Other Columns by Paul M. Weyrich
Paul M. Weyrich Bio

Printer-Friendly Version

Republicans dodged a bullet last week when former Congressman Brian Bilbray was elected to the seat held by convicted felon Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who now sits in a federal prison. The Democrats had been pushing the theme that Republicans represented "a culture of corruption." If ever they should have been able to capitalize on that theme it was in California's 50th District. Indeed Francine Busby, the Democratic candidate, had been leading Bilbray for weeks in various surveys, although the race looked to be very close. Cunningham actually had a list of bribes and how much a certain type defense contract would cost. In the end and some $4.5 million later, the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee had themselves a winner. They breathed a collective sigh of relief when Bilbray won because many of them believed that if Bilbray lost their fate in November would have been sealed.

The President and GOP Senatorial leaders could not have been that happy over the Bilbray victory. Known as a liberal Republican during his first terms in Congress, Bilbray turned out to be a Tom Tancredo Republican as to immigration. He supported the House bill on immigration and his Democratic opponent supported the Senate bill, backed by the President. Moreover Ms. Busby a few days before the election was recorded by one of the Minutemen attending a largely Hispanic rally as saying in response to a question that you didn't need papers to vote. The questioner, with a Mexican accent, asked Busby how he could help since he didn't have papers. That is when she made the mistake of her career. After talk-show host Rodger Hedgecock on KOGO played the tape on his highly rated show the race exploded. Ms. Busby spent the last days before the election saying she just misspoke. Republicans spent the last few days before the election seeing to it that the tape was played by other San Diego talk-show hosts, as well as national figures, such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.

While Republicans did have a reason to celebrate, the party is not over yet. Although Busby received only one percent of the vote more than Senator John F. Kerry in losing to President George W. Bush in that district in 2004, it is unclear whether she would have won had she not made that misstep on immigration.

Moreover, the Bilbray victory may make it much harder for Republican and Democrat conferees on the respective immigration bills which passed the House and the Senate. The House bill essentially provides for border security first, suggesting that any kind of guest-worker program should wait until after the border is secure and after we have stopped the inflow of illegal immigrants. The Senate bill has an unenforceable program which amounts to amnesty. Its border security provisions are far weaker than those of the House bill. Bilbray's election gives heart to House conservatives whose position is that no bill is better than a bad bill. Thus far Judiciary Committee Chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI) has been hanging tough. The White House has been floating rumors that Sensenbrenner might be open to compromise. He has not denied those rumors although he has continued to say that amnesty is a deal breaker.

>> Continued -- Page 1 2 3