RNC tries to distance party from Arizona immigration law
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 2:31 pm
- 7 Comments
Photo: Steve Rhodes, Flickr
As a party, Republicans want to have it both ways on immigration — to tout anti-immigration policies without alienating Latino voters. On Monday, for instance, RNC Chairman Michael Steele attempted during an interview with Univision to distance the GOP from Arizona’s SB 1070 immigration law. The law was backed by Republicans from around the country, but Steele told the Spanish-language network the law should not reflect on the party:
CMF: How do you say that Hispanics are relevant (important) for your party, when you just approved a law in Arizona against immigrants?
STEELE: Well, let’s be clear. The actions of one state’s governor is not a reflection of an entire country, nor is it a reflection of an entire political party. The governor and the people of Arizona made a decision that they thought was in their best interest, and that’s the beauty of a republic, that’s who we are.
CMF [Cutaway]: For Steele, the Arizona law against immigrants is not a reflection of our nation, and it is not a reflection of the Republican Party.
STEELE: We hope, now that this debate is in full bloom, level heads will prevail and that we’ll reach a common sense solution with regards to immigration.
During recent debate over birthright citizenship, Steele and other Republican leaders also tried to draw a distinction between the party line and statements by some of its members. After Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called for changes to the 14th Amendment — and others, such as Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), went further with claims of “terror babies” — the RNC and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell couched discussion of the issue in terms of “birth tourism,” the documented practice of Chinese companies that arrange visas for pregnant women.
7 Comments
Comment posted August 24, 2010 @ 4:21 pm
This headline should read “Michael Steele tries to distance himself from Arizona immigration law.”
Michael Steele doesn’t speak for rank and file republicans which explains why the RNC is broke and the other republican campaign committees are flush with cash.
Comment posted August 24, 2010 @ 4:39 pm
I look forward to reading that headline on your site, Dennis. Do let us know when that’s up and running.
Comment posted August 24, 2010 @ 5:41 pm
Dennis reports that Michael Steele doesn’t speak for rank and file Republicans.
If the Chairman of the Republican National Committee dares not be the national voice for rank and file Republicans, who should?
Comment posted August 25, 2010 @ 2:11 pm
Republicans all over the country are deciding which part of the cliff to fall off of.
All the more room for the return of the moderate Republicans.
Comment posted August 26, 2010 @ 9:31 am
Mill, Michael Steele’s only function is to provide cover for Republicans so they can “prove” that they aren’t racist. No one pays any attention to him, as Dennis points out, and if he steps out of line, he isn’t forgiven until making appropriate penance to R_sh (sorry, but I don’t think I’m allowed to type the Holy Name).
Comment posted August 30, 2010 @ 2:49 am
Republicans are not deciding which cliff to fall off of because they have been pushed over the edge by the idiocy of their own party of no brains or intelligence. SURPRISE!!!! This is self inflicted damage from smoozing around with the criminal right. The criminal left is very upset about the inroads the right is making on their cash cow…the american (with a small a) people’s now defunct economy, and so we have this war going on between the idiots of both parties., Nothing could be more entertaining than watching to see when the next war starts. This is all they know how to do. It is the height of their intellectual achievements!
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