Brown v. Whitman Debate: Meg Does NOT Support Immigration Reform

[pampango]

http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/73876

In a sign that perhaps Pete Wilson is still pulling the strings in her campaign, the following words came out of Meg Whitman’s own mouth: “I wouldn’t support a path to legalization”. Watch the video from the debate for yourself here.

The question that asked the candidates to state their positions on immigration was “do you see any positive impacts of immigration to California and would do you support a path to legalization?”

Interestingly, both candidates skipped the first part of the question: “do you see any positive impacts of immigration to California?” Instead, they both chose to focus on the usual “secure our borders, go after employers” mantras. It’s not surprising, being that politicians hardly ever stand up to talk about the actual positivies that immigration has in our economy like how undocumented immigrants basically subsidze our way of life because undocumented immigrants pay taxes, they do some of the hardest-labor jobs, save our Social Security from going into the hole, etc. etc.

Moreover, it was particulary interesting to see Meg Whitman say she opposes a path to legalization, which by definition would be included in any comprehensive immigration reform. This was of particular interest being that her position would be at odds with most Californians. Via this Public Policy Institute poll back in March 2010 which showed that:

Seventy percent of Californians believe undocumented immigrants who have been living and working in the United States for at least two years should be allowed to keep their jobs and eventually apply for legal status.

[Brother Buzz]

1. The next debate, tomorrow, in Fresno (looks like Detroit) is aimed at Latino audiences

It may not be pretty as Whitman is kinda boxed in with ugly options. Attack Jerry, the man in the catbird seat?

AM Alert: The road to Fresno

All eyes, at least among political junkies, are on Fresno, where the second televised debate between Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown will be taped Saturday morning at Fresno State's Satellite Student Union.

The debate is being pitched to Latino audiences statewide. It's hosted by KFTV Univisión 21 Fresno and moderated by Maria Elena Salinas and Jorge Ramos, the co-anchors of "Noticiero Univisión," the network's evening news program.

Any bets the first question will include some version of the word "immigration"?

Univisión will air the debate later Saturday at 4 p.m. across California, with English and Spanish subtitles. After the broadcast, the debate will be available online at www.univisionfresno.com, www.univisionsacramento.com and other local Univisión websites.

http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2010/10/am-alert-100110.html

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Brown V. Whitman: Today In The California Governor's Race, Oct. 1

The second televised debate between Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman will take place Saturday in Fresno.

For Meg Whitman, the timing couldn’t be worse.

The debate is aimed at Latino audiences, and is being aired on Univision with Spanish and English subtitles. Brown already had the edge with Latino voters coming into this week, but now that the Whitman maid scandal has erupted, Whitman’s going to have to work extremely hard simply to maintain the portion of Latino votes she does have.

The maid scandal is continuing to develop, and yesterday attorney Gloria Allred held a press conference to display evidence she says proves Whitman and her husband knew their maid, Nicandra Diaz Santillan, was an undocumented immigrant. Allred produced a government letter saying that Diaz Santillan’s social security number was incorrect. At the bottom of the letter was a note Allred says was written by Whitman’s husband, proving the two did know something was wrong.

Previously, Whitman had denied that she or her husband knew anything about the letter. Now, her husband, Griff Harsh, has admitted that he might have been the one who wrote the note at the bottom of the letter.

Whitman has been trying to turn the scandal around, attempting to implicate the Brown campaign and claiming that Brown is paying Allred. In fact, she offered to take a polygraph to prove she didn’t know Diaz Santillan was undocumented, but only on the condition that Brown take a polygraph to prove he has not played a part in orchestrating this “stunt.”

<more>

http://www.neontommy.com/news/2010/10/brown-v-whitman-today-california-governors-race-oct-1

[pinboy3niner]

2. We're gonna need a bigger tub of popcorn...

The Hispanic vote is expected to account for 15% of the total vote in CA in November. That's more than enough to decide the election for Governor. And I suspect the Hispanic voter turnout may be even higher as a result of Whitman's exposure on immigration issues.

[IndianaJoe]

3. But Meg would support hiring illegals as her maids. Logical, eh?

N/T

[Reg825]

4. If you missed the Univision debate, watch here in full

...you can access full transcript and video of debate in English here:

http://www.economicrefugee.net/univision-debate-between-brown-whitman/

Check out the video featured on that page of a question that was posed to the candidates regarding how helping undocumented migrants to achieve legal status might be positive for the economy...

Notice how Meg Whitman sidestepped the question of rewarding the hard work of undocumented immigrants for their positive contributions to our economy. Her only proposal is a “guest worker” program, which would not give these immigrants full working rights and protections. Good on Jerry Brown for pointing out how such a program would only amount to squeezing these human beings for their labor and just send them back when people are done with them without even a thank you for their hard labor (an issue that received quite a bit of media attention recently thanks to Stephen Colbert’s testimony to Congress).