Fund raisers court opposite sides in immigration debate

GOP Has Two Faces on Immigration

hen it comes to immigration, the Republican Party has two faces.

One face is shown to Hispanics and business groups. The other one is shown only to conservative grassroots supporters.

Not only do Republican leaders want more immigration, they want to please both the supporters and the opponents of mass immigration.

It's a tough balancing act, even for skilled Washington politicians. But the evidence emerging from the Republican Party's fund raising efforts show that the GOP hopes to gain by taking both sides of the immigration debate. Party operatives are assuring wealthy corporate donors it supports mass immigration and the cheap labor it provides, while at the same time telling rank-and-file conservative supporters that the party wants to get tough on illegal immigration.

On the pro-immigration side of the issue, President Bush is working with party strategists to create a broad coalition of CEO's, business groups and immigration advocates to back the president's guest-worker/amnesty plan for illegal aliens. But at the same time, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is sending out direct mail packages decrying illegal immigration with the aim of soliciting donations from anti-immigration conservative donors.

"It's a new low for political hypocrisy, even by Washington's already low standards," said Robert Goldsborough, president of Americans for Immigration Control.

The Los Angeles Times reported last month that President Bush is creating a coalition to be called Americans for Border and Economic Security, to be led by former U.S. Reps. Dick Armey, of Texas and Cal Dooley of California. Armey, a long-time supporter of big business, once told a meeting sponsored by the right-wing CATO Institute in Washington, D.C., that America doesn't have "enough immigrants." Dooley is a pro-immigration left-wing Democrat

The coalition, reported the Times, "is designed to help Bush take control of an increasingly contentious debate that has threatened to split the Republican Party and undermine its outreach to Latino voters." The purpose of the coalition is to head off opposition to the president's amnesty plan from grassroots conservatives.

Republican strategist Terry Holt, Bush's campaign spokesman in 2004, told the Times that "Immigration needs advocates. And if those advocate engage, they can have a profound impact on the issue." Holt told the Times that he and Armey intend to isolate immigration opponents such as popular Colorado Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo, head the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus.

"To me," said Armey, "the Tancredo wing appeals to the more prurient character of our nature."

Beneficiaries of immigration will be targeted for membership in the coalition, the Times said. "Corporations and advocacy groups with a direct interest in immigration - including those who need skilled high-tech workers, farm laborers and university teaching assistants - are being aggressively targeted for membership." The groups being courted included Microsoft Corp., Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and groups likely to hire lots of illegal aliens, such as restaurants, hotels, landscaping firms, hospitals, etc.

Admission to the coalition requires big money donations, between $50,000 and $250,000, which will be used to pay for what the Times called "a political-style campaign" that will try to influence public opinion with the claim that an amnesty/guest-worker program will enhance border security and end illegal immigration.

Neoconservative immigration advocate Tamar Jacoby was among the first to try to sell Bush's amnesty plan as a "get tough" border policy. Middle American News reported in April on her bizarre claim that the president's guest-worker/amnesty plan for illegals is a way to "retake control" of the border.

Under the president's plan, American employers could hire foreign citizens without limit as long as they claimed no Americans were available for the jobs at the advertised wage. Thus, every American worker would be forced into direct wage competition with workers from every single low-wage nation on earth. The result would be a dramatic increase in immigration.

Tancredo said the president's new coalition was designed to guarantee fatter profits for big corporations.

"They're trying to cover what their real motive is, which is to supply [business] with cheap labor, not to close the spigot of cheap labor..."

At the same time that the White House is recruiting members for its amnesty/guest worker coalition, the NRCC - which raises money for the GOP congressional races - is telling smaller direct-mail donors that the GOP wants to fight illegal immigration.

In one proposed letter slated for mailing, NRCC Chairman Tom Reynolds, R-NY, urges donors to fill out an "American Citizens Survey on Illegal Immigration," and warns readers that "If we don't take action now, and fail to make the voices of America's citizens heard on this monumentally vital issue, immigration could forever change America."

Reynolds tells prospective conservative donors that "Services for illegal immigrants cost taxpayers billions of dollars per year. We have millions of illegal immigrants living within our nation's borders, hiding in the shadows, overwhelming hospitals, schools, and social services, and hoping to stay forever."

The letter further warns, "And our Homeland Security is compromised as more and more people from 'countries of interest' are coming across our borders undetected."

The new appeal to anti-immigration sentiment among the party's direct mail donors was triggered by a flood of complaints in recent months. Top GOP fund raisers told Middle American News that the party has been receiving irate mail from conservative party donors who object to the president's amnesty plan for illegal aliens.

"They're scared of this issue," said one of the party's fund raising executives, who asked to remain anonymous. "They used to be afraid to touch immigration [issues] in the mail because the party leadership and the grassroots are at opposite ends on this," he said. But now GOP politicians are worried that anger over amnesty will cause them to lose support in next year's election. So they've decided to try to "spin" the illegal immigration issue in their favor.

But one immigration control activist says the Republican strategy won't fool immigration reform supporters.

"People aren't as naive as some Republicans think they are," said AIC's Robert Goldsborough. Many of our donors get Republican mailings. They just send them a note back that says, 'You won't get a dime from me until you guys stop supporting mass immigration. No excuses allowed. Period.'"