It's interesting what some politicians cosider to be winning issues. We've been posting about Austin's "immigration reduction" meetings featuring a representative of the Minutemen. Dick Day, who wants to be the GOP-endorsed challenger to Walz next November, attended the first one. Day was cheered by a crowd that included people who said the solution to immigration is to "buy bullets."
When asked about his presence by the Post Bulletin, Day said he'd attend the meeting again. The Post Bulletin wasn't pleased with Day's presence at "mean-spirited pep rallies."
Earlier this week, the mayor of Austin was booed at a second meeting. We gather from press reports that Day wasn't at this one.
Today, CQ Politics provides a Washington context for the company Day is keeping. Seems like the GOP is forcing freshman Democrats into "difficult votes":
Republicans say such freshmen are in a tough spot of their own making.
“They ran as conservatives, and now they have to walk the line for their leadership here in D.C., while at the same time convincing the people at home that they are conservative,” said Republican Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina.
Unlike some of his colleagues, Tim Walz, who heads the Democratic freshman class, has not voted for any of the GOP’s immigration-related motions, which he calls “divisive” political ploys. Now Walz, who narrowly unseated six-term Republican Gil Gutknecht in a largely rural southern Minnesota swing district, is girding for election-year attacks from Republicans based on those votes. Among the Republicans lining up to take on Walz is state Sen. Dick Day, who has pledged that cracking down on illegal immigration would be his top priority.
Funny, but Walz didn't run as a "conservative"--and Gutknecht ran on immigration scare tactics, though he didn't keep company with Minutemen. At the first Austin meeting, Dick Day pledged to travel to the American southerwest ranch country where the Minuteman have been active.
For Gutknecht, immigration didn't turn out to be a "magic bullet," as the Hill noted right after the election. Somehow, we doubt Southern Minnesotans will find consorting with those who talk of buying real bullets any more persuasive at the ballot box.
Update 10/12/2007: After posting a news article with a headline highlighting how Austin's mayor was booed, the Rochester Post Bulletin has now posted an editorial in which the crowd is seen as much more civil, only booing once. In the editorial, Outsider has no answers for Austin, Minuteman Ron Branstner comes off as the heavy:
. . .Ron Branstner, a volunteer border watcher from California who led the meeting, doesn't have any answers for Austin or any other cities in Minnesota.
What was most striking about this meeting was its overall tone. The crowd was quite civil, which wasn't the case at a previous meeting. When Branstner stirred them up, they applauded with enthusiasm. But clearly, many in the audience weren't there for a pep rally. Instead, they almost begged Branstner to tell them specific steps they could follow to help their city get a grip on illegal immigration.
The border watcher from California didn't have a clue.
"Get the proof!" he said, referring to allegations that Hormel and other businesses were knowingly employing illegal immigrants.
"But what constitutes proof?" an audience member asked. And what do they do with the proof, if they're able to acquire it?
At which point, Branstner hemmed and hawed, then talked about how Austin could recoup millions of dollars from the IRS if it could prove that businesses were found to be in violation of immigration laws. The question about how to do this, however, remained unanswered.
Instead, Branstner used innuendo, rumors and hearsay to paint Mayor Tom Stiehm as being somehow "in the pockets" of businesses that rely on illegal immigrants. He also led his audience to believe that the Austin Welcome Center is really an employment agency for Hormel. . . .
. . .Branstner, on the other hand, is a rabble-rouser. He quotes Teddy Roosevelt and Mark Twain, tells interesting stories about cold nights on the border and paints a frightening picture of the future, but he doesn't know Austin.
Hopefully, his 15 minutes of fame here are over. If there are solutions to be found, they won't come from California.
It's our understanding that Branstner is a Minnesota transplant to California, proof that the state is perfectly able to produce nincompoops on our own.
Update: D. J. Danielson once again shows his chops in Critical element to “gotcha’ politics:” the motion to recommit at IDHA.
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