Idaho's political rumble of the week is a good old fashioned Republican-vs.-Republican battle.
As state Rep. Raul Labrador traveled Idaho's 1st Congressional District Monday to launch his campaign, state Sen. Michael Jorgenson urged the Eagle lawmaker to get out of the race.
"Raul Labrador is an immigration attorney and admits to defending illegal immigrants in his law practice," Jorgenson, Hayden Lake, said in a press release. "He has been on retainer as an immigration attorney to the Idaho industries that support a 'free flow of labor across America's sovereign borders' while at the same time serving as an Idaho state representative. ... His pro-illegal immigrant stances are wrong for Idaho taxpayers and Idaho's unemployed."
Translation: Welcome aboard, Representative.
It's useful to consider the source, and Jorgenson's own record of trying to shoehorn ill-conceived and one-sided immigration bills through the Idaho Legislature. Jorgenson has pushed bills to require employers to cover health care costs of illegal workers and, last session, a bill that would have required employers to use the "e-verify" online system to check the status of prospective employees. This bill was held in a Senate committee.
So, for his part, Labrador doesn't back down. He says some of this fight really stems from the idea of raising Idaho's gas tax; Jorgenson supports the idea, Labrador opposes it. Labrador also says Jorgenson has pushed bad legislation, since federal law prohibits the use of "e-verify" for employee screening. Said Labrador this morning, "He's decided to take this vendetta out on me because he doesn't know how to pass legislation in his own body."
Translation: Right back at ya, Senator.
Is it just me, or are holiday and primary seasons melding together?
On the balance of it, I think Jorgenson overplayed his hand a bit. Labeling a foe a liberal is never a bad ploy in a GOP primary, but considering Labrador's legislative record, it's a stretch.
But for all the heavy-handedness, the attack exposes a sensitive issue for Labrador. While Labrador says he supports border reform and tougher enforcement of immigration laws, the fact that he devotes about half of his legal practice to immigration law could rankle some conservative GOP primary voters.
Labrador has played immigration issues delicately in four years in the Legislature. A native of Puerto Rico, who moved to the United States at age 13, Labrador has opposed some immigration bills at the Statehouse but also supported a 2007 state law making English the state's official language.
So what does GOP congressional candidate Vaughn Ward have to say about the Labrador-Jorgenson fight? "We welcome Raul to the race and look forward to discussing the issues that are important to Idahoans, and our differences on those issues including illegal immigration," Ward spokesman Ryan O'Barto said. "Vaughn is the only candidate in this race who will go to Congress and vote against giving taxpayer funded benefits to illegal immigrants. Vaughn will be a strong advocate for securing and protecting the borders, opposing amnesty and any so called 'pathway to citizenship,' and enforcing the current immigration laws."
Get Twitter updates on my blog and column and Statesman editorials. Become a follower. You can also get updates on Facebook's new Idaho Statesman Opinion Page.
Delicious
Digg
Yahoo
Why don't you ask Jorgenson who wrote his statement?
I can guarantee it wasn't him! It was one of Ward's staffers. Considering his status in the senate, this was too perfectly orchestrated for Jorgenson to have thought of this on his own. Come on, Kevin. Ask Jorgenson if he coordinated this with Ward's campaign. I have my suspicions who wrote the statement.
If we find out they won't throw tomatoes, will they?
----------
Like a midair collision with a tugboat
E-Verify enforcement and Illegal immigration
Next year Americans had better be on their guard against fraudulent voter registrations and the possibility of illegal immigrants voting in the 2010 Senate elections. Sen.Harry Reid (D-NV) comes up for re-election and if you didn't know already, the great state of Nevada is overwhelmed by foreign nationals of the illegal kind. Be aware that under current voting law, a--UTILITY BILL-- is officially identified as a legal document as identification in Nevada. In states that are heavily involved with illegal immigrants and the product of welfare fraud, Nevada and California specifically should be under the eye of the election authorities. As of now only contractors and subs are required to use E-Verify, which is very loosely audited. E-Verify must be enacted permanently as its success rate is progressively moving forward. E-Verify could be introduced to identify drivers license applicants, car registration, health care and even voter registrations. Then organizations that facilitate in suspicious activities would have a major obstacle to contend with, including fraudulent documentation.
During this ACORN controversy these two Western states have very large apportionment's of political illegal immigrant sympathizers and--MUST--be removed from their career seats. ACORN and its big brother SEIU. ACORN and SEIU are the lead organizations behind Health Care and Comprehensive Immigration Reform known in truth as AMNESTY, which is the principle entities aggressively shoving for the passage of these very serious issues. ACORN is better known for hiring people with questionable backgrounds, to be engaged in fraudulent voting registrations. Sen.Harry Reid, Speaker Pelosi can be attributed to the near destruction of E-Verify, the federal verification program that a growing number of nationwide employers are beginning to use. As a pro-illegal immigrant incumbent he must be ejected from his Senatorial seat, because he is directly involved in the 2010 Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill.These are the worst of the worst with a grading of ( F ) - as according to NUMBERSUSA.
They have been adamant conspirators against any immigration enforcement and readily agreeable with another BLANKET AMNESTY. WE NEED TO MAKE EXAMPLES OF THEM AND THROW THE IDIOTS OUT OF OFFICE NEXT YEAR? These individuals are just part of the political conspirators who don't mind illegal aliens settling in our nation and stealing AMERICAN JOBS.
Bennet, Michael F. - (D - CO) ,Bennett, Robert F. - (R - UT),Dodd, Christopher J. - (D - CT),Feingold, Russell D. - (D - WI),Gillibrand, Kirsten E. - (D - NY),Inouye, Daniel K. - (D - HI),Leahy, Patrick J. - (D - VT),Lincoln, Blanche L. - (D - AR), Mikulski, Barbara A. - (D - MD), Murray, Patty - (D - WA), Reid, Harry - (D - NV), Schumer, Charles E. - (D - NY), (R - AL),Wyden, Ron - (D - OR), Michael Capuano - (D-MA)
Statement from Gov. Jim Gibbons "Our voting system is very simply the greatest in the world and is the basis of what makes this country great. The allegation that an organization that’s main purpose is to register new voters was doing so fraudulently is very troubling. I believe that requiring a photo ID to vote is a very reasonable protection for our voting system and should be enacted as law by the 2009 Legislature."
We should endeavor to recruit high echelon tradesman and intelligencer who have grand offerings to America in sort after skills, but not people who are desperate to infiltrate the welfare entitlements and become a public burden. There are estimates of over 8 million foreign nationals in the job force, that would be swallowed up expeditiously by those here legally and citizens.
Those who believe in America’s survival, without OVERPOPULATION as stated by the US Census bureau better read facts at NUMBERSUSA not the lies spawned by open border entities. Those who want details of corruption in WASHINGTON and state government go to JUDICIAL WATCH. Overpopulation, traffic chaos, infrastructure erosion should go to CAPSWEB. Other sites of interest on Immigration enforcement is ALIPAC and AMERICAN PATROL. We the people have the ultimate power to throw out anti-sovereignty incumbent politicians. Call and command these do-nothings to--STOP--this travesty at 202-224-3121.
Shut up UR scaring Buffy.
----------
Like a midair collision with a tugboat
Try taking some fiber...you appear to have
crap for brains.
Not a real fight without the bikini-clad round card girl.
----------
Like a midair collision with a tugboat
The conservative self
The conservative self righteous paranoia has become tiresome, but its extremely entertaining to watch the intellectually disingenuous eat there own.
The unfortunate part is that Jorgenson sees only what he they wants to see,
his implication that one person is unqualified because of illegals is just simple intolerance and racism.
Another disappointing part of conservative Idaho politics shameful!
When do they ever stop fighting? Non-stop melee. BAH
Tip O'Neill would grind them to mush and make pancakes.
N freakin EXT
----------
Like a midair collision with a tugboat