NDN Blog

Sharron Angle has topped herself again, by pulling out all the stops for her latest anti-immigrant advertisement.

Amanda Terkel at the Huffington Post has the full scoop here:

Republican Nevada Senate candidate Sharron Angle is out with her latest controversial attack on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) immigration stance, a Monopoly-like game called "Harry Reid's Amnesty Game."

"Harry Reid thinks illegal immigration is a game but Nevada citizens know that it's all too real," reads the front page of the site, which touts the game as "fun for the whole illegal family." Angle announced the new piece on her Twitter page on Tuesday.

Visitors to the site can roll the dice and receive Chance or Community Chest cards that have phrases such as "You got deported" or "Need a college degree but you are an illegal immigrant," or even ones that allow players to "Pass Go, collect amnesty."

Tucson - With the election a little under a week away, a fierce battle over affirmative action has broken out in Arizona. Proposition 107, is a ballot initiative that has been spearheaded by none other then Ward Connerly and is intended to revoke all state sponsered affirmative action programs.

Dianna Nanez of The Arizona Republic, has the full story here:

"Race is always a contentious issue," said Ward Connerly, setting the stage for a debate Thursday in Phoenix over Proposition 107, which seeks a constitutional amendment to ban state-sponsored affirmative action.

Connerly's group, the American Civil Rights Institute, has spearheaded an effort to ban affirmative action nationally. Now, Connerly, a Californian, has taken his fight to Arizona.

Connerly who is not even a resident of Arizona, has become a fierce proponent of repealing affirmative action legislation in the state:

On Thursday, he attempted to persuade an audience of about 40 people at the Goldwater Institute that the nation has reached the point that affirmative action is doing more harm than good.

"We are as polarized now about race as we have ever been," he said. "No one should enter the competition with an expectation that they are going to be discriminated against or given preferential treatment. It (Prop. 107) seeks to enshrine in your Constitution . . . equal treatment for all."

Democratic state legislators are completely against the proposition:

House Minority Leader David Lujan, D-Phoenix, debated Connerly, arguing against the ballot measure.

Lujan said that Arizona does not have state-sponsored preference programs such as those associated with affirmative action. He said that Connerly would know that if he were familiar with Arizona.

"What we have are limited equal-opportunity programs . . . that help people who are traditionally underrepresented," Lujan said. "It (Prop. 107) is simply an attempt by an out-of-state group to amend our Constitution. Every dollar that is being spent on this campaign . . . comes from out-of-state money. Two years ago, they couldn't even get enough signatures (to place the initiative on the ballot)."

Johnathon Garcia of Protect Arizona's Freedom, a group of Arizona business, community, faith, and education leaders who are concerned about Ward Connerly’s initiative, noted that if the law was passed that the state would feel a very real negative economic impact. Garcias quote is below:

Ultimately proposition 107 would hurt our state’s ability to educate and produce a diverse, talented workforce. We’re in a global economy in which businesses know that diversity and a work force that looks like the world in which they interact is a good business tool.  We have to increase diversity in the science, technology and engineering pipeline to meet this demand. diversity and inclusion are good for business.  The buying power of people of color and women is increasing significantly. This is not the time to pass laws that would inhibit that power.

Tucson - AZ GOP District 8 Candidate Jessie Kelly has been a pretty consistent anti immigrant political opportunist for as long as he has been running for Congress. So it is no surprise that he gladly accepted the Americans For Legal Immigration Political Action Fund (ALIPAC).

What is interesting, is the quotes above calling ALIPAC a group backed by"white supremacists, Neo Nazi's, and anti semites," comes from another Jessie Kelly backer, none other then Mr. complete the danged fence Senator John McCain.

David Safer of the Tucson Citizen has the full story HERE:

A week ago I posted about the endorsement of Jesse Kelly by ALIPAC  (Americans for Legal Immigration PAC). I quoted McCain's comment about the pac way back during the primary when J.D. Hayworth got its endorsement:

In a March statement, McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said the group "is backed by white supremacists, neo-Nazis and anti-Semites."

Senator McCain for his part now see's the ALIPAC endorsement of Kelly to be a positive, and sees nothing wrong with his change of heart (READ: Flip Flop):

But KGUN has picked it up. It's worth a look. My favorite line in the story is when McCain -- remember him? The guy who condemned Hayworth for accepting ALIPAC's endorsement? -- said this when asked "whether he felt the same way about ALIPAC's endorsement of Kelly as he had about its endorsement of Hayworth."

In response, McCain pointed out that a group's endorsement of a candidate does not necessarily mean the candidate endorses the group.  "A lot of people support me that I don't agree with," McCain said.  "And just because they support me doesn't mean anything about my views."

The KGUN Television Report can be seen HERE:

Nevada GOP candidate Sharron Angle has released yet another anti-immigrant advertisement. Greg Sargent of the Washington Post has the full scoop here:

Here's Sharron Angle's latest ad attacking Harry Reid over illegal immigration. It's a doozy -- it sounds the alarm about "waves of illegal aliens streaming across our border joining violent gangs." And it features the now-familiar imagery of young swarthy men looking generally menacing.

But please note in particular the momentary glimpse we're given at the three second mark of the United States Border Inspection Station at El Paso, Texas:

The video is below:

Sargent is quick to note, that this ad comes on the heels of Angle denying that she has ever cut any advertisements that demean mexican immigrants:

Here's why this is important. As you may recall, when Angle recently came under fire for another immigration ad that pictured swarthy young men sneaking around, she distanced herself from it by claiming that the men in her spot weren't necessarily Latinos.

Angle even suggested her earlier ad was a reference to border security in general, claiming: "Our northern border is where the terrorists came through."

Now that her new ad explicitly shows the Texas-Mexico border, can we assume that her earlier explanation is no longer operative?

Tucson - Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce has been a vocal proponent nationally of changing the 14th Amendment to deny birthright citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants. However not everyone in his home state feels as strongly as he does on the issue.

Clair Doan of KGUN 9 on your side has the full story HERE:

The idea is not novel, but it sure is controversial: State Senator Russell Pearce is leading the fight to end what he calls the "hijacking of the 14th Amendment" – automatically granting citizenship to the children of illegal immigrants born in the United States.

Pearce has amassed support from at least 13 other state lawmakers to challenge birthright citizenship in a nationwide effort led by State Legislators for legal Immigration (ILLI).

Yet even Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is apprehensive about moving forward with the legislation:

And while the idea has generated state and national media coverage, Governor Jan Brewer told KGUN9 News at a meet and greet in Green Valley on Thursday that she has not taken a stance on the controversial issue.

"I understand Senator Pearce is speaking out loudly in regards to what he calls anchor babies," Brewer said. "I have not heard a lot of the deliberation on it. Certainly the legislature is the arena where it should be vetted and deliberated. I look forward to listening to that information, but I certainly don't have a position on it currently."

Extremist GOP District (7) candidate Jessie Kelly is all for that and more, Pearce is also crafting legislation for immigrants to pay for their public education:

Pearce wants to push the envelope even further; he is in the process of crafting legislation that would require illegal immigrants to pay for their own public education – an idea that fellow Republican and Congressional candidate Jesse Kelly agrees with.

"We cannot give birthright citizenship. That's not what the Constitution means whatsoever. We need a statute passed through the federal government to clarify the 14th Amendment," Kelly told 9 On Your Side. "I think that everybody should pay for public education. I think the taxpayers pay it with our tax dollars. Someone who's come here illegally should obviously pay for it."

Democrat Gabrielle Giffords disagrees, with this idea:

However, Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords disagreed, saying talk of challenging the 14th Amendment is not only impractical, but also detracts from a far more important issue.

Giffords said, "I think it's really difficult anytime someone thinks they're going to change the Constitution of the United States. Instead what we have to focus on is real border security…so we don't have to do these run-arounds to deal with the issue."

But there is no running around what many scholars say: Changing the Constitution is an uphill battle. 

Changing the constitution is an uphill battle, and in Arizona, where their is a good chance that the state legislature could become a Republican Super Majority, Pearce's entreaties to change the 14th Amendment look more and more like a get out the vote campaign then thoughtful legislation.

A Conservative Radio Host has come to the defense of Nevada GOP Senatorial Candidate Sharon Angle, who is currently enmeshed in a controversy over her remarks regarding the appearance of Hispanic children in the audience at a recent speaking engagement. 

Heidi Harris went so far as to say that it is actually the Hispanic students who are the racists in this situation. Jon Ralston of the Las Vegas Sun has the full story here:

Radio talker, Angle-backer: Angle shouldn’t apologize for “Asian” remarks and Hispanic students are the real racists

Yes, folks, that's what radio talk show host Heidi Harris said Wednesday on MSNBC's "The Ed Show" when asked about Sharron Angle's controversial comments to those Rancho High School Hispanic students.

Harris said the kids were racist to be offended by being told they look Asian, she used air quotes (apparently that's like a secret handshake in the Angle campaign -- remember "autism") and said Angle should not apologize, as the students have asked her to do.

A little back ground on Harris, aside from being a Conservative Radio host, she was also the master of ceremonies at an Angle event and recently headlined a fundraiser for the GOP Senate hopeful.

Transcript of the interview is below, I was going to post the video, but I highly recommend actually reading the interview, and just taking the time to ponder the sheer lunacy of Harris's statements:

Ed: Heidi, should she apologize?

Heidi: Of course not! She shouldn’t apologize. First of all, Sharron Angle's daughter-in-law is Mexican -- Mexican, okay? Her grandkids are half-Latino…

Flanders: It doesn't insulate you from stupidity and bias.

Heidi: No, no, no, that’s… wait a minute, wait a minute. The point is she doesn't dislike Latinos. Secondly, you know who should be asking for an apology? The Asian kids who apparently should be concerned that the Hispanics think it's insulting to be told that you look like an Asian.

Flanders: You know, but this goes…

Heidi: Who's the racist?

Flanders: This goes back, Ed, to what we need in this country, which is a conversation not about the ridiculous outbursts of a few, but about our grappling with racism in this country such as her attitudes are out there. She's just one person. We go from one crazy comment after another, but this stuff resonates because there's a history and that's the work that Barack Obama was trying to do, what was it two years ago? We need more of it

Tucson - Dark days in Arizona, as the district office of Raul Grijalva is evacuated due to a suspicious letter containing a swastika and chemical substance was discovered.

The Associated Press has the full story here:

The Tucson office of U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., was evacuated Thursday after an envelope containing a white powder was discovered in the office's mail.

The congressman, who is seeking a fifth term, wasn't at the office when a staffer discovered the envelope, Grijalva spokesman Adam Sarvana said. The envelope had swastikas either written or stamped on the front.

Tucson police responded and evacuated about a dozen people from the office. An FBI spokesman said the substance has been taken to Phoenix for further testing.

This is not the first threat on Grijalva's life:

A Phoenix man was indicted in June for allegedly threatening to assault, kidnap and murder Grijalva and his aides. In July, a bullet was fired into Grijalva's Yuma district office shortly after he reversed his call for a convention boycott because of Arizona's new immigration law.

It has been a harrowing time here in Tucson, I have been participating in a non-partisan get out the vote campaign.

Shortly after hearing the news that Grijalva's office had recieved a suspicious package, I was informed that one of the volunteer canvassars had been attacked by a dog and had been taken to the emergency room.

There has been much talk about the importance of the Hispanic vote on this blog and elsewhere, but it is days like today when I am truly in awe of those who are willing to put their safety on the line and participate in the democratic process. It is truly inspiring to be here among them.

Anti-Immigrant and corrupt Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has endorsed Nevada GOP Senate candidate Sharron Angle.

The endorsement is old, however Arpaio's recently held campaign event for Angle comes at an awkward time, as the GOP candidate is currently trying to distance herself from some racially insensitive statements and advertisments that her campaign released which offended many Hispanics in Nevada.

Washington Post writer Greg Sargent has the full story on the endorsement here 

Sheriff Joe Arpaio rode back into town Tuesday, this time to fire up voters and to stump for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle in her bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Harry Reid.

But the polarizing sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., only briefly mentioned the GOP candidate during his 13-minute speech to a friendly crowd of Angle and Tea Party supporters at Stoney's Rockin' Country bar and dance hall on Las Vegas Boulevard South.

Bizzarely, during his speech Arpaio, repeatedly butchered Angle's name:

During that brief mention, the septuagenarian sheriff mispronounced Angle's last name, calling her what sounded like "Sharron Anglund."

A few people in the crowd tried to correct him, yelling out, "Angle! Angle!"

If Angle was at all serious about the Hispanic community in Nevada, she would probably not allow, a corrupt, anti-immigrant figure to campaign for her. Just a thought....

With the mid terms getting closer, SB1070 continues to be used by conservative candidates as rallying cry to their base.

A Florida state representative has drafted an SB1070 like law with a unique provision: If you are European or Canadian, you do not need to prove you are in the country legally, beyond showing your passport.

Tim Elfrink of the Miami New Times has more here, interestingly enough the author of the legislation swears that the law wont lead to racial profiling:

Florida state Rep. William Snyder, the slow-drawling ex-Miami-Dade Police officer who has drafted Tallahassee's version of the hotly debated Arizona immigration bill, is adamant that his law would not lead to racial profiling.
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"Race, ethnicity, and national origin cannot be used in making arrests. It's immoral, illegal, and unconstitutional," he said in a recent radio interview.

However if you happen to be white, then the law does not necessarily apply to you:

So why does his bill explicitly offer a free pass to Canadians and Western Europeans, who need only show a passport to be "presumed to be legally in the United States"?

"That language makes it clear that police are targeting only a specific minority," says Susana Barciela, policy director at the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center.

The language of the bill is pretty explicit on who should and should not be stopped:

What few observers seem to have noticed, though, is a bizarre clause Snyder included on page 3. Even if an officer has "reasonable suspicions" over a person's immigration status, the bill says, a person will be "presumed to be legally in the United States" if he or she provides "a Canadian passport" or a passport from any "visa waiver country."

What are the visa waiver countries? Other than four Asian nations, all 36 are in Western Europe, from France to Germany to Luxembourg.

In other words, Snyder's bill tells police to drop their "reasonable suspicions" of anyone hailing from dozens of countries full of white people. How is that not racial profiling?

Not surprisingly GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Rick Scott has vowed to pass the law if he is elected governor:

Snyder drafted his homage in August, and Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott last week pledged to support the bill if elected.

NOTE: For those of you who read this blog regularly, may have noticed that I have been writing a lot about Arizona. That is because from now until the election, I will be here working for NDN on various projects.

I will occasionally write about other races, and national stories as they develop, but for the most part I intend to write about the congressional races here as well as do some on the ground reporting.

We now return to the regularly scheduled blog post...

Michael Martinez and Thelma Gutierrez of CNN have a story up about a group of Arizona Teachers who are suing the state for passing a law that they feel is "anti Hispanic":

Eleven Tucson, Arizona, educators sued the state board of education and superintendent this week for what the teachers consider an "anti-Hispanic" ban looming on Mexican-American studies.

The law was written by state superintendent Tom Horne:

On Tuesday, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne defended the new law, which will go into effect December 31.

The law authorizes the superintendent to stop any ethnic studies classes that "promote the overthrow of the United States government ... promote resentment toward a race or class of people ... (or) advocate ethnic solidarity instead of treatment of pupils as individuals."

Horne said he would seek the first-ever ban in Tucson for its "raza studies" program, now called Mexican-American studies. Raza means "the race" in Spanish.

Perhaps the most dispiriting aspect of the law is that it actually denies money to schools based on what they teach in their classrooms:

The law allows the state to withhold 10 percent of monthly aid -- which would amount to $3 million a month for Tucson Unified School District No. 1.

The teachers believe that they have a good chance of overturning the law:

The 11 educators in Tucson's Mexican-American Studies Department are asking a federal judge to stay the new schools law, passed last April, because it violates free speech, equal protection and due process, the suit contends.

The video report is below: