We've got a primary election coming up soon and candidates are doing what they can to appeal to their perceived constituencies. One of the very important issues in the Republican primary (and the general election) is the problem of Oregon being friendly to illegal aliens.
All three gubernatorial candidates have called in to Lars Larson's show to denounce illegal immigration and call for tough measures to combat the invasion.
One caller in paticular stands out for me though. Kevin Mannix has been calling in to Lars' show with increasing frequency lately. You can here his "tough" position on illegal aliens at Lars' site HERE.
That audio is a statement from Candidate Mannix. But what did head-of-the-GOP Mannix say in December of 2003 about Lars?
"I'm not a regular listener, and when I listen, I'm looking for the news. I don't follow the commentary stuff."
But more importantly, what did he say about an email that contained some suggestions from KXL listeners for humorous alternatives to the state motto such as:
Oregon: Se Habla Espanol
Oregon: Welcome to Little Mexico
"I choked when I looked at the stuff."
"I wasn't even aware we had circulated it. As soon as I heard about it, I was upset."
"These caustic remarks are inappropriate. I think you could tell from my presentation today that I'm trying to get us to present a broader vision of what's good for the people of this state, and not engage in this personalized nastiness."
These comments were made to Oregonian columnist Steve Duin whose column stated that "Mannix couldn't backpedal away from the e-mail fast enough."
Fast forward to 2005 and we have Oregonian articles that describe Woodburn like this:
Most of the signs are in Spanish, but don't let that intimidate you as you enter the color-splashed, six-block grid affectionately known as "Little Mexico," sandwiched between Front and First streets downtown.
But Mannix was "very upset" that anybody would refer to Oregon as "little Mexico" or that someone would say that we speak Spanish here.
There are two possibilities for the inconsistencies by Mannix.
One, he folded under pressure. Mannix couldn't take a principled stand on this issue to Steve Duin because he wants approval from the liberal establishment. This indicates to me that he would do the same thing if he were elected governor. He can talk a good game now but what happens when the liberals or an important Republican constituency wants the illegal aliens to be left alone?
Two, he is two-faced. Mr. "I don't listen to Lars" now calls him to get free air time. Mr. "broader vision" now wants to take on immigration because it's a huge issue with almost every voting Republican in Oregon.
Either way, I'm going to vote for a candidate with some integrity: Senator Jason Atkinson!
14 comments:
want are starting to see now is the typical politician that only goes whichever way the wind happens to be blowing at the time.
Right now, the illegal alien is the hot and popular issue. Mannix and others will say anything that they "think" that you want to hear to get your vote.
Which again makes a point why I am favoring Atkinson for governor.
that also makes a point of our lack of a check and balance system of government.
Personally, I feel we should borrow from the parliamentary system that when a elected public official is not doing their job, a vote of no-confidence is all it takes to get rid of them. The way I understand the system now, it is almost impossible to get rid of an elected official once they are in office thus allowing them free rein of just about anything that they wished to do.
Mannix talks and acts like the lawyer that he is, and not like the leader Atkinson is. If Mannix ran for the Oregon courts instead of Governor, I'd vote for him. But he doesn't have the leadership skills to run the state.
You don't need to convince me.
I'm with the A-Team.
If Mannix is waffling for Duin his campaign is done before it started. A stand on illegal immigrants seperates the real leader from the do-nothing gubonoski's if you know what I mean.
One thing I've noticed living in Portland is that when someone takes a politically incorrect stance and the liberal media applies its pressure those who hold thier opinions tend to come out ahead.
If a spade is a spade and a shovel is a shovel - call it so! Illegal immigrants are here illegally, they contribute to the drug trade and terrorism. Not all, but enough to create a need for a no-tolerance stance.
Crap, I've met illegal immigrants who agree somethings gotta be done, let alone the rank and file worker face to face with illegal immigrants at every turn.
There is one issue not one will publicly go on any media like lars and discuss: "Mr.________.(fill in the blank), What would be your position on the placement of criminally insane clients from the state mental hospital(those that have been judged guilty but insane, of murder, arson or rape), and placing them in neighborhoods next to schools with unsupervised walks for 90 minutes?
The first that does that, and gives some thought to it...GETS MY VOTE! Jack Peek
Daniel -- I can only assume that you're a fraud with a political axe to grind, or an intellectual coward. What's the point of a blog if you avoid debating those who put your claims to an empirical test.
http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=11266150&postID=112838837067847165
Will,
I've read your arguments, each and unfortunately every one, and frankly, I think you're missing the point.
I don't care whether or not some of the illegals are "hard-working". I don't care whether they're hardly working. They are all criminals. They entered my country illegally, and they avail themselves of services that my tax dollars pay for.
I further resent the fact that so many government agencies are so eager to embrace them that they print literally everything in Spanish. I have a bookmark from the library that's printed in English on one side and Spanish on the other.
And they're always crying that they have no money.
My reply to them: quit wasting it by hiring interpreters to convert English into Spanish. Quit wasting it by printing the same material twice - once in English and once in Spanish.
I believe that if they spent less time and money "celebrating diversity" and worshipping at the feet of illegal aliens, they'd find that they actually do have more than enough money to do their job.
Will,
I find it interesting that you attack Daniel and do not have a place of your own to post your thoughts.
Do you have an original thought?
Where is your website or blog?
Who are you? Let us visit you on your home on the web. I think we might have a better understanding of your thoughts if we understood more about you. Or are you just a Demon-crat looking for a fight.
For Allen of Salem:
Glad to hear you are on board. I checked out your blog, but couldn't find an e-mail address and you don't allow non-blogger comments, so I am hoping you come back and see this.
Would you like to be a member of the Atkinson Bloggers Network?
Come to my blog and learn more.
Will,
I'm not sure what you are looking for. I went and read your comments (for the first time) and you went over the rational cliff at the end.
America would host Sunni Iraqis in Sherwood? What?
And I'm not sure how much simpler I can make my opposition to criminal aliens. They are criminals. If you want them to be able to work and live here then change the law.
But when I see 6% of the DOC population are illegal aliens I have to say that if we didn't encourage them to come to this country then the people that were murdered, raped, robbed, etc would not have been victimized.
Some things are that simple.
By the way, I would love to debate you verbally, you can find me on the capitol steps for the Minuteman rally on the 15th.
DEAR WILL,
One thing I've noticed living in Portland is that when someone takes a politically incorrect stance and the liberal media applies its pressure those who hold their opinions tend to come out ahead.
Hey Will, I've done this for sometime now, perhaps you think your special. I Sure don't.
The alien issue is the biggest issue, but on this issue, not one of these wanna-be's or the ones that are in will fight which relates to the following question.
There is one issue, not one candidate will publicly go on any media like lars and discuss:QUESTION "Mr.________.(fill in the blank), What would be your position on the placement of criminally insane clients from the state mental hospital(those that have been judged guilty but insane, of murder, arson or rape), and placing them in neighborhoods next to schools with unsupervised walks for 90 minutes?
Ok, there are more illegals, I'M UPSET AT ALL ELECTEDS FOR NOT CLOSING THE BORDERS....but this issue, is about to get really out of control as well.
The first candidate that fights for our neighborhoods where these dangerous grouphomes are placed without notice, and gives some thought to it...GETS MY VOTE! Jack Peek
Atkinson has been in the legislature for what, 8 years?
Can someone point to ONE thing he has done, a bill he has sponsored, a public campaign he has led, to rout out this scourge of illegal immigration?
Making crater lake license plates, putting little fishing line recycling stations next to rivers, and making it a bigger crime to hurt police dogs may be well and good, but I don't think it qualifies him for sainthood.
At least Mannix brought us measure 11, which has put a bunch of these guys behind bars.
You bloggers want people to take you seriously on the issues, but this whole Atkinson for gov thing sounds personal to me, like you have some axe to grind.
Oh, and one more thing...
Atkinson isnt a regular listener or caller either. He's pretending to be one too since he, too, is running for office.
And I can bet that Mannix and Atkinson listen 20 times more than Saxton.
Again, this is personal in my opinion. I dont fault any of these people for not listening to Lars consistently. Who has time? Mannix is a lawyer and Atkinson is a senator and Saxton is a liberal. They have other things to do usually.
Im glad Mannix distanced himself from those comments as party chair. It was near the climax of the Presidential election, and it would have been a big deal that would have been blown out of proportion and cost the entire party votes.
When you are the head of an organization, you speak for that organization, and I think he did the right thing, though I would have liked him to add a comment about how it "illustrates Oregonians' growing frustrations with the problem of illegal immigration"...
Although, who knows? Maybe he did and it wasn't printed here or in the article.
I have heard Kevin talk several times since his AG run days, and have never heard anything but a consistent message on the illegal immigration issue, though he should be more forceful.
But then, nobody is being forceful enough in pushing this issue at the state level. I think maybe now people are because it is the "elephant in the room," and it can't be ignored anymore.
-Andy
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