Sen. Lindsay Graham's (R-S.C.) absurd notion that Latino voters will flock to Republican candidates if they embrace amnesty and "comprehensive immigration reform" has been once more refuted, this time a Massachusetts special election to fill John Kerry’s U.S. Senate seat. On Friday, El Planeta, the state's largest Spanish-language newspaper, endorsed Democrat Ed Markey, a long-serving member of the House who only occasionally actually sets foot in his district, over Republican newcomer and fellow Latino Gabriel Gomez, son of Colombian immigrants, who often gives his campaign speeches in Spanish followed by an English translation and who is an enthusiastic supporter of the Schumer-Rubio amnesty bill.
From Friday's Boston Globe:
"You would expect that for a Spanish-language media outlet, during an electoral campaign with a Latino U.S. Senate candidate, the decision to support him would be easy," the three-person editorial board wrote in an endorsement to be published Friday. But, they added, "on the matters that most affect the Latino community in Massachusetts, we think that Edward Markey has demonstrated a greater commitment to the defense of those issues than the Republican candidate, Gabriel Gomez."
This should serve as a reality check for any Republicans who think that supporting the Gang of Eight bill will earn them Latino votes. One of El Planeta's editors complained that Gomez's support for amnesty had not been "clear or strong enough", but in fact Gomez has been unambiguous on this issue.
The following is his immigration position from his website:
My parents immigrated to the United States from Colombia in 1964, searching for the American Dream. America is the most compassionate and giving country in the world.
Legal immigration is a great benefit to this country. We must welcome those who want to work hard, and want to become law abiding Americans.
Immigration exemplifies the dysfunction in Washington. It is time to stop the partisan bickering, and for Congress and the president to work together to enact a bipartisan solution this year.
Serious immigration reform starts with securing our borders. Illegal immigrants with criminal records should be deported.
We must also seek to increase legal immigration. America must not educate the world in our universities, while forcing them out of the country to produce economic benefits in other countries.
Most undocumented workers are hard workers who contribute to our economy. It is time to bring illegal immigrants or undocumented workers out of the shadows, and offer an opportunity to obtain legal status, even citizenship, if they are willing to pursue it.
If that's not clear or strong enough support for the Gang of Eight agenda, I can't imagine what any Republican could say that would earn their support.
