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DANCE OF THE ELEPHANTS IN CALIFORNIA

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By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

Declaiming his previous support for Pete Wilson’s anti-immigration 187 a day before a new national survey indicated over 70% of the voters in the country favor a “path to citizenship” for those here without documents, Governor Schwarznegger then expressed surprised at the harsh feeling held toward immigrants by the Republican base voters turned out for his events by campaign advance personnel.

Someone ought to introduce the Governor to the Republican Party nominee for United States Senator, Richard Mountjoy – the real father of Prop. 187.

Just as state and national surveys indicate that Immigration Reform is one of the three issues on the minds of voters as this Fall’s election approaches, the Republicans in California are in dramatic disagreement. The Governor opposes 187, regrets his previous praise of the nutsy “minutemen” volunteer vigilante groups. Mountjoy and the base of the Republican Party – as exemplified in the House of Representatives – would make it a federal crime to be present in America without documents, and would jail any citizen who “aided and abetted” such criminals by providing them with food, shelter or employment.

Go to jail for feeding grandma?

As the campaign moves on, it will become clear that you can’t vote for both Mountjoy and Schwarznegger if the future position of the Republican Party on immigration is important to you.

Schwarznegger and his handlers look with dismay at the surveys that reflect Hispanic and Asian defections from his candidacy. They see a scenario where a continuation in that direction could lead to defeat. To them that is the only future of the Republican Party that matters.

It will be fun to watch the dance. Someone should put Tom McClintock on the record too – which Republican does he agree with?

Of course, an effort could be made to simply ignore the issue – to claim it is “federal”. But it is hard to avoid that which is on the voters’ mind and that’s immigration reform.

And, of course, the President’s handling of the war in Iraq – down to 28% and counting. What does the Governor think about that?

Bill Cavala was, until recently, Deputy Director of the Assembly Speaker’s Office of Member Services where he worked for over 30 years.

He attended undergraduate and graduate school in the 1960’s and received adoctorate in political science at UC Berkeley. He taught political science at UC Berkeley during the 1970's while he worked part-time for the State Assembly.

Cavala left teaching at UC Berkeley and went to work for Assembly Speaker Willie Brown in 1981 until his tenure as Speaker ended in 1995, and he has worked for his five successors as Speaker up to and including Speaker Fabian Nunez.

Mr. Cavala manages election campaigns for Democratic candidates.

Posted on July 26, 2006

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