Huckabee's Blind Spot Puts Hutchinson/Holt in Tough Spot

“I was the candidate who said we need to have Arkansas State Police trained in immigration enforcement,” Hutchinson said. “What was his answer ? ‘They’re too busy.’ I said we ought to make sure the state and its contractors do not hire illegal aliens. What was his response ? ‘Well, there’s already a law against it.’ Well, thanks a lot. I think we should have plans to enforce the law. There happens to be a law against burglary. But we still have a few committed from time to time.”

Most Arkansans are cheered by Hutchinson's desire to make cleaning up this type of crime a priority. But Attorney General Mike Beebe has an answer, “Is he saying that the Huckabee administration is ignoring the law ? I think the current adminisration is enforcing the law. If he’s got evidence that they are not, they need to tell me about it.”

Hutchinson is not saying it, but I am. Governor Mike Huckabee has a blind spot on illegal immigration. I'll give you some "evidence" right now, though none is needed for citizens who have been paying attention. Do you remember when that Petitt Jean poultry plant got busted last year with whole shifts of illegal aliens working for them? Do you know why the company can rightfully escape accountablity for cheating legal citizens out of those jobs and taking advantage of wages pushed to below honest-free market rates? That is because they got most of their illegal alien employees through the State Employment Security Division! That is right, your tax dollars are being used to help big employers get a supply of illegal workers.

Did Huckabee express shock and anger that his administration was a conduit for black market labor? Nope. He only expressed shock and outrage that INS would dare to enforce immigration laws without giving local authorities a "heads up". The INS hinted that raids where they gave the locals a "heads up" often did not net any illegals.

Mike Huckabee has a blind spot on this issue that is so pervasive that it compels him to lash out at anyone who calls him on it. Recall how he referred to Senator Jim Holt as a demogouge and a race-baiter who drinks a "different kind of Jesus juice" from him for blocking the bill that would have made illegal aliens eligible for taxpayer funded college scholarships.

Both Hutchinson and Holt's opponents are using Mike Huckabee's blind spot to hit them over the head with. They may disagree with the Governor on illegal immigration, but that does not make them "extremist". The people of this state are in broad agreement that we need to be tougher on illegal immigration. On this one, Mike Huckabee is the extremist, along with Beebe and Halter.