After his comments yesterday I came home to over 70 e-mails rushing through the blog sphere. I will also admit that I was very surprised with Jason Atkinson support about the guest worker program...
Emotions are running high right now because the people in the Atkinson blogger network are feeling like their champion has betrayed them.
While before we all jump ship and give Mannix and Sexton more ammunition that they need to try and sway the power of the blog, I believe that we need to clarify several things.
Matt Evans, campaign manager for Senator Atkinson responded to our query of Jason's position. [A copy of that letter to follow] Jason himself responded to an e-mail inquiry asking for a definite yes or no if you support illegal aliens. His response was one word. NO!
Personally, I believe him. At the moment, I do not have any reason to believe otherwise. However, I do feel that he is in the best interest for him and his supporters to accept another invitation to the Lars Larson show today and clarify his statement.
Going by the unwritten rule in business, "if one person says it, 10 others are thinking it." And if the amount of people in that were commenting in the e-mails and comments left on the other blogs in the Atkinson blog network, there are quite a few people who are greatly concerned.
Having met the senator twice, my belief in him still stands that he is a good candidate and a good honest man. I'm not going to comment about the integrity of the other two candidates running because to be honest I do not know much about them because until Jason Atkinson came along, I got burned out from the lies from politicians and just gave up.
NO TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION!
If the guest worker program gives amnesty to those that have broken the law, that I will not support it, and I will not support any candidate who supports it.
Just like the carousels of information that are cosponsored by the employees of the State of Oregon sent a clear message out that they support people breaking the law.
While the intent may be to support "refugees", the point is, these are not refugees. These are people who have illegally crossed the border to be here. They do not belong here! And we are bowing down and kissing their rear in because big corporation sees new sales and big profits resulting from cheap labor.
I'm going to get down off my soapbox now and present the letter that Matt sent out to the bloggers.
I think it’s important that the truth lead any discussion of this or any issue. Here’s the truth: Despite what some have said, the President’s plan does not provide amnesty for illegals currently in the country. In fact, it is Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) (who is not carrying the President’s plan), who wants to allow illegals currently in the country to apply as a guestworker. Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) has a plan that would force illegals to return to their home countries before applying as a guestworker. The President is trying to broker a compromise between these competing plans but has said that he will not support a final plan that includes any kind of amnesty for individuals currently in this country illegally.
Let’s be clear on another point, if somehow the final federal plan does include the ability for a person currently in this nation illegally to stay here for any reason, as a guestworker or otherwise, Jason Atkinson will oppose that plan, and do so vocally. There should be no rewards for breaking the law.
If a federal plan similar to Sen. Chambliss’ can be implemented, and Jason Atkinson is elected Governor of Oregon, the results would be:
1) The borders would be closed and the flow of illegal aliens would slow dramatically and maybe entirely.
2) Federal and state agents would check employers to ensure that all their employees are legally in the country. They would either have to have proof of citizenship or proof of guestworker status or have other legal immigration status.
3) Illegal workers currently in Oregon would lose their jobs as their employers would face heavy penalties and stepped-up federal and state enforcement.
4) Illegal aliens would lose their ability to gain state-funded benefits (unemployment, health care, welfare, etc).
5) Illegal aliens would lose their ability to obtain an Oregon Driver’s license.
6) Illegal aliens would lose their ability to vote.
7) Illegal aliens would have little choice but to return to their home country as they would be unemployable and could not receive any government assistance.
I trust this clears the decks on this issue. We would appreciate everyone clarifying this for their audience, in particular noting the truth that neither the President nor Jason Atkinson supports amnesty for those currently in this country illegally.
Matt Evans
Campaign Manager
4 comments:
Robin, do you know where and when the carosel is to be held in Eugene? I would like to go and protest the event and I live in Eugene.Bob H.
The Eugene protest of the "Carousel De Informacion" or Matricula Card ID giveaway by the Mexican Consulate for Illegal Aliens and subsequent Tax Payer Handouts, has been moved to Saturday, February 11th (one week later than original date).
I don't know the location as of yet
well Senator Jason Atkinson would have been a Good Governor But I believe people backed out on him over immigration and we got stuck with Governor TED K after the primary and Jason only got 23 percent of the vote
more people should have voted for Republican Ron Saxton but they didn't and we got Stuck with Governor TED k
because ben westlund and mary starret took votes away form Ron Saxton.
Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.
Republican Iowa Caucus
Iowa: Huckabee 28% Romney 25%
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
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The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the Iowa caucus finds former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee with 28% of the vote, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney with 25% support, and everyone else far behind. National frontrunner Rudy Giuliani gets just 12% of the vote in Iowa at this time while former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson is the only other candidate in double digits at 11% (see crosstabs).
Given the margin of error, the challenges of determining the relatively small number of people who will participate in a caucus, and other factors, the race is far too close to call at this point in time. However, the fact that Romney is no longer the clear frontrunner in Iowa reflects a stunning change in the race.
Compared to our prior survey, the trend is unmistakable—Huckabee has gone up and just about everybody else has gone down. Huckabee’s 28% support represents a twelve point increase from a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted earlier in the month. Romney is down four points while Giuliani and Thompson are each down three points from the previous survey. John McCain is down two points and earns just 4% support. Ron Paul picked up a point and is now at the 5% level.
Forty-eight percent (48%) of Evangelical Christians support Hucakbee. That’s more than all the other candidates combined. Romney attracts 16% of the Evangelical vote.
Among those who have participated in the caucuses before, Huckabee attracts 30% support while Romney is at 23%. Among those who have not taken part in the caucuses before, it’s Romney 29% Huckabee 26%. A separate Rasmussen Reports article looks at some of the questions that would be raised if Huckabee wins the Iowa caucuses.
Overall, Romney is the second choice for 21% of likely caucus participants. Huckabee is the second choice for 16%, Giuliani for 15% and Thompson for 14%.
The field still remains quite fluid. Twelve percent (12%) of likely caucus participants say there is a good chance they could still change their mind while 29% say they might change their mind. Among those who say there is a good chance they might change their mind, Romney is the second choice for 25%, Giuliani for 21%, Thompson for 18%, and Huckabee for 17%.
Fifty-three percent (53%) of Huckabee supporters say they are certain to vote for him. Forty-nine percent (49%) of Giuliani’s supporters say the same along with 48% of Romney voters and 46% of those for Thompson.
At the other extreme, 17% of Giuliani supporters say there is a good chance they could change their mind before January 3 arrives. Sixteen percent (16%) of Romney’s backers say the same along with 12% of those for Huckabee and 8% for Thompson.
A commentary by Larry Sabato looks at why Huckabee has become a media favorite and other notes from the campaign trail. Doug Schoen offers his thoughts on who benefits from the Huckabee surge.
Among those likely to take part in the Iowa Republican caucuses, Romney is viewed favorably by 77%, Huckabee by 76%, Giuliani by 68%, and Thompson by 71%. Those numbers reflect an eleven point-gain for Huckabee and a six-point decline for Giuliani while impressions of the other candidates is essentially unchanged.
As for unfavorables, just 20% offer a negative assessment of Huckabee. Twenty-one percent (21%) have an unfavorable opinion of Romney, 24% say the same about Thompson, and 30% have a negative opinion of Giuliani.
McCain’s numbers have fallen since the previous Rasmussen Reports survey. Among Republicans likely to participate in the caucus, 54% have a favorable opinion of the Arizona Senator while 44% have an unfavorable view.
Ron Paul is viewed favorably by 39% and unfavorably by 52%.
Highlighting the personal nature of the Iowa caucuses, 44% of those who are likely to participate have seen at least one of the Presidential candidates in person this year.
Forty-six percent (46%) of likely caucus participants think that Romney will win in Iowa this year while 25% think Huckabee will win on January 3. No other candidate reaches double digits.
Thirty-four percent (34%) believe that Romney will ultimately win the GOP nomination. Twenty-four percent (24%) believe Giuliani will represent the GOP in 2008 while 16% think that Huckabee will emerge victorious in the end.
Twenty-five percent (25%) of likely caucus participants identified immigration as the most important voting issue. Twenty-one percent (21%) named national security as their top issue while 18% said the economy was most important and 14% ranked the War in Iraq as the top issue.
While Huckabee has caught Romney in Iowa, the former Massachusetts Governor enjoys a strong lead in New Hampshire, site of the first-in-the-nation Presidential Primary. Rasmussen Reports is polling in New Hampshire this week and will release new results later in the week.
All polling for caucus events presents challenges in determining who is likely to show up and participate. In conducting and analyzing this survey, Rasmussen Reports reviewed results for many possible levels of turnout. While the results varied modestly depending upon the turnout model, the overall dynamic was the same in all cases—Huckabee in the lead with Romney closely behind while Giuliani, and Thompson lagged. See information on screening questions and the sample used in this telephone survey.
Crosstabs available for Premium Members only.
Rasmussen Reports is an electronic publishing firm specializing in the collection, publication, and distribution of public opinion polling information.
The Rasmussen Reports ElectionEdge™ Premium Service for Election 2008 offers the most comprehensive public opinion coverage ever provided for a Presidential election.
Scott Rasmussen, president of Rasmussen Reports, has been an independent pollster for more than a decade.
This poll conducted by Scott Rasmussen president of Rasmussen reports for president.
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