Mccainalert.com US politics

Arizona Voters Take Stand against Illegal Immigration

Arizona voters went to the polls on Election Day and soundly rejected Proposition 202, a ballot initiative that would have made it virtually impossible for state officials to enforce state laws against employers who hire illegal aliens. With almost all Arizona precincts reporting, approximately 60% of Arizona voters have rebuffed the initiative. (CNN Election Center)

Misleadingly titled the Stop Illegal Hiring Act, Proposition 202 would have rendered current law meaningless by changing the requirement that Arizona employers use E-Verify to gain a presumption that they did not intentionally hire an illegal alien. If the initiative would have passed, this provision would have been changed to grant an employer a “non-rebuttable presumption of innocence” as long as the employer took the minimal steps of filing federal I-9 paperwork - a requirement already mandated by federal law. This non-rebuttable presumption would have, in essence, prevented officials from prosecuting employers who hired illegal aliens, as long as they fulfilled the minimal requirement of filing I-9 paperwork.

Proposition 202 was backed by some of the state’s largest business owners who formed the group Wake Up, Arizona - a coalition including owners of car washes, homebuilders, prominent Republicans, and fast food franchisees Mac Macgruder and Jason LaVecke. The Arizona Republic reported the day after the election that business groups supporting Proposition 202 had proposed the initiative, raised nearly $900,000 in support of the measure, and launched an advertising campaign two weeks prior to the election. Opponents of Proposition 202, on the other hand, spent only $15,000. (The Arizona Republic, November 5, 2008)

Exit polling indicated that a wide range of Arizonians opposed Proposition 202. According to CNN, men and women both opposed the measure at a rate of about 60%. Proposition 202 was also evenly rejected by Arizona voters without regard to political ideology, religious background, economic status, educational level, and race; in fact, 60% of whites and 56% of Latinos opposed the initiative. (CNN Exit Polling)

Speaking to the misleading title of the initiative and the massive special interest-backed campaign that had deceptively touted Proposition 202 as a crackdown on illegal aliens, State Representative Russell Pearce expressed his pleasure with Arizona voters: “We’ve got a great, smart electorate here in Arizona.” (Id.)

Success in California–Traditional Marriage Restored!‏

Dear Friend, Although you may be concerned about the election results, I want to remind you that we won on Tuesday night–a victory that could shape millions of lives for generations to come! Your support of Focus on the Family helped make it possible, and I thought you’d be encouraged to learn how it happened. As you may have heard, the people of California voted 52 to 48 percent to pass a constitutional amendment to restore traditional marriage. In so doing, they put a stop to the same-sex “marriages” that had been going on in California ever since the state Supreme Court issued its infamous ruling last spring. Of course, marriage amendments also won in Arizona and Florida, and Focus on the Family Action™ helped secure those victories, but given the intricacies of state campaign laws, we were able to participate in California only by using Focus on the Family® resources. And what you helped achieve on Tuesday night goes far beyond upholding the sanctity of marriage in California. It also: … helps protect millions of children from radical indoctrination in the homosexual lifestyle. In Massachusetts, legalized same-sex “marriage” quickly became the pretext for redefining marriage in the classroom, and it had already started in California, too. … safeguards religious liberty in our most populous state. Wherever same-sex “marriage” has taken hold, religious freedom has begun to crumble. In Massachusetts, for example, Catholic Charities was forced to shut down its adoption agency because of their refusal to do gay adoptions. I’m so pleased to be able to report to you the critical role that Focus on the Family played in securing this milestone victory. From the earliest strategic discussions … to the monumental task of gathering a million-plus signatures … to the campaign itself, Focus on the Family has been integrally involved. If you live in California or happened to see campaign materials or ads, you probably saw Focus listed as a major sponsor in the legal disclaimer of every single print ad and commercial. That’s because, thanks to your generous support, Focus was able to invest more than $550,000 in this effort. And much of that money proved to be important “seed” money that helped launch a pro-marriage campaign that was unparalleled in its magnitude. Besides our direct contributions to the campaign, we also: - Helped found (in 2003) the organization that led this campaign; - Paid for early polling to determine the best ballot language and strategy; - Assisted with a major fundraising event for the campaign; - Encouraged pastors to get involved (which they did in remarkable ways); - Aired broadcasts urging financial and prayer support from around the country; and - Provided major coverage of the campaign via radio, Internet, mail and Focus magazines. I share all of this–not to toot our own horn–but to encourage you and to thank you for so faithfully supporting our work on behalf of families. In this political and social culture, it can be easy to get a little discouraged. But God is continually moving, and we need to celebrate when He allows us to play a part in such a stunning success. Of course, the battle for the hearts and minds of people continues on, with new challenges and opportunities around every corner. You can rest assured that we will continue to prayerfully and strategically utilize the resources that you provide. Thank you so much for equipping us to make a difference in people’s lives! Sincerely, Tom Minnery Senior Vice President, Government & Public Policy P.S. As we prepare for what may be a challenging year of ministry, now would be a great time to invest in Focus on the Family. You can click here to make a secure, tax-deductible donation. Thank you for standing with us through your prayers, action and resources!

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AN ELECTION THAT THE REPUBLICANS NEEDED TO LOSE — GOOD LUCK OBAMA

By DICK MORRIS

Published on TheHill.com on November 5, 2008

If ever there was an election that was not worth winning, it was the contest of 2008. While it was hard-fought on both sides, had McCain won, it might have spelled the end of the Republican Party. As it is, the party is well-situated to come back in 2010 and in 2012, if it learns the lessons of this year.

Simply put, all hell is about to break loose in the markets and the economy. The mortgage crisis will likely be followed by defaults in credit card debt, student loans and car loans. We will probably be set for two years of zero growth, according to economists with whom I talk. And the federal efforts to protect the nation from the worst of the recession will probably lead to huge budget deficits and resulting inflation. We are in for stagflation that could last for years.

Had McCain won, he would be the latter-day Hoover, blamed for the disaster that unfolded on his watch. Now it is Obama’s problem. With the Republicans suffering a wipeout in congressional elections (although not as bad as they feared), the ball is now squarely in the Democratic court. Good luck!

If Obama raises taxes, the situation could get even worse. With a liberal Congress on his hands, he will be constrained to move to the left, if he needs any pushing. When Clinton was elected in 1992, the Democrats in control of Congress gave him a clear message: Either you govern within the four walls of the Democratic caucus or you won’t get our support. Crossing the aisle to get Republican votes, even including the GOP in negotiations, was a no-no for which the president would pay dearly if he transgressed.

The result was predictable. Moderate initiatives like welfare reform were scrapped, the Congress passed tax hikes and legislation became festooned with liberal amendments. Faced with the need to round up every last vote in the Senate and House Democratic caucuses, Clinton had no choice but to load up conservative bills like an anti-crime measure with liberal pork (like a provision for midnight basketball courts in urban areas) to get unanimous caucus backing.

Obama will have to move left to appease his caucus. He will become their hostage, and they his jailers.

This dynamic will produce extreme-left-wing governance, which the Republicans can blame for the continuation of the recession and for any worsening. The party will recover, fed by anger at Obama’s policies, and will emerge from this defeat stronger than ever.

But the Republicans must learn the lesson of MoveOn.org. Founded in the bleak days of the Clinton impeachment, MoveOn developed a grassroots Internet base. Building up its e-list of activists and contributors, MoveOn laid the basis for the incredible Internet appeal of the Obama campaign. At last count, Obama has 4.5 million donors, most online.

Conservatives cannot count on the Republican Party to fight their battles for them, and certainly cannot count on them to win. The right needs to develop cyber-roots conservative organizations to rival the power of groups like MoveOn.org. The stellar efforts of NewsMax.com and its ally, GOPtrust.com, illustrate the power of such efforts. Together, these groups raised $10 million for an independent expenditure on media in swing states featuring the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s anti-American bombast.

And their efforts worked.

Virtually all the polls agreed that Obama would win 52-53 percent of the vote, but the surveys varied in the amount of undecideds they found. On Election Day, virtually every undecided voter went to McCain, and Obama’s final vote share was no more and no less than the 52-53 percent the surveys had predicted. This unanimity among undecided voters is attributable to the endgame of groups like GOPtrust.com and NewsMax.com.

These groups have to lead the way in running media to battle against the leftist legislation that will undoubtedly emanate from the Obama administration and the liberal Congress America has just elected. Then they can become the basis for a Republican resurgence, just as MoveOn.org was this year for the Democrats.