Even More Opportunities For GOP Latino Alienation

6 Comments

by: Colorado Pols

We talked yesterday about the imminent demise of Rep. Randy Baumgardner’s Arizona-copycat immigration bill, HB-1107. We’ve explained that these GOP immigration bills, for the sake of the Republicans Party’s long-term viability, should die as quickly as possible, and from what we can see, it appears that GOP House Speaker Frank McNulty agrees. A similar bill in the Senate from Kent Lambert, SB-54, is expected to meet a quick death in committee early next week.

But as the Colorado Independent reports today, McNulty’s got a few more moles to whack:

A host of immigration rights advocates congregated outside of a house committee room yesterday hoping for the opportunity to speak to HB 1107. While those hopes were dashed when the decision came out that the bill was to be laid-over until Monday, many acknowledged that even if the bill does die, as sponsor Randy Baumgardner, R-Hot Sulphur Springs, has said it will , they would have numerous opportunities to speak to the subject throughout the session.

Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition Director of Communications Alan Kaplan explained that his group still planned to come out in protest of not only 1107 but SB 54, which gives police the power to arrest suspected illegal immigrants. His group also plans to stage a rally in upcoming days.

Other groups such as the Colorado Progressive Coalition and ACLU of Colorado, also present yesterday, have expressed similar concern for bills that appear to create a semblance of HB 1107 through a more piecemeal process including HB 1140 and HB 1188…

So that’s, let’s count them up, one, two, three, four Arizona-style immigration bills, plus another mentioned by the Independent’s Joseph Boven, HB 1149, proposing even more document verification. So that’s five Republican-sponsored anti immigration bills, and we can’t claim to have gone through all of the bills introduced this session. For example, this doesn’t include Secretary of State Scott Gessler’s first citizenship verification for voting bill that died late last month.

Bottom line: if McNulty does agree, as we’ve heard, that an “Arizona copycat” anti-immigrant campaign represents long term GOP political suicide via the alienation of the fastest growing bloc of voters in the United States, he really needs to say something to his colleagues. Every time one of these “Republican sponsored” bills gets press, even to report they’ve been killed, voters Republicans will need in the next election–and the next generation–come off the table.

6 thoughts on “Even More Opportunities For GOP Latino Alienation”

ArapaGOP says:

February 10, 2011 at 9:27 pm

McNulty may disappoint you yet.

The voters who elect Republicans still expect Republicans to be Republicans. You, and McNulty, would do well to remember this, even though it is evidently not possible for you to ever see things from a different point of view.

Log in to Reply
1. Littletonian says:
  
  February 10, 2011 at 10:19 pm
  
  that targets society’s poorest and has no chance of passing. I guess that’s what it means when “[t]he voters who elect Republicans still expect Republicans to be Republicans.”
  
  Glad we could agree on something.
  
  Log in to Reply
2. SSG_Dan says:
  
  February 11, 2011 at 1:05 am
  
  Immigration is a FEDERAL issue, not a state one.
  
  Republican’ts can pass all the tough-sounding bills they want, so they can include tough-sounding rhetoric in their fundraising emails and talk radio appearances.
  
  In the end, when Federal courts overturn the legislation, and the bill for doing this dumb shit comes do, how will Republican’ts pay for it?
  
  Log in to Reply
  1. ajb says:
    
    February 11, 2011 at 1:19 am
    
    n/t
    
    Log in to Reply
EmeraldKnight76 says:

February 11, 2011 at 6:07 am

Do they feel that one pariah state isn’t enough? Perhaps they feel bad that poor Arizona is getting all the attention and they want a piece of it? Maybe they are thinking “institutional racism” is too hard to say and “Colorado” is easier? Or they feel sorry for Democrats so they’re giving them the entire Hispanic voting bloc?

I wonder if Colorado Republicans plan to continue following in the footsteps of Arizona’s treasonous, racist, blowhard Russel Pearce and will introduce our very own nullification bill. (AZ SB1433) Or they can follow Arizona’s lead and introduce about a dozen other bills that challenge the federal government on various other issues and laws; as if Arizona were a separate country in negotiations and not subject to the central government under the Supremacy Clause.

Perhaps Colorado Republicans should re-read the Constitution paying special attention to Article VI Clause 2 but they should also review some of the groundbreaking Supreme Court decisions like Gibbons v. Ogden, McCulloch v. Maryland, Cooper v. Aaron, and Missouri v. Holland that deal with the Supremacy Clause. They may not like Federalism but that’s what the founders they idolize created.

Log in to Reply
thethinker says:

February 11, 2011 at 8:40 am

but, first of all, what makes you think enforcing immigration laws will alienate the average Latino voter? Do you think that they like to compete with illegal workers or that Latino’s support our laws being broken? I think you’re being racist in thinking Latino’s are less law abiding then other Americans. If I remember correctly, more then 50% of Latino voters polled in Colorado supported the Arizona law.

Second, it is interesting that you think that lawmakers shouldn’t do what is right for the country or all citizens, but what is right to pander to a certain group of voters.

Third, according to exit polls from the last election, many white voters who supported Obama and Democrats in 2008, supported Republican candidates in 2010. Part of that may have been because of the Democratic stance on illegal immigration.

Things are much more complex then you portray them and you’re just blowing smoke if you think that proposing legislation to deal with the high costs of illegal immigration is alienating Latino voters. Like other Americans they care about the economy, believe laws should be enforced fairly, and otherwise have similar opinions to other Americans.

Log in to Reply