immigration

Come listen to a tale from your Uncle Kenny about two counties. One is in the Capital Region, the other is on the Eastern Shore. Both of the legislative bodies are majority Democrat. Both of them have addressed illegal immigration, however not in the same way.

Let’s begin with the county on the shore, Queen Anne’s County. In February of this year, the Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to pass a resolution requiring all vendors doing business with the county to follow immigration laws. Any failure to do so will result in the termination of the relationship between the county and vendor.

In poll after poll, illegal immigration comes in as No. 1 on the list of issues concerning Arizonans. It's a subject that resonates across demographic lines: Republican or Democrat, male or female, urban or ex-urban. Even Hispanic voters will list this as a major concern. The term "wedge issue" seems almost invented for illegal immigration but probably not in the way the GOP has envisioned. This defining issue is now driving some of the most important fractures in the Republican Party's base and its impact is likely to be felt far beyond this year's presidential contest.

Although it was spectacularly ineffective in the 2006 cycle, many Republican politicians still see illegal immigration as a vehicle for advancement. Congress has its grandstanders like retiring U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado but Arizona locals have been sure to get in on the action. For instance, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has targeted Hispanic communities with sweeps designed to nab illegal immigrants but which also routinely net brown-skinned American citizens.

Republican candidate for congress Rick Bart has been putting himself in the news lately, although not by holding large campaign rallies or by creating any scandals. Instead he is doing it the old fashioned way, by creating policy proposals and taking vocal stands on the issues important to 2nd District constituents.

Bart said he plans to release a new statement every week or so where he tries to differentiate himself from incumbent Rick Larsen on a wide range of issues that do not necessarily follow the traditional Republican-Democrat narrative.

Rep. Russell Pearce is sponsoring HCR2039, a referendum for November which would ban police departments from having sanctuary policies and mandate police officers verify the immigration status of those they have legitimate contact with.  Tomorrow he will be joined at a presser by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, County Attorney Andy Thomas and other law enforcement organizations including the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, the Buckeye Police Association.

More Inside Edge

A roundup of Thursday’s May Day immigration marches shows that crowd numbers statewide were lower than expected, which raises some legitimate speculation as to how much impact such Hispanic protests will have on immigration policy this election year.

Outgoing Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and other Democrats will attend Thursday’s May Day immigration and workers marches in downtown Los Angeles in a move broadening Nunez’s Hispanic/liberal voter base.

Outgoing Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and other Democrats will attend Thursday’s May Day immigration and workers marches in downtown Los Angeles in a move broadening Nunez’s Hispanic/liberal voter base.

Some political insiders say that U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, a likely candidate for the 2009 Republican gubernatorial nomination, might have crossed the line last weekend when he criticized Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello, a candidate for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, in a speech before a non-political group last weekend.  "I don't think it's helpful when a mayor of a town in New Jersey stands up at a rally and calls people he believes to be undocumented 'pinkos' and communists,” the Daily Record reported him as saying.