Most of the analyses of the likely fallout from Hillary Clinton’s refusal to endorse or denounce the issuance of drivers licenses to illegal aliens in last week’s Democratic Party debate have focused on her and her party’s nomination horse race.
Will Obama or Edwards be able to use her lack of (Bill) Clintonian skills at obfuscation to derail her ride to the nomination? Yes, that is a very relevant issue even if her major rivals agree with her on the substance, i.e. Hillary issued a statement later that she agrees with giving illegals licenses. I think the main point of the matter from the Democratic Party standpoint is that many grassroots Democrats fear she would be a disaster to the party down the ticket and that with her historically high negatives she can’t beat a mainstream republican.
But the most important issues and lessons for Republicans revealed by this event are:
1) The Democratic Party is and will remain 180 degrees out of phase with the vast majority of the American people and probably a majority of rank and file democrats on what is probably the one of the top two or three issues that concern the electorate and which will drive a large number of one issue voters in favor of border security;
2) When forced to answer questions directly on substance, instead of Bush bashing, their liberal views cannot stand the light of day any more than a Vampire can; and, maybe most importantly,
3) The reason the Democratic Party cannot moderate their open borders stance is that they know that they cannot win elections free of voter fraud.
Excerpts and columns by liberal E. J. Dionne and conservative John Fund are instructive (and read the whole columns too):
The Issue the Democrats Dread
In the short run, Clinton's exquisite calibration of her positions was the issue. But her debate dance reflects a deeper worry among Democrats that Republicans are ready to use impatience with illegal immigration to win back voters dissatisfied with the broader status quo.
The issue is especially problematic because efforts to appease voters upset about immigration -- including a share of the African American community -- threaten to undercut the Democrats' large and growing advantage among Latino voters. For Republicans, the issue is both a way of changing the political subject from Iraq, the economy and the failures of the Bush presidency and a means of sowing discord in the Democratic coalition.
One poll finding this week that shook Democrats came in a survey conducted by Democracy Corps, a consortium organized by party consultants Stan Greenberg, Al Quinlan and James Carville. It asked voters to pick two from a list of seven problems that explain "why the country is going in the wrong direction."
The survey found that among independent voters, 40 percent -- by far the largest group -- picked this option: "Our borders have been left unprotected and illegal immigration is growing."
By contrast, a lack of action on health care was named by only 24 percent of independents as a core problem, and Iraq by 23 percent.
The Democracy Corps poll, along with a Pew Research Center survey released this week, found Democrats with substantial advantages over Republicans on a variety of measures. But many Democrats fear that the more trouble Republicans are in, the more they will be willing to use immigration to attempt a comeback.
This has created serious tensions among congressional Democrats. Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the House Democratic Caucus chairman, has risked the ire of Latino groups by warning that the party must deal with concerns about illegal immigration.
Rahm will be unsuccessful on this, unlike his October Mark Foley 2006 surprise.
Why?
Listen to John Fund. Listen to this. (Wolf Blitzer impression. Sorry)
'This Will Make
Voter Fraud Easier'
Why does Mrs. Clinton want driver's licenses for illegal aliens?
Sen. Hillary Clinton was asked during a debate this week if she supported New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants. At first she seemed to endorse the idea, then claimed, "I did not say that it should be done, but I certainly recognize why Governor Spitzer is trying to do it."
The next day she took a firmer stand (sort of) by offering general support for Gov. Spitzer's approach, but adding that she hadn't studied his specific plan. She should, and so should the rest of us. It stops just short of being an engraved invitation for people to commit voter fraud.
The background here is the National Voter Registration Act, commonly known as "Motor Voter," that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1993. It required all states to offer voter registration to anyone getting a driver's license. One simply fills out a form and checks a box stating he is a citizen; he is then registered and in most states does not have to show any ID to vote.
But no one checks if the person registering to vote is indeed a citizen. That greatly concerns New York election officials, who processed 245,000 voter registrations at DMV offices last year. "It would be [tough to catch] if someone wanted to . . . get a number of people registered who aren't citizens and went ahead and got them drivers' licenses," says Lee Daghlian, spokesman for New York's Board of Elections. Assemblywoman Ginny Fields, a Long Island Democrat, warns that the state's "Board of Elections has no voter police" and that the state probably has upwards of 500,000 illegal immigrants old enough to drive.
The potential for fraud is not trivial, as federal privacy laws prevent cross-checking voter registration rolls with immigration records. Nevertheless, a 1997 Congressional investigation found that "4,023 illegal voters possibly cast ballots in [a] disputed House election" in California. After 9/11, the Justice Department found that eight of the 19 hijackers were registered to vote.
Under pressure from liberal groups, some states have even abandoned the requirement that people check a citizenship box to be put on the voter rolls. Iowa has told local registrars they should register people even if they leave the citizenship box blank. Maryland officials wave illegal immigrants through the registration process, prompting a Justice Department letter warning they may be helping people violate federal law.
Gov. Spitzer is treading perilously close to that. Despite a tactical retreat this week--he says he will only give illegal immigrants a license that isn't valid for airplane travel and entering federal buildings--Mr. Spitzer has taken active steps to obliterate any distinctions between licenses given to citizens and non-citizens.
In a memo last Sept. 24, he ordered county clerks to remove the visa expiration date and "temporary visitor" stamp on licenses issued to non-citizens who are legally in the country. A Spitzer spokeswoman explained the change was made because the "temporary" label was "pejorative," given that some visitors might eventually stay in the U.S. Under fire, Mr. Spitzer backed down this week, delaying the cancellation of the "temporary visitor" stamps through the end of next year.
But he has not retreated from another new bizarre policy. It used to be that county clerks who process driver's licenses were banned from giving out voter registration forms to anyone without a Social Security number. No longer. Lou Dobbs of CNN reported that an Oct. 19 memo from the state DMV informed the clerks they don't "have any statutory discretion to withhold a motor voter form." What's more, the computer block preventing a DMV clerk from transmitting a motor voter registration without a Social Security number was removed.
Gov. Spitzer's office told me the courts have upheld their position on Social Security numbers. Sandy DePerno, the Democratic clerk of Oneida County, says that makes no sense. "This makes voter fraud easier," she told me.
Despite her muddled comments this week, there's no doubt where Mrs. Clinton stands on ballot integrity. She opposes photo ID laws, even though they enjoy over 80% support in the polls. She has also introduced a bill to force every state to offer no-excuse absentee voting as well as Election Day registration--easy avenues for election chicanery. The bill requires that every state restore voting rights to all criminals who have completed their prison terms, parole or probation.
Pollster Scott Rasmussen notes that Mrs. Clinton is such a polarizing figure that she attracts between 46% and 49% support no matter which Republican candidate she's pitted against--even libertarian Ron Paul. She knows she may have trouble winning next year. Maybe that's why she's thrown herself in with those who will look the other way as a new electoral majority is formed--even if that includes non-citizens, felons and those who suddenly cross a state line on Election Day and decide they want to vote someplace new.
The GOP now has the ammo to drive a stake thru the vampire’s heart, and the vampire is not Hillary, it’s the Democratic Party. They can’t cry for po’ illegals to vote, especially when 911 hijackers were registered to vote via drivers licenses. It’s not for the children.
Republicans, all republicans, should demand a national voter ID law in federal elections.
I come away wondering if the Democratic majorities achieved in 2006 were possible only thru voter fraud. This country is simply way too conservative as compared to its elected officials.
Hillary’s gaffe has presented the GOP with an opportunity to achieve the permanent majority Reagan and Newt put us the path towards.
It’s not about Hillary. It’s about the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of the national Democratic Party and its proven failed liberal policies that they continually try to hide by bashing Bush or DeLays or Foleys.
They cannot advocate voter registrations without ID without exposing themselves in such a way that would fully discredit them with the public.
Our nominees in the Race42008 must drive this home.
Mike Gamecock DeVine @ The Charlotte Observer
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
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Race 4 2008
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