal from the President? Blind and self-destructive obeiscance isn't going to get him re-elected.
Not sure how he will do against Boxer, but ya gotta love the guy, in a Tom McClintock/Don Quixote kind of way. :o)
No one here supports John Kerry, and your attempts to constantly say 'If you oppose amnesty or drivers licenses for illegal aliens you therefore support John Kerry becaus it hurts Bush' is in my opinion inane.
I suggest you focus your energies on writing to the White House and explaining to them that by PROPOSING AMNESTY for ILLEGAL ALIENS that they are (in YOUR opinion) risking the election of John Kerry.
I'm sure they'll appreciate your perspective as much as I do ;) Good luck with your missive to Karl Rove and George Bush.
B R A V O !
Here's the deal... if you want Tom Tancredo to have a friend in the U.S. Senate who will work with him to get our borders enforced and to fight against amnesty plans and drivers' licenses for illegal aliens, we need you to step forward NOW!
There are EIGHT days until the election and we are going up with radio and TV ads. To reach the MILLIONS of voters we need to reach we need to expand the size of our radio and tv ad campaign.
You can go online RIGHT NOW and make an immediate contribution to pay for MORE of these ads by making an online contribution.
Go To: www.HowardForSenate.com and make an online contribution!
It's that simple.
ARE YOU LISTENING BUSH?
And I agree with you.
But, you need to recognize that the same political calculation therefore needs to be respected by Bush. He can't sell out American sovereignty when the polls show that Americans are not with him - they don't want an 'amnesty on the installment plan' and they don't want taxpayer paid benefits (welfare) to go to illegal aliens and they don't want illegal aliens to be given drivers' licenses.
Kaloogian will be voting for Bush in November. Tancredo will be voting for Bush in November.
But Bush needs to stop voting against the American people if he wants to have enough votes to beat Kerry.
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