Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

The Nativists in the California GOP Must Go

The nativist right continues to misrepresent President Bush's immigration plan as an amnesty. As I've shown over and over again, it is no such thing. It is difficult to get a clear picture of just why these folks are so upset. Lately a lot of them have been claiming that their opposition to the plan is motivated by national security concerns. The LA Times (R), for example, quotes Darryl Issa as claiming that: "As long as people are here illegally, to give them the ability to further cover their status is to empower Al Qaeda." Every once in a while, however, the mask slips and their real motivation shines through. the same story quotes Gloria Irwin, the Glenn County Republican Party chairwoman, who objects that "The main street in our little town looks like Tijuana." It's nothing but naked prejudice against Latinos. As long as the California GOP harbors such people, it will remain - and deserve to remain - a shrinking minority party.