A new television ad attacking Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Claire McCaskill features photos of Hispanic men and women carrying Mexican flags with a female voice delivering the following message:
Between 10 and 12 million illegal immigrants reside in America costing taxpayers more than $45 billion a year. How did so many illegal immigrants get here? They walked right in.
Claire McCaskill does not favor restrictive measures to protect our security, like a border fence.
If Claire McCaskill’s view prevails, America won’t be America anymore.
The ad is paid for by a group called Americans for Honesty on Issues. The group’s Web site does not give an address or phone number, nor does it list any of the officers or sponsors. It says only, “Americans for Honesty on Issues is organized to engage in political issue communications in compliance with federal and state laws.”
According to Wikipedia, the group is a Houston, Texas based “527″ that has spent over one million dollars on television advertisements, critical of Democratic candidates.
“527″ groups are tax-exempt organizations that participate in political activities, typically via soft money contributions, which have no legal limit. By federal law, they are not allowed to coordinate their efforts with political campaigns. According to the New York Times, if past trends hold, the total raised and spent by such groups on this election will surpass $300 million, eclipsing the $258 million spent by such groups in the last midterm election, in 2002.
Again according to Wikipedia, Bob J. Perry, a Houston construction firm owner, appears to be the sole funder of AHI. Perry was the major funder of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, who ran a campaign against John Kerry in the 2004 election.
Sue Walden, a Houston business owner, is the president of AHI. Walden was a lobbyist for Enron and is considered a close ally of the former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who was forced to resign from Congress amid ethics scandals. Walden has been a Minor League Pioneer fundraiser for George W. Bush, raising $43,000, and was an adviser to Kenneth L. Lay, the former chief executive of Enron.
We’ll try to post the video as soon as we can find a version on the Web.
October 31st, 2006 at 1:56 pm
Why would this be racist? Immigration issues have been talked to death for the past year, are these stories racist?
October 31st, 2006 at 2:12 pm
Diane, what is racist is having a parade of brown faces on the screen while saying “America won’t BE America anymore” if it gets much browner.
Anti-illegal immigration is one thing. Anti-Hispanic and Latino is another thing entirely. I think this ad crosses the line.
October 31st, 2006 at 2:23 pm
If the group Americans For Honesty On Issues were truly honest,they would attack the Republicans who have been in control of Congress and the presidency for the last 10 years and have done little to stop illegal immigration instead of attacking Ms. McCaskill!
October 31st, 2006 at 3:46 pm
I say if people want to live in America they need to start acting like Americans, and speak our native language: Navajo.
October 31st, 2006 at 4:30 pm
Antonio, why would you highlight this ad but not McCaskill’s own anti-gay ad shown only in out-state markets? Both candidates and their parties have campaigned dirty.
October 31st, 2006 at 5:12 pm
“…anti-gay ad shown only in out-state markets?”
I haven’t seen this ad. Can you describe it or shoot me a link to it on the Web somewhere? And can you tell me if it is paid for by the McCaskill campaign or someone else?
Thanks.
October 31st, 2006 at 8:59 pm
Ben Smith is racist against Arapaho, Shoshone, Algonquin, Mohawk…etc. etc. etc.
Just joking Ben.
TRouble
October 31st, 2006 at 9:02 pm
Anony 4:30– this obviously prooves Antonio’s Democrat bias.
With one foot in the Democrat camp I dont know how he sleeps at night.
TRouble
October 31st, 2006 at 11:57 pm
Russ Carnahan voted against regulating the 527 groups.
November 1st, 2006 at 10:34 am
You want to stop illegal immigration from south of the border? Increase the number of INS officers devoted to enforcing the laws already on the books and begin actions against employers. This will stop a significent portion of illegals entering this country. This won’t happen, of course, because the corporate and business interests will scream bloody murder at the Bush regime for taking away their cheap, non-union, compliant labor. But then again, in light of the dependance Mexico and other Latin American countries have on dollars sent home by immigrants, perhaps having the economic collapse of a few nations south of us might be a bad thing. Oh, BTW, the trade imbalance created by cheap American agricultural imports(primary among them: corn) may also have something to do with the flood of illegals over the last few years. Thank you, NAFTA.
November 1st, 2006 at 11:22 am
Care to explain that/cite that vote, Dough?
November 1st, 2006 at 1:19 pm
HR 513: 527 Reform Act of 2005
Russ voted No.
Adds 527 organizations to the definition of a political committee, and therefore capping individual contributions at $5,000.
November 1st, 2006 at 11:25 pm
The entire immigration issue is a complete farce.
The Republicans are doing a half-ass job regulating immigration because they are all about Big Business. Do you really think the old-style Republicans want to cut into profits?
They are constructing a 700 mile fence on a 2000 mile Mexican border because they don’t want immigration to end.
The Republican Party, and the economy, need these people to work in fields and factories because they produce cheap goods. They do a pretty productive job as well.
Republicans placate the conservative anti-immigration groups with half-ass anti-immigration action.
The simple fact is that both parties recognize that we need these immigrants as they are doing jobs that we do not want to do, or jobs that employers can give to immigrants at a lower rate.
In the end cheap labor means cheaper products thus more money is put into the economy as we can purchase more. This is basic economics and both parties recognize this, especially the GOP.
Protectionalists Democrats can play their game, and claim to value the American Worker, yet they are capitalists as well.
Immigration will not end and the conservative anti-immigration groups are simply fools if they believe it will end.
The GOP had a majority and could have had solid anti-immigration legislation passed by now yet they failed.
At least we can all laugh as the Minutemen take over border security.