84 leaders of groups opposing illegal immigration have come out against Mike Huckabee's faux immigration statements recently and his endorsement by Jim Gilchrist, the co-founder of the Minutemen. Apparently Gilchrist didn't do his homework on Huckabee or there was some money, power or position promised to him for his endorsement, because I can't for the life of me see why he would do such a thing. I have noted Huckabee's ridiculousness regarding illegal aliens for years and summed it up in my recent article on Huckabee and immigration.
I have also signed the below letter that was released by the Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee (ALIPAC). I post it in full below with all of those who have signed it and links to their websites in the extended entry.
The reason that I signed it is, first, Huckabee's past performance and actions show that he is only using lip service to get elected and has actively worked and encouraged illegal immigration in the past. Second, Jim Gilchrist seems to have made a serious flaw in actually looking into Huckabee's record. That does not mean that I hate Gilchrist or what he has done in the past (on the contrary, I was a supporter of his congressional run in California) but it certainly does damage his credibility, if not totally destroy it, in a lot of people's eyes.
Can Gilchrist still run his organization and receive support after such a blunder as this?
Full letter:
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In reaction to Jim Gilchrist's (Co-Founder of Minutemen) lone endorsement of pro-amnesty Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee:
We, the undersigned, state that our organizations stand against racism and Amnesty for illegal aliens. Instead, we stand for the enforcement of our existing immigration laws, the securing of America's borders, and attrition enforcement.
We have dedicated our efforts to fighting illegal immigration and we are compelled to warn the American public about the immigration stance and record of Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee.
We denounce Jim Gilchrist's solo endorsement of a pro-amnesty and Open Borders candidate for President. Mr. Gilchrist does NOT speak for us!
Mike Huckabee is pro-amnesty and favors a "path to citizenship" for illegal aliens currently in the US, which would require a lifting of the current penalties.
Mike Huckabee is against ICE raids and decried them in his home state, when illegal aliens were arrested at companies that financially support his campaigns.
Mike Huckabee supports benefits for illegal aliens such as taxpayer subsidized in-state tuition.
Governor Huckabee also favors a "touchback" provision, which we feel is a trick to confuse voters. He would have illegal aliens leave for a day, pick up new papers, and then reenter the US LEGALLY, which is not the back of the immigration line! He has stated that illegal aliens could leave and "You do have a pathway to get back here legally that would take days, maybe weeks, not years."
Mike Huckabee supported Comprehensive Immigration Reform Amnesty that failed in the US Senate and was rejected by a large majority of Americans. He stated that those who opposed the legislation are "driven by racism or nativism."
Mike Huckabee has distorted the goals of "attrition enforcement" and the positions of Mark Krikorian by adding visa expansions, expedited visas, and "touchback", which would counteract enforcement measures.
In truth, Mike Huckabee's stances on the illegal immigration issue are out of line with the vast majority of Americans.
SIGNED
William Gheen
Americans for Legal Immigration PAC
Ron Woodard
NC Listen Border Project
www.nclisten.com
Peter Gadiel
9/11 Families for A Secure America
www.911fsa.org/
Dan Sheehy
Author of "Fighting Immigration Anarchy: American Patriots Battle to Save the Nation"
www.FightingImmigrationAnarchy.com
RUSSELL LANDRY
Citizens Against Illegal Aliens
groups.msn.com/CitizensAgainstIllegalAliens/
Danny Smith
American Freedom Riders
www.americanfreedomriders.com/
Wanda Piety
Save America Fund
www.saveamericafund.com
Brook Young
Immigration Watchdog
Sandra Beene
Co-founder TX Minutemen
www.txminuteman.org
Hal Washburn
MCDC Washington State
www.minutemanhq.com
Allen Taylor
Hoosiers for Secure Borders
www.hoosiersforsecureborders.com
Jack McDermott
Pennsylvanians Against Illegal Immigration
Joseph L. Ray
MCDC Chapter Leader
www.minutemanhq.com
Jeff Wilson
Report and Deport
www.reportanddeport.org
S. Byron Gassaway
Rescue Without Borders
www.rescuewithoutborders.org
Melissa Gardner
Let Freedom Ring America
www.lframerica.com
Michael Apple
Minutemen Civil Defense Corps.
California-North Bay Chapter
www.minutemanhq.com
Johnny Tex
Johnny Tex and the Texicans
www.johnnytex.com
Gianluca Zanna
Co-Founder Mohave County Minutemen
www.mohaveminutemen.com
Ruthie Hendrycks
Minnesotans Seeking Immigration Reform
www.mnsirproject.com
Steve Hampton
Protect Our Borders
www.protectourborder.net
Hayward Vickery Jr.
US Border Watch
www.usborderwatch.com
Michael Franks
Former Texas State Republican Executive Committee Member.
Former Political Director, Texas Republican Liberty Caucu
Teela Roche & Mark Thies
South Carolinians for Immigration Moderation
Margaretann Bianculli
Greater Farmingville Citizens' Association
Bill Strong
CHOICE
www.choice.flashbit.us
Jon Healy
TechnoPatriots
www.technopatriots.com
Wally McCormick
Utah Minuteman
Phyllis Sears
Citizens Council on Illegal Immigration
www.cciiwc.com
Barb Coe
California Coalition for Immigration Reform
www.ccir.net
Daniel Smeriglio & Andrew Woodring
Voice of the people U.S.A
www.votpusa.com
Bob Cox
www.patriotsborderalliance.com
Patriots Border Alliance
Steve Salvi
Ohio Jobs & Justice PAC
www.ojjpac.org
Bob Baker & Leon Donahue
Washingtonians For Immigration Reform
www.wfir.org
Michael A. Jackson
Government for the People
www.votemj.com
Tony Dolz
U.S. Congressional Candidate (California 30th District)
MCDC California
www.dolz.com
Carl Braun
State Leader MCDC- CA
Dan Amato
Digger's Realm
www.diggersrealm.com
Jeff Schwilk
San Diego Minutemen
www.SanDiegoMinutemen.com
Joe Turner & Chelene Nightingale
Save Our State
www.saveourstate.org
Conner Collier
V.P. of U.S. Border Watch
www.usborderwatch.com
Joe & Barb McCutchen
Arkansas Freedom
www.arkansasfreedom.com
A. B. Flanagan, III
KeepItAmerican.Biz
www.keepitamerican.biz
Jan Herron, Columnist
Magic City Morning Star
Robert M. Copley Sr.
Colorado Minutemen
www.sovereigntycolorado.com
Burr Deitz
New York Constitution Party
www.nyconstitutionparty.com
Paul Streitz
CT Citizens for Immigration Control
www.ctcic.net
Janie McCormick
Constitution Coalition
Saul Lisauskas
Stop SPP & NAU
www.StopSPP.org
Frosty Wooldridge
Author & Paul Revere Riders
www.frostywooldridge.com
Kathy McKee, founder/chairman
Protect Arizona NOW
www.pan2004.com
Lupe Moreno
Latino Americans for Immigration Reform (LAIR)
www.latinoamericans.org
Ted Hayes
Los Angeles Activist
www.tedhayes.net
Nedd Kareiva
Stop the ACLU Coalition
www.stoptheaclu.org
Peter B. Gemma
columnist, Middle American News
www.manews.org
Paul & Jo Separk
The MidNight Writers
groups.myspace.com/saynotothenau
Frank Jorge
Antelope Valley Independent Minutemen
www.avimm.com
Ron Bass
United Patriots of America
www.UnitedPatriotsOfAmerica.com
Michael Kelley
NC Voice
www.ncvoice.info
Duane Smith
Nevada Action Coalition
www.nvaction.com
Mark Edwards
Founder of Unite to Fight 1 & 2 and Wake Up America
www.thewakeupamerica.com
Scott DiBenedetto
Pahrump Minutemen
www.pahrumpminutemen.com
Theresa Harmon
Tennesseans for Responsible Immigration Policies
www.TnRIP.org
Susan Smith
Nebraskans Advisory Group
www.nebraskansadvisorygroup.com
Jim Ludwick
Oregonians for Immigration Reform
http://www.oregonir.org
Robert R. Galbreath Jr.
Citizens for a Constitutional Republic
www.citizensforaconstitutionalrepublic.com
George Gush
Boycott State Farm Insurance
www.boycottstatefarminsurance.com
Jim Palmer
Buy Direct USA
www.buydirectusa.com
Chris Davis
America in Danger
www.americaindanger.com
Michael Williams
Border Hawks
BorderHawks.org
Chris Simcox
Minuteman Civil Defense Corps
Co-Founder of the Minutemen
www.minutemanhq.com
Walter Adams
PA Minutemen State Director
www.paminutemen.com
Joseph Ureneck
Massachusetts Citizens for Immigration Reform
Mike Vanderboegh
Alabama Minuteman Project
Dennis Murphy
Nebraska Minuteman Civil Defense Corp
www.nebraskaminuteman.com
Marvin Steward & Deborah Courtney
Minuteman Project Inc
Michael Strauss & John Loucome
LaPorte County Illegal Immigration Taskforce
Edward & Cynthia Kolb
Desert Visions
www.desertvisions.us
Doug Roy
Kentuckians for Immigration Reform and Enforcement
www.kfire.us
Michelle Dallacroce
Mothers Against Illegal Aliens
www.mothersagainstillegalaliens.org
Hal Netkin
Watchdog America
www.WatchdogAmerica.com
Col. Albert F. Rodriguez
You Don't Speak For Me
www.dontspeakforme.org
Steve Hampton
Protect Our Border
www.protectourborder.net
