SB 1070 Major Issue in Republican Primary Wins

By • 8/25/10 • Categorized as Haitian,Hispanic,Immigration News,Immigration Reform

SB 1070 is a defining issue this election season - Photo: Fibonacci Blue/flickr

SB 1070 is a defining issue this election season. (Photo: Fibonacci Blue/flickr)

Tuesday’s primary results are in and many Republican candidates who emphasized opposition to illegal immigration in their campaigns are now winners.

Senator John McCain, the former GOP presidential candidate who is running for re-election in Arizona, won with 56% of the Republican vote after a rough few months battling J.D. Hayworth, a conservative former talk show host. Hayworth came down hard on McCain for his previous support of a path to legalization for the nation’s 12 million undocumented immigrants. McCain was so intimidated he switched course, supported Arizona’s strict law SB 1070, and released an ad in which he championed border enforcement, declaring, “complete the danged fence.” McCain’s reading of the conservative political tide in Arizona was successful, but he’s changed his position on immigration so many times now it’s unclear what he really thinks, or what he’ll do if re-elected.

Also in Arizona, Governor Jan Brewer, who gained nationwide notoriety for signing SB 1070 and vigorously opposing undocumented immigration, sailed to victory with a whopping 87% of the Republican vote. SB 1070 was her ticket to success at the polls–before it became her signature issue there had been talk of a Democratic knock-out this November, an outcome that seems very unlikely at this point.

In Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary, long-time politician Bill McCollum was not so lucky. His challenger, a wealthy health care executive, Rick Scott, painted McCollum in TV ads as being soft on illegal immigration. In return, McCollum, the current state attorney general, who initially said SB 1070 wouldn’t work in Florida, changed course and proposed his own, even harsher version of the law, saying “Arizona is going to want our law.” But that wasn’t enough to convince Florida’s conservatives, who chose Scott over McCollum 46% to 43%. If Scott is ultimately elected he is somewhat of a wild card, since he has never held office before. He’ll be facing Democrat Alex Sink in the general election.  Sink, the state’s chief financial officer, says she is against laws like SB 1070.

Illegal immigration is guaranteed to be a major issue in the race to fill Florida’s open U.S. Senate seat as well. U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek, who beat billionaire Jeff Greene last night to become the Democratic nominee, will be facing tea-party favorite Republican Marco Rubio in November as well as Governor Charlie Crist, who is running as an Independent. Meek and Crist have spoken out against SB 1070, but Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles, supports it.

And lastly, in another primary race Fi2W was following closely, the replacement for Meek’s congressional seat in District 17, State Senator Frederica Wilson defeated eight other candidates, including four Haitian-Americans, who split the vote.

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    • Facts

      THE FACTS ARE THAT JAN BREWER AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE DOING THIS TO GET REELECTED, HERE ARE FACTS.

      1, HOW MUCH MONEY $$$$$$$ IS ALLOCATED TO ENFORCE THIS LAW?? NONE.

      2, HOW MANY NEW POLICEMEN / WOMEN SHES HIRED TO HOLD AND PROCESS THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS? NONE.

      3, HOW MANY NEW IMMIGRATION JUDGES SHES HIRED TO PROCESS THE THOUSANDS OF DEPORTATION CASES?? NONE.

      4, HOW MANY NEW JAILS SHES BUILT TO HOLD THE THOUSANDS OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS? NONE.

      5, HOW MANY BUSES / PLANES SHES BROUGHT TO DEPORT THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THOSE WHO ARE ORDERED BY THE IMMIGRATION JUDGES TO BE DEPORTED?? NONE.

      CAN ANYONE ANSWER THESE FACTS? THE REPUBLICAN STATES ARE TRYING TO MAKE THIS THEIR PLATFORM, THEY WILL LOSE BIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG TIME.
      ALL ARE GODS CHILDREN. NO HUMAN IS ABOVE ANOTHER. ALL ARE CREATED BY ONE ALMIGHTY GOD WHO LOVES ALL HIS CHILDREN.
      I AM NOT SAYING DON’T CLOSE THE BORDERS I AM SAYING STOP THE FOOLISH HATE AND IGNORANCE.

      What both these Republicans FORGOT to Mention in their SPIN POLITICS is that

      It’s all about economics! Removing undocumented workers from the U.S. would total a loss of $1.8 trillion in annual spending and $651.5 billion in annual economic output, according to a study by the economic analysis firm The Perryman Group. It would cost about $28 billion per year to apprehend illegal immigrants, $6 billion a year to detain them, $500 million for extra beds, $2 million to judicially process them and $1.6 billion to transport them home. $230 Billion is the estimated amount it would cost over the next five years to enact the scenario of the mass-deportation caucus and deport the undocumented population, according to a report by the Center for American Progress. Legalization of undocumented immigrants would significantly expand the economy—by a cumulative $1.5 trillion in gross domestic product over 10 years. A deportation approach, by contrast, would have the cumulative effect of draining $2.5 trillion over 10 years from the U.S. economy. Illegal immigrants are paying their share of taxes, they pay the same taxes as you and me when they purchase anything, They don’t carry a card that says Undocumented Immigrant, DON’T CHARGE TAXES
      Start looking at FACTS & NUMBERS.

      Who’s behind these laws?

      The Immigration Reform Law Institute, or IRLI, the legal arm of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, drafted the Arizona law and most of the copycat bills. The Southern Poverty Law Center designated FAIR a hate group because of its founder’s writings, its repeated participation with white nationalist groups, and its receipt of major funding from a racist organization.

      Copycat laws frequently rely on the work of attorney Kris Kobach, who works for IRLI. Kobach’s lawyering has cost localities who have hired him millions of dollars while the laws have been found unconstitutional. The Arizona law was brought forth by State Senator Russell Pearce, who the Arizona press has described as having a history of associating with neo-Nazis and sending anti-Semitic emails.

    • Jim B

      This has sure gotten the attention that the Republicans need to regain power.

    • http://draftimperato.com Daniel Imperato

      The hysteria about illegal immigration merely disregards the reality that we will never return 12 million people back to their original country. So we need to get realistic and incorporate these people into the fabric and complex mix that makes up American culture. Give them a chance to come into the light, learn english and embrace American values. Keeping them in an illegal status keeps them in the shadows and creates a complete subculture that adds to crime and confusion.

      Vote independent for Governor: Daniel Imperato. I have been right on the immigration issue since running for president in 2006. I suggest we open up to Cuba as well and stop the rhetoric against our closest southern neighbor.

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