Walt Minnick, Idaho Democrat, Goes After His Opponent On Immigration

Pop quiz, everyone! It's September, 2010, and the midterm elections loom in the distance. A candidate running for the House of Representatives cuts an ad, obliquely fearmongering about undocumented immigrants and alleging that "illegal immigration" is "good business" for his opponent. Do you think you know the party affiliations of the purveyor and the target of this campaign ad? Well, guess again:

It isn't every day that Democrats target Latino challengers with nasty anti-immigrant ads, but these are apparently desperate times for certain embattled Dems.

Check out this remarkably vicious new ad from Blue Dog Dem Walt Minnick of Idaho, claiming that illegal immigration is "good business" for his Republican challenger, Raul Labrador,

WATCH:

That's from Greg Sargent, who says, "I'm told that Labrador is short on funds, and that Republicans think this is a tough race for them because Minnick's record is hard to attack, because he's bucked his party on many major issues. Yet Minnick apparently sees the need to run an ad that stinks of fear and desperation. Quite a specimen."

Well, maybe. But let's add some context here: Minnick is the only Democrat in the land who has earned an endorsement from the Tea Party Express. So it's not entirely surprising that we see him here, brandishing some of the nativism for which that movement is known.

As for Labrador, if we leave ideology and party platform aside for a moment and cut right to the personal, I have to say, the guy really is more sinned against than sinning, isn't he? Let's recall that during the primary season, Labrador had to endure some serious nonsense from his Palinista opponent, Vaughn Ward, who was apparently of the mind that Labrador's native Puerto Rico was not a part of America. When Labrador corrected Ward, pointing out that Puerto Rico was a United States territory, Ward shot back, "I really don't care what it is, it doesn't matter." Voters rightly dispatched Ward at their first opportunity.

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Comments

[rich washburn]

10:32 AM on 10/21/2010

discover walt minnick
see realminnick.com
3 minute video
very enlightening
spread truth fast

[ianhochstrasser]

01:26 PM on 09/29/2010

As a new resident of Idaho and someone who doesn't care that much about politics, I've never heard of Walt Minnick until I read this post this morning.

Yes, we should all be above name-calling and mud-slinging, but we aren't. Some guy once said, to paraphrase: "Let the perfect one be the first to throw a rock (at the imperfect)."

The name-calling has got to stop. The partisan and bi-partisan politics have got to stop, or at least radically reform. Democrats are idiots. Republicans are too. Democats are geniuses. So are Republicans. You see where I'm going with this.

I'm not even sure what it means to be a Republican or Democrat. These terms seem to be vague ways of categorizing two groups that think differently but ultimately both claim to work for the good of the people.

I hope there comes a point in American politics where it doesn't matter if you're affiliated with a certain party or any party as long as the good of the peopel you represent comes first. This POV may be overly idealistic, but shouldn't we aim for the ideal?

[LaFlow]

12:44 PM on 09/22/2010

Walt's ad is truly despicable... I've seen it on TV here. I find it hard to believe that he could endorse such an ad and yet has no problem showing up at Idaho Conservation League's Night on the River to mingle with the very people who helped him get elected and who he continues to stab in the back on a daily basis on the Hill. Given how he votes, it doesn't really matter if he's thrown out on his ear this November...

[Kenz300]

01:13 PM on 09/19/2010

Mexicans need to demand more from their government in Mexico.

The country of Mexico should be working to provide jobs, safe streets and schools
so that it's citizens do not leave the country to support themselves.

When will the people of Mexico rise up and demand that their politicians
provide a clean, bribe free, non corrupt government for it's people.

It is time for Mexicans to demand change in Mexico.

[latinonationreport]

02:54 AM on 09/19/2010

didn't really know much about MInnick or who Labrador was prior to reading this headling and article...Clearly--I think less of Minnick...shame on him for using race as an issue,especially when Demos like Pres. Obama and Luis Guitierrez are such great models on race related issues!

However--I wonder what Labrador thinks about immigration reform and how he'd vote on a pathway type law and/or on DREAM Act..anyone know?
www.latinonationreport.c

[GregHooper]

11:55 AM on 09/21/2010

So you support Latino Nation LaRaza and the other racist orginiztions demanding Latino righs in a country where they are not citizens

The pretzle logic employed by the Amnesty First Open Borders crowd is amazing

Make E-Verify work and take their jobs

We are not responsible for the poor decisions made by the parents of these children who want a DREAM act back door amnesty

How does it feel to want

You are not having an undo burden placed upon you by not being granted a US Passport

You have had a good edcation on our dime now go back to your native country and use what you have learned here to fix rthe mess that caused your parents to leave in the first place

Who knows you just might become President

[MmeFlutterbye]

06:48 PM on 09/18/2010

Minnick is a maverick? Does a politician only have to be disagreeable, contrary, and combative to be dubbed this "macho" title?

[randyjet]

05:41 PM on 09/18/2010

It is absurd to only blame employers for the illegals coming here. If the government did its job and secured the borders as Barbara Jordan advocated, we would not have a problem now. It can and must be done. I personally saw how you can secure a far longer and tougher border when I visited Eastern Europe in the 80s. They did an excellent job of keeping people in or out. It is not rocket science and can be done easily as even the EU is doing with their building a fence to keep out their illegals. It is only in the US that it is impossible to secure our borders. Right?

[azlegalcitizen]

01:36 AM on 09/29/2010

Where there is a will there is a way, the govs have no desire to truly close the border, too much cheap labor on both sides of the border and the dems want as many illegals here asap so obama can give them backdoor, frontdoor, sidedoor any door amnesty so they will vote for the dems in the near and distant elections

[SouthSideHooligan]

03:21 PM on 09/18/2010

I always find it ironic that the most rural, non-immigrant places like Idaho are the ones screaming the loudest against immigration. Is life that boring in Boise that you need to complain about people you've never met, thousands of miles away, having no personal impact on your life?

You're THAT desperate to whine and complain and force others out of a country you've likely never fought in war for? There are a lot of immigrants in the US Army- they're doing more for our country before breakfast than you'll do your entire life in that rural bastion of tolerance you populate.

[randyjet]

03:49 PM on 09/18/2010

Got news for you. Those are people are LEGAL immigrants, not the illegals who don't even register for the DRAFT as they are required to do by law. Just another crime that they are guilty of too.

I am in favor of the DREAM Act ONLY if the illegal children enlist in the US military and have graduated from a US high school. There should be NO amnesty for those who do nothing but work for themselves by going to college. They should EARN their right to live and work in the US by sacrificing for our country.

The current act allows any child who enters the US before they turn 15 to be eligible for amnesty, and the youngsters of up to 35 years old. Of course, It is NOT as though only kids who were infants will be able to take advantage of this. Also it is endless since it will apply to all future illegals too. So it is just another magnet to bring MORE illegals here. The act does NOT require any proof of the claims. THAT is the reason for only allowing those who enlist to be eligible since the military WILL check on their claims when they enlist.

[freedom007]

04:19 PM on 09/18/2010

Illegal immigrants are just like any other large group of people. Some work hard, some sit around and collect welfare, some are in gangs etc...

[ROBINB72]

09:16 PM on 09/18/2010

...some write in the Huffington post : )

[JLTorres]

02:36 PM on 09/18/2010

Maybe progressives need to do some purging our our own?

[JLTorres]

02:35 PM on 09/18/2010

DINO all the way. Someone please explain what's the point of having someone like this on the Democratic side of the aisle?

[General Public]

02:28 PM on 09/18/2010

Ooh, looks like the Democrat's gonna win this Idaho race, since he's even more conservative than the Republican... makes it hard for me to decide which one I would prefer to win... I generally always go for Democrats over Republicans, but this looks like it may be different... I would have to know if Walt Minnick would vote for Speaker Pelosi or Speaker Boehner, and which of the 2 candidates would vote with the Democrats more often. If the Republican opponent is in favor of immigration reform, he might not be that conservative, and Walt Minnick seems like a Republican in Democrat's clothing. Hmm... according to pollsters there is actually a good chance Republicans will win the House of Representatives, so we need every Democrat we can get. We can't just let John Boehner become Speaker because we are unwilling to support the lesser of 2 evils in a race such as this. I wouldn't actually say support, though... I would just say that a vote for a less-than-ideal Democrat such as Walt Minnick is a vote to keep the Republicans out of that office, and the time to get rid of bad Democrats is in primary elections, not general elections.

[randyjet]

03:36 PM on 09/18/2010

According to wikipedia Minnick voted Democratic 70% of the time. If you want an amnesty for all illegals and to keep more coming, you should not vote for him if that is your big one issue.

[rich24h]

05:25 PM on 09/18/2010

so whats the difference ??? two I@#TS trying out do
each other suddenly CANADA does`nt look so boring anymore

[ArkayMI]

02:02 PM on 09/18/2010

A Blue Dog against a Labrador. Some dog fight you have here :-)

[mashtoe]

01:29 PM on 09/18/2010

Why do people, especially liberals, always use illegals and Latinos in the same sentence?

Why can't someone say they are against illegal immigration without being labelled xenophobic?

If I lose my job because there are now too many illegals ( of any nationality) are you going to support me and my family?!
Are you going to pay for my kid's college? My retirement?

I doubt it. You just want cheap exploitable labor and you don't care about Americans who get hurt by it. Nor do you really care about people in other nations. You support NAFTA and free trade with communist China which in Mexico ruined a million farmers and in China has emboldened the Maoist in Beijing. People in China now work themselves literally to death.
But that isn't your fault is it?

[randyjet]

12:17 PM on 09/18/2010

I am a long time liberal Democrat who is very much opposed to any amnesty or continued illegal immigration. Since I live in Texas, I consider myself a Barbara Jordan Democrat who chaired the commission on immigration. She stated that the goal of immigration law is to further the national interests of the US, NOT the individual or groups. In her remarks to Congress she stated that immigration reform should be to let in those who should get in, keep out those who should not come in, and to deport all who should not be here. THAT is the liberal Democratic position. It is NOT the position of the open borders people who are doing the work of the employers and Chamber of Commerce. It is a betrayal of the poorer Americans who are the victims of the illegals who drive down THEIR wages. Those Americans are mainly black,brown and poor whites. Those people count for NOTHING in the view of some Democrats! They go even further and try and justify their arrogance by stating that our food costs will go sky high if we get rid of the illegals. They are willing to live of the poor wages and work of an exploited class of people to benefit themselves. They love having cheap household help, and lawn care too. THAT is NOT being a Democrat!

[MmeFlutterbye]

12:12 PM on 09/18/2010

What a disappointment these DINO's are!!! Too bad they have to employ Republican type slime tactics in order to gain ground. However if this ad states the facts about Labrador, then people need to know. It's true that corporations (all but a VERY few are Republican leaning) gladly employ illegals at slave wages. The agribusinesses would flounder without them. So, maybe, there's some truth to what the Minnick campaign ad says.

[randyjet]

01:29 PM on 09/18/2010

I don't think that there was a more respected liberal in Congress than Barbara Jordan. I also think that the Democratic Party should adopt all of the recommendations of her commission that she chaired. She was very much against illegal immigration and wanted to crack down on it and deport mass numbers and put up barriers and fencing along the border to help secure it. I fully support her work and legacy, as should ALL liberals and progressives!

[mashtoe]

01:34 PM on 09/18/2010

Your comments are a perfect example of how liberals defend slavery. "oh the poor corporate farmers...what ever would they do without slave labor?! We must maintain exploitation to ensure profits are high"

[randyjet]

02:25 PM on 09/18/2010

Real liberals and progressive are against illegal immigration and the slave labor conditions. Unfortunately, there are too many who ape the corporate leaders in demanding cheap labor under the guise of "helping" the poor folks of less fortunate countries who just want a better life here at OUR expense and wages. Progressives have historically been against ALL immigration, legal and illegal. FDR banned ALL immigration during the Depression. We need to do likewise.

[Yurdelite51]

02:53 PM on 09/18/2010

And your answer is an example of perfect nonsense.