CALIFORNIA YANKEE

Spitzer Can't Take The Heat

On Saturday I asked if New York Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer could take the heat over his very unpopular plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens.

Today we learn the answer is no.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer is abandoning his plan to issue driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants, saying that opposition is just too overwhelming to move forward with such a policy.

[. . .]

“You have perhaps seen me struggle with it because I thought we had a principled decision, and it’s not necessarily easy to back away from trying to move a debate forward,” he said.

If Spitzer's position was truly principled, should it not be worth fighting for to the better end? The truth is more likely that Spitzer's decision is simply unprincipled and poll-driven:

Mr. Spitzer’s decision to abandon his plan comes as a poll released Tuesday by Siena College found that seven in 10 New York voters who had heard about it — and more than 80 percent of the 625 registered voters polled had — opposed it. It also found that for the first time, more people viewed the governor unfavorably than favorably.

Steven Greenberg, Siena New York Poll spokesman said, "voters think the Governor is wrong on the policy and on the rationale for the policy:"

"One year ago, Eliot Spitzer won 69 percent of the votes for Governor. In January, 75 percent of voters gave him a favorable rating. Only five months ago, 64 percent viewed him favorably and 55 percent gave him a positive job performance rating," Greenberg said. "All that’s changed in a New York minute."

"Eliot Spitzer’s standing with voters has fallen faster and further than any politician in recent New York history," Greenberg said. "Everything may not have changed on day one but from the voters’ perspective, everything about Governor Spitzer changed in year one."

[. . .]

The Governor’s fall is directly tied to his license proposal.

Even Democrats can't understand why their party's national leaders embrace driver's licenses for illegal aliens, and see driving illegals as "de facto amnesty" and political poison.

Can Spitzer Take The Heat?

New York Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer hasn't ruled out rescinding his very unpopular plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens:

He said Friday he was standing by the plan for now, but he suggested he might consider backing off if he could not build enthusiasm for it, the reports said.

Spitzer claims giving driving credentials to people now "living in the shadows" would make traffic safer. That's the same justification offered by those who allowed illegal aliens to drive in Tennessee.

Spitzer's driving illegals program has become a national issue and a hot topic in the presidential campaign.

De Facto Amnesty - Driving Illegals

Even Democrats can't understand why their party's national leaders are embracing driver's licenses for illegal aliens, and say their constituents see it as a "de facto amnesty."

Alabama Democrat Representative Artur Davis, said voters in his state "get that a driver's license is a form of legal status" because it can be used to board a plane, enter most government buildings and conduct most financial transactions.

"The American people don't want conferring driver's licenses to become a de facto amnesty," he said.

Kansas Democratic Representative Nancy Boyda, Kansas Democrat, said the stance favoring licenses for illegals taken by Democratic presidential candidates is very unpopular in her district.

"It is ultimately about the rule of law," she said. "We don't give driver's licenses to people who are here illegally. We do something about the fact that they are here illegally."

Texas Democratic Representative Nick Lampson, said "Somebody else might be out of step with the voters of my district, but I'm not."

Driving illegals has exploded as a major issue in the presidential campaign thanks to New York's Liberal/Progressive Democratic Governor Elliot Spitzer's very unpopular proposal to give licenses to illegal aliens and Hillary's inability to say whether she supported Spitzer's proposal at the Drexal University debate.

According to the Washington Times, Hillary isn't the only Democratic presidential candidate to support Driving illegals:

In addition to Mrs. Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois said he favors licenses for aliens while New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's state is one of the small number that already allows such licenses.

A recent Fox 5-Washington Times-Rasmussen Reports poll found 77 percent, nearly a five-to-one margin, oppose drivers' licenses for illegal aliens, including (88%) of Republicans, 75% of unaffiliated voters and even 68% of Democrats.

The people get it. Unlike the Democratic Presidential candidates, voters understand that an incentive like a driver's license will encourage more illegal aliens.

Tennessee stopped issuing driving certificates to illegal aliens after investigations found illegal aliens were being shuttled to Tennessee from other states, using fake residency papers and sometimes bribing state workers to get the driving certificates. Tennessee's Driving certificates for illegals, like Spitzer's licenses, were meant to improve driving safety by making sure immigrants living in the state knew traffic rules.

New York Democrat Representative John Hall, broke with Spitzer over licenses for illegal aliens because of the security risk:

"I'm concerned that making licenses available to illegal immigrants could present security risks, make New York a magnet state for illegal immigrants by creating an incentive for more undocumented individuals to come to New York, and that the proposal would create a bureaucratic, confusing system," Hall said in a statement after he was criticized on the issue by national Republicans.

Even though some Democratic members of Congress see the silliness of providing incentives that encourage more illegal immigration, it's only the Republicans that are trying to stop driving illegals.

Minnesota Republican Senator Norm Coleman, introduced a resolution that would put the Senate on record condemning states issuing driver's licenses to illegal aliens. Coleman's resolution is co-sponsored by 15 Republican Senators.

A similar resolution has been introduced in the House by Republican Representatives Tom Latham of Iowa and John Randy Kuhl Jr. of New York

New York Republican Representative Peter T. King of Long Island plans to introduce legislation next week that would prohibit states from issuing driver’s licenses to illegal aliens.

Driving illegals is more problematic than just encouraging more illegal immigration. A driver's license is more than a permit to drive. It's a nationally recognized form of identification that implies citizenship. With the license comes an assumed legitimacy. The same legitimacy achieved by the 9/11 hijackers, who had dozens of state IDs, used to rent cars and apartments, open bank accounts, take flying lessons and board planes.

Instead of arresting and sending illegal aliens back to where they come from when they are discovered driving illegally, the liberal/progressive solution is to give them driver's licenses. I just don't get it.

Driving Illegals - Political Poison

A new poll finds voters oppose drivers' licenses for illegal aliens by a nearly five-to-one margin:

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of American adults are opposed to making drivers licenses available to people who are in the country illegally.

The results won't surprise anyone except the Liberal/Progressive extremists that have taken over the Democratic Party.

Eighty-eight percent (88%) of Republicans oppose giving drivers’ licenses to undocumented immigrants. So do 68% of Democrats and 75% of those not affiliated with either major political party. There is little difference along gender, age, or income levels.

I have said before, we should trust the people on immigration reform. The people get it. They intuitively understand that it is stupid to give someone known to be here illegally a license to drive.

The poll numbers are the real reason Hillary refused to give a straight answer about New York Democratic Governor Elliot Spitzer's very unpopular proposal to give licenses to illegal aliens.

The same analysis applies to the misguided Liberal/Progressive proposal to provide instate tuition breaks to illegal aliens contained in the so-called Dream Act. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of all voters oppose the concept of the Dream Act. On the left coast, 62% of California voters support Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of the state version of the Dream Act.

Providing any sort of "sanctuary" only encourages more illegal immigration.

Rell Vetoes In-State Tuition Rates For Illegal Aliens

Connecticut's Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed instate college tuition rates for children of illegal aliens at Connecticut colleges and universities

In her press release Governor Rell said that while she is sympathetic to the plight of the students, they are living in the U.S. illegally and she does not want to encourage people to circumvent federal immigration laws:

"I understand these students are not responsible for their undocumented status, having come to the United States with their parents,” Governor Rell said. “The fact remains, however, that these students and their parents are here illegally and neither sympathy nor good intentions can ameliorate that fact."

"This bill does not address the underlying problem that these students face – that they are not legal residents of the United States,” Governor Rell said. “The requirement that students file an application to legalize their status would in essence, be notification to the government that they are here illegally and it would greatly increase the likelihood that they would be deported."

The Governor noted in her veto message that she also does not want “to encourage individuals to circumvent federal immigration laws. The bill, by providing benefits to undocumented aliens, may serve to encourage others to come to Connecticut in violation of federal immigration law. National security in the post-9/11 world has become increasingly important and we cannot dismiss the effects of state action that may undermine federal security measures."

The legislation passed the supposedly veto-proof legislature by votes of 21-15 in the Senate and 77-68 in the House of Representatives 77-68. It is unlikely the Democratic controlled legislature will be able to override Rell's veto.

Three cheers for Governor Rell.

As I posted two years ago when the Connecticut Legislature still had the balls to do right thing and reject instate tuition for illegals, to provide the in-state tuition to illegal aliens would only further encourage illegal immigration. As a Connecticut taxpayer I don't see why I should be asked to subsidize the education of someone who is not in this country legally.

Thanks to The Everyday Republican for the tip.

More on the Immigration Vote

My RedState colleague, Rob Bluey has posted "Top 10 Defects of the Amnesty Bill." It is well worth your time. Bottom line - the Senate deal won't solve the problem of illegal immigration. It's just another band-aid.

Also not to be missed is Brian Darling's op-ed at National Review explaining the ramifications of the “clay pigeon” procedure that Harry Reid will use to trample on minority rights in the Senate.

UPDATE: At RedState, Erick has posted a recent article by Daniel B. Perrin, a former staffer to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Prerrin's article also concerns how Senator Reid has run roughshod over Senate rules and procedures that have existed for quite a long time.

Where's The Fence?

Grassfire.org, a conservative advocacy organization, targets Arizona Senators John McCain and Jon Kyl with an ad that ask, "Where's the fence?"

The commercials revisit the theme of Wendy's restaurants' famous series of hamburger commercials that used the catch phrase "Where's the beef?"

Bob Grossfeld, president of Scottsdale political consulting firm The Media Guys, gets it right when he says the ads are a waste of money. Neither Kyl nor McCain is going to reverse their position on the Senate's immigration deal.

Watch the following video, in which Senator McCain tries to explain why the fence hasn't been built:

Just build it already.

Tancredo Scaling Back Presidential Campaign

Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo plans to scale back his longshot presidential candidacy.

He's going ahead with previously scheduled events. After that, Tancredo said he would spend more time traveling to Republican-held congressional districts around the country to pressure Republicans to oppose the Senate immigration deal:

"We're going to continue to campaign, but I cannot devote as much time to the two states that we were focusing on," Tancredo said. "We'll still be there, but I can't do it as much because this bill has to be stopped, and it is immediate. This is for the country. I don't know any other way to do this."

Immigration reform has always been Trancredo's hot button. Nevertheless, his scaling back may have more to do with the fact that his candidacy just hasn't caught on.

Presidential Debates In Spanish

Univision, the Spanish-language television network, which has more viewers than CNN or Fox News, has invited presidential candidates to participate in debates to be conducted entirely in Spanish.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the debates would probably focus on the debate about legalizing millions of illegal aliens.

How can this work? Only Richardson and Dodd are fluent in Spanish.

Senate Immigration Deal Vote Watch

Originally posted June 4, 2007. Last updated June 6, 2007, 11:00 p.m.

Tracking down how Senators will vote on the immigration deal, I have found 25 who have taken a firm public stand:

For 16: Bennett, Robert F.- (R - UT); Brownback, Sam- (R - KS); Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA); Domenici, Pete V.- (R - NM); Durbin, Richard- (D - IL); Feinstein, Dianne- (D - CA); Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC); Isakson, Johnny- (R - GA); Kennedy, Edward M.- (D - MA); Kyl, Jon- (R - AZ); Lott, Trent- (R - MS); Martinez, Mel- (R - FL); McCain, John- (R - AZ); McConnell, Mitch- (R-KY); Salazar, Ken- (D - CO); Specter, Arlen- (R - PA)

Against 9: Bond, Christopher S.- (R - MO); Bunning, Jim- (R - KY); DeMint, Jim- (R - SC); Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC); Grassley, Chuck- (R - IA); McCaskill, Claire- (D - MO); Obama, Barack- (D - IL); Roberts, Pat- (R - KS); Sessions, Jeff- (R - AL)

Akaka, Daniel K.- (D - HI)

Alexander, Lamar- (R - TN)

Allard, Wayne- (R - CO)

Baucus, Max- (D - MT)

Bayh, Evan- (D - IN)

Bennett, Robert F.- (R - UT), plans to vote for the deal.

Biden, Joseph R., Jr.- (D - DE)

Bingaman, Jeff- (D - NM)

Bond, Christopher S.- (R - MO), opposes the deal.

Boxer, Barbara- (D - CA)

Brown, Sherrod- (D - OH)

Brownback, Sam- (R - KS), supports the deal.

Bunning, Jim- (R - KY), opposes the deal.

Burr, Richard- (R - NC)

Byrd, Robert C.- (D - WV)

Cantwell, Maria- (D - WA)

Cardin, Benjamin L.- (D - MD)

Carper, Thomas R.- (D - DE)

Casey, Robert P., Jr.- (D - PA)

Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA), backs the deal.

Clinton, Hillary Rodham- (D - NY)

Coburn, Tom- (R - OK)

Cochran, Thad- (R - MS)

Coleman, Norm- (R - MN)

Collins, Susan M.- (R - ME)

Conrad, Kent- (D - ND)

Corker, Bob- (R - TN)

Cornyn, John- (R - TX)

Craig, Larry E.- (R - ID)

Crapo, Mike- (R - ID)

DeMint, Jim- (R - SC), opposes the deal.

Dodd, Christopher J.- (D - CT)

Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC), opposes the deal.

Domenici, Pete V.- (R - NM), supports the bill.

Dorgan, Byron L.- (D - ND)

Durbin, Richard- (D - IL), supports the deal.

Ensign, John- (R - NV)

Enzi, Michael B.- (R - WY)

Feingold, Russell D.- (D - WI)

Feinstein, Dianne- (D - CA), supports the deal.

Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC), supports the deal.

Grassley, Chuck- (R - IA), opposes the deal.

Gregg, Judd- (R - NH)

Hagel, Chuck- (R - NE)

Harkin, Tom- (D - IA)

Hatch, Orrin G.- (R - UT)

Hutchison, Kay Bailey- (R - TX)

Inhofe, James M.- (R - OK)

Inouye, Daniel K.- (D - HI)

Isakson, Johnny- (R - GA), backs the deal.

Johnson, Tim- (D - SD)

Kennedy, Edward M.- (D - MA), supports the deal.

Kerry, John F.- (D - MA)

Klobuchar, Amy- (D - MN)

Kohl, Herb- (D - WI)

Kyl, Jon- (R - AZ), supports the deal.

Landrieu, Mary L.- (D - LA)

Lautenberg, Frank R.- (D - NJ)

Leahy, Patrick J.- (D - VT)

Levin, Carl- (D - MI)

Lieberman, Joseph I.- (ID - CT)

Lincoln, Blanche L.- (D - AR)

Lott, Trent- (R - MS), for the deal.

Lugar, Richard G.- (R - IN)

Martinez, Mel- (R - FL), supports the deal.

McCain, John- (R - AZ), supports the deal.

McCaskill, Claire- (D - MO), opposes the deal.

McConnell, Mitch- (R - KY), said he probably will vote for the deal.

Menendez, Robert- (D - NJ)

Mikulski, Barbara A.- (D - MD)

Murkowski, Lisa- (R - AK)

Murray, Patty- (D - WA)

Nelson, Bill- (D - FL)

Nelson, E. Benjamin- (D - NE)

Obama, Barack- (D - IL), oppses the deal.

Pryor, Mark L.- (D - AR)

Reed, Jack- (D - RI)

Reid, Harry- (D - NV)

Roberts, Pat- (R - KS), opposes the deal.

Rockefeller, John D., IV- (D - WV)

Salazar, Ken- (D - CO), endorsed the deal.

Sanders, Bernard- (I - VT)

Schumer, Charles E.- (D - NY)

Sessions, Jeff- (R - AL), opposes the deal.

Shelby, Richard C.- (R - AL)

Smith, Gordon H.- (R - OR)

Snowe, Olympia J.- (R - ME)

Specter, Arlen- (R - PA), supports the deal.

Stabenow, Debbie- (D - MI)

Stevens, Ted- (R - AK)

Sununu, John E.- (R - NH)

Tester, Jon- (D - MT)

Thomas, Craig- (R - WY)

Thune, John- (R - SD)

Vitter, David- (R - LA)

Voinovich, George V.- (R - OH)

Warner, John- (R - VA)

Webb, Jim- (D - VA)

Whitehouse, Sheldon- (D - RI)

Wyden, Ron- (D - OR)