The three, Representative Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), David Valadao (R- Calif.), and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R- Fla.) have some interesting things in common: each is from a heavily Hispanic district, and each is under intense reelection pressure.
The three also express the instincts of the multicultural, denationalized elite condemned by Samuel Huntington [Dead Souls: The Denationalization of the American Elite, National Interest,Spring 2004].
They are apparently supporting Amnesty to placate Hispanic voters in districts that probably will soon elect Democrats anyway, because of demographic shifts. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that it’s what the big donors want.
The three also embody the failure of multiculturalism and immigration: Valadao brags about working “in an immigrant-dependent industry” and having immigrant parents. Ros-Lehtinen was born in Cuba. Denham has a Mexican wife and panders in Spanish on Univision.
These backdrop for Denham’s craven decision to support Amnesty: At a forum on immigration held in Modesto when the Treason Lobby’s drums began to beat last year, most of those in attendance reportedly supported Amnesty. A photograph from the local news shows an audience largely made up of Hispanics, with a (white) farmer named James Duarte speaking on behalf of amnesty. [Ideas, emotions flow at Denham’s immigration forum in Modesto, by John Holland, The Modesto Bee, April 4, 2013].
One young Hispanic female cried while telling of her family’s “struggles,” which included the dreadful ordeal of paying non-resident tuition for college.
Denham used to oppose state scholarships for illegal aliens, and supported Arizona’s immigration law reforms. He is now pandering on Univision, in Spanish, to proclaim his support for amnesty.
But despite Denham’s cringe-worthy gestures of appeasement, the Latino Victory Fund is insisting that he do more to support Amnesty, and he remains on its enemy list. [Soros Adviser, Obama Donors, Amnesty Activists Form Group to Target House GOP Members, by Matthew Boyle, Breitbart.com, October 28, 2013]
The Latino Victory Fund raised money for Obama. Until Denham becomes a Democrat, groups like this will not be satisfied with candidates like him.
Denham’s wife is a “first-generation Mexican American,” as one left wing newspaper described her [Rep. Jeff Dunham Evolving on Immigration, by Joe Garofoli, SFGate, August 2, 2013]. Denham likes to trumpet about the “trials and joys” of his wife’s family’s immigration experience.
Of course, there are many legal immigrants who experienced their own “trials and joys” to become American, but they don’t need or approve of Amnesty. In the twisted language of the modern immigration debate, every sappy story becomes a reason to impose a demographic upheaval.
Valadao is running against “the first Latina chief of staff to a U.S. senator” a head-spinning demographic accomplishment that he cannot hope to match [Congressional hopeful Amanda Renteria wants to give Valley ‘a strong voice’, by Michael Doyle and John Ellis, September 29, 2013].
Not only is Valadao’s Central Valley district heavily Democratic, and widely known to be prime for election challenge, but also it is correspondingly heavily Hispanic [Third House Republican signs on to sweeping immigration bill, Reuters, October 30, 2013]. 72 percent of his the residents are Hispanic, as McClatchy News points out in an article whose title exposes the pathetic farce of conservative “evolution” on immigration [Denham shaping immigration stance to district demographics, by Michael Doyle, August 1, 2013].
There may also be a personal reason for Valadao’s Amnesty support, to go along with selfish political survival. His parents are Portuguese immigrants, and he spouts the typical drivel one would expect from a multiculturalist Republican: “I grew up in an immigrant family, I grew up in an immigrant community and I work in an immigrant-dependent industry.” [Three Republicans back Democratic immigration bill in House, by Alan Gomez, USA Today, October 30, 2013]
With such strong political and demographic winds blowing against her, Ros-Lehtinen has begun to utter sheer nonsense:
We are a nation based on opportunity and fairness for all and immigration reform is based on that.
Ros-Lehtinen has joined the “toxic cult of sentimentality,” Theodore Dalrymple’s description of the pervasive modern cultural phenomenon whereby logic is replaced with feelings. (“Sentimentality allows us to congratulate ourselves on our own warmth and generosity of heart,” and sentimentality becomes “the ally of ever-expanding bureaucracy, for the more a solution doesn't work, the more of it is needed.” [Politics and the Cult of Sentimentality, by Theodore Dalrymple, Wall Street Journal, September 7, 2010])
There is no better formula to capture the grotesque relationship between emotive claptrap and our America’s immigration policy.
Every Republican who uses the phrases “nation of immigrants” or “living in the shadows” is feeding into a dangerous charade.
It will take smart messaging to maintain majority opposition to unconditional Amnesty in the days ahead. A good start would be the truth.
We used to be a nation of immigrants who believed in assimilation, where immigrants didn’t have access to the welfare state. That nation is gone. In terms of bringing immigrants into American society, this country is doing a terrible job, by multicultural design.
Denham, Valadao, and Ros-Lehtinen are gambling with America’s economy and culture.
Whether for misguided personal reasons, poisonous sentimentality, a selfish and short-sighted view of political expediency, or simply corruption by donors, they are willing to betray America’s sovereignty and all that depends on it.
Email Thomas Martel.
