The Mayor of
Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Lou Barletta has won the nomination of both parties for a third term. Barletta has been a lightning rod in the illegal immigration debate and in my opinion a man of great courage for doing the right thing.
You did read that right above in the headline. Barletta got the GOP nomination and almost doubled the amount of nominations of the challenger who was on the Democrat ballot through write-ins.
This is just proof once again that the illegal immigration issue is not a Democrat or Republican issue. It is an American issue!
Rudy Espinal,
Hazleton Hispanic
Business Association |
In other Hazleton news, Rudy Espinal, president of the Hazleton Hispanic Business Association and one of the illegal alien supporters who is a plaintiff in the case against Hazleton, lost his bid for a seat on the city council.
Espinal was called as a witness on day 2 of the Hazleton trial and made claims that Latinos were intimidated by the act and that business had slowed. Those claims of business slowdowns due to the act, which was never enacted due to a restraining order by a district judge,
were discredited during the trial. The failure of Espinal's council seat run is just one more rebuke by the people of the city of Hazleton against illegal immigration and their supporters.
AP
Barletta faced only token opposition from GOP challenger Dee Deakos.
On the Democratic side, he received more than 1,200 write-in votes to defeat former Mayor Michael Marsicano, a retired airline pilot who led this northeastern Pennsylvania city in the late 1990s, according to unofficial returns. Marsicano received 699 votes.
Barletta, a businessman who took office in 2000, proposed the Illegal Immigration Relief Act last year after four illegal immigrants were charged with shooting and killing a man. The measure, on hold due to a legal challenge by Hispanic groups and individuals, was approved last summer and emulated by towns and cities around the nation. It would penalize landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and businesses that hire them.
If you missed the trial, you can read my coverage of the Illegal Immigration Relief Act court case from earlier this year.
Other Commentary:
Freedom Folks
St. Louis CofCC Blog
Moonbattery
Lone Star Diary
Right Wing Nation
Blogmeister USA
Left Wing Hate
