Busby sticks both feet in mouth

[CARLHAYDEN]

Probably the most watched election this coming tuesday is the special election in California's 50th Congressional District to fill the seat previously held by Duke Cunningham.

The Democrat nominee (Busby) was caught on tape making a really stupid statement.  Here's the report from the San Diego newspaper:

By Dani Dodge
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
June 3, 2006

If an election can turn on a sentence, this could be the one: “You don't need papers for voting.”

On Thursday night, Francine Busby, the Democratic candidate for the 50th Congressional District, was speaking before a largely Latino crowd in Escondido when she uttered those words. She said yesterday she simply misspoke.


 
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But someone taped it and a recording began circulating yesterday. After she made that statement at the meeting, Busby immediately said: “You don't need to be a registered voter to help (the campaign).”
She said that subsequent statement was to clarify what she meant.

The recording, which was played yesterday on Roger Hedgecock's radio talk show, jolted the campaign.

Busby, a Cardiff school board member, is in a tight race with Republican Brian Bilbray, a congressman-turned-lobbyist, who has based his campaign on a tough anti-illegal-immigration stance. Busby has focused her campaign on ethics reform. The two are vying to replace Randy “Duke” Cunningham, who was jailed after pleading guilty to taking bribes.

Busby said she was invited to the forum at the Jocelyn Senior Center in Escondido by the leader of a local soccer league. Many of the 50 or so people there were Spanish speakers. Toward the end, a man in the audience asked in Spanish: “I want to help, but I don't have papers.”

It was translated and Busby replied: “Everybody can help, yeah, absolutely, you can all help. You don't need papers for voting, you don't need to be a registered voter to help.”

Bilbray said at worst, Busby was encouraging someone to vote illegally. At best, she was encouraging someone who is illegally in the country to work on her campaign.

“She's soliciting illegal aliens to campaign for her and it's on tape – this isn't exactly what you call the pinnacle of ethical campaign strategy,” Bilbray said. “I don't know how she shows her face.”

The two later met in a debate in Carlsbad last night.

Earlier, San Diego Minutemen volunteer Anthony Porrello said he got the tape from an an anonymous Minuteman and passed it on to the news media and talk radio. News of the gathering had circulated among local Minutemen before the meeting, according to William Griffith, the independent candidate in the race who has been endorsed by the San Diego Minutemen.

He attended, but did not hear the statement. He said he was in the back of the room.

“I heard what I expected to hear from a Democrat who supports amnesty,” he said. Busby says she doesn't support amnesty, but backs the comprehensive plan pushed by U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., that includes opening a path to citizenship for people in the United States illegally if they pay penalties and abide by certain conditions.

Busby said that Republicans are now twisting her words. She does not in any way support or advocate that illegal immigrants vote, she said.

“I was clarifying the question that was being asked in Spanish and then stated that you do not have to be a registered voter to help the campaign because there were many people who appeared to be to be under 18 in the group who wanted to volunteer,” she said in a statement. “I'm not surprised that the Republican Party is making this last-minute, desperate ploy and it is absolutely false.”

[agcatter]

Well Carl, both you and I know it was Busby just slipping and saying what she actually believes.

I could be wrong, but I think her chance of squeaking by just dropped from 1 in 3 to 1 in 20.

I'll also go out on the limb and predict that the pro Bush immigration congressman from Utah will lose his primary race.

The poor bastards in Washington have no idea of the voter intensity on this issue.  They're fixing to find out.

[CARLHAYDEN]

I agree with you about the special in the 50th.

Utah is a funny state.

Mormons have an affinity for mexicans.  So, the Congressman from Utah may slip by.

I suspect that Chaffee and Dewine are toast, Chaffee in the primary and Dewine in the general.

[Gustaf]

Wow. If this is "real" I suspect it could destroy Busby in a Republican California district. In a close race this is the kind of thing that can tip it.

[agcatter]

Exactly right - it was incredibly supid, but as I said, I don't think she just got her words tangled up.  The exact quote probably reflects what she really feels.  Most liberal Dems, if they were honest, would tell you they'd love to give illegals the right to vote.  Can't win control the legislative and executive branches with the current makeup of the electorate?  Heck, just import millions of low income voters from south of the border.  And I'm sure "Republican" John McCain would be happy to help them do it.

[??????????]

Exactly right - it was incredibly supid, but as I said, I don't think she just got her words tangled up.  Her words probably reflects what she really feels.  Most liberal Dems, if they were honest, would tell you they'd love to give illegals the right to vote.  Can't win control the legislative and executive branches with the current makeup of the electorate?  Heck, just import millions of low income voters from south of the border.  And I'm sure "Republican" John McCain would be happy to help them do it.

Glad to see some sane republicans still exist on this board. I was starting to get sick of all the moderate pro amnesty ones here.

[CARLHAYDEN]

Wow. If this is "real" I suspect it could destroy Busby in a Republican California district. In a close race this is the kind of thing that can tip it.

There has been a trend there the past few days (even prior to Busby's stupid remark) where the older voters were trending to Bilbray and the younger to Busby.

The Republicans were really worried that the Minuteman candidate would tip the balance as Bilbray is a really weak nominee.

[CARLHAYDEN]

Oh, and as to why this race is so closely watched:

First, it is an indicator of the chances of the Republicans holding on to the House.

Second, a Bilbray win will enbolden the House to reject the amnesty bill while a Busby win could well lead Republican members to seek some type of compromise.

Third, a Bilbray win will be another slap in the face to McCain.

[Gustaf]

Wow. If this is "real" I suspect it could destroy Busby in a Republican California district. In a close race this is the kind of thing that can tip it.

There has been a trend there the past few days (even prior to Busby's stupid remark) where the older voters were trending to Bilbray and the younger to Busby.

The Republicans were really worried that the Minuteman candidate would tip the balance as Bilbray is a really weak nominee.

There is a Minuteman candidate? That's good for Busby. I expect this to stay with the GOP, just as I expect them to retain the House.

[CARLHAYDEN]

Wow. If this is "real" I suspect it could destroy Busby in a Republican California district. In a close race this is the kind of thing that can tip it.

There has been a trend there the past few days (even prior to Busby's stupid remark) where the older voters were trending to Bilbray and the younger to Busby.

The Republicans were really worried that the Minuteman candidate would tip the balance as Bilbray is a really weak nominee.

There is a Minuteman candidate? That's good for Busby. I expect this to stay with the GOP, just as I expect them to retain the House.

A week ago the Minuteman candidate was taking enough votes to make the vote u call em.

The poll cited in the other thread on this race is a SUSA poll which showed Bilbray with a two point lead PRIOR to Busby's incrediby stupid remark,

SUSA generally underestimates Republican votes by a point or two, and overstates Democrat votes a point or two, so when the last SUSA poll showed Bilbray with a two point lead, that means he probably actually had a four to six point lead based on SUSA's track record.

Right now it appears that Bilbray will achieve a slight majority while Busby may actually drop under forty per cent of the vote.

[agcatter]

Carl,

You are right on with your point about the effect a Republican win will have on Republicans in the House.  I completely agree that a Bilbray win will send a message to House members on voter opinions on the imigration bill - probably killing the bill IMO.

As for it being a slap in the face to McCain, I absolutely love that part of it.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

I know this may be a shocker to the mindless Busby bashers, but there are other ways to help a campaign besides voting.

If it was Bush, he'd made some crazy misstatement in English (not Spanish), and the so called media would ignore it.

[Gabu]

Am I the only one who doesn't even understand what this means?

[Gustaf]

Am I the only one who doesn't even understand what this means?

It appeared that she endorsed election fraud.

[Gabu]

Am I the only one who doesn't even understand what this means?

It appeared that she endorsed election fraud.

I guess I can see that, but the comment still seems awfully vague, not that the real meaning of a statement has ever once mattered in politics.

[CARLHAYDEN]

Am I the only one who doesn't even understand what this means?

It appeared that she endorsed election fraud.

I guess I can see that, but the comment still seems awfully vague, not that the real meaning of a statement has ever once mattered in politics.

Uh, registration and voting by illegal aliens is a signficant matter in the border states.

The preferred method is to register and vote by mail, with absolutely NO identification being provided.