The Washington Times
  • Subscribe
  • Times News Services
  • RSS
  • Mobile Headlines
  • e-edition
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • REGISTER
  • LOG IN
  • E-MAIL ALERTS
  • WELCOME
  • Your Profile
  • Log Out
  • Front Page Image
  • Classifieds
  • Autos
  • Real Estate
  • Jobs
  • Special Sections
  • Customer Service
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • NFL
    • NBA/WNBA
    • MLB
    • NHL
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Motorsports
    • Soccer
    • NCAA
    • Olympics
    • Outdoors
    • Other
  • Culture
    • Home & Living
    • Family & Kids
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Washington Visitors
    • Books
    • Military History
    • Life
    • Auto
    • TV Listings
    • Movie Listings
    • Death Notices
    • Entertainment
  • Themes
  • Communities
  • Shopping
    • Stores
    • Coupons
    • Daily Double
    • Promotion
    • How It Works
  • Videos
    • Two Guys
    • Birnbaum on Washington
    • Liz Glover
    • Amanda Carpenter
    • Morning Briefing
    • Documentaries
    • Joe Giganti
    • Video Game Minute
  • Podcasts
    • About Headlines
    • Audio and Radio
    • America's Morning News
  • Local

    Private funeral Friday for Pollin

  • Politics

    Ads add heat to health care debate

  • National

    At the Mall of America, it's big business as usual

  • World

    Drug lords finding safe haven in Bolivia

  • Business

    Health, climate bills seen to stifle hiring

  • Local

    Fenty's approval in D.C. divided by race

  • Sports

    Terps' Friedgen faces tough road ahead

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Divisive bill stokes GOP anger; base rejects path to citizenship

Rate this story

Average 0.00
after 0 votes
Login or register to rate this story

  • Font Size -+
  • Print
  • Email
  • Comment
  • Tweet this!
  • Share
  • Article
  • Comments ()
  • Click-2-Listen
  • Videos

More Stories

  • Dubai woes hit world stocks again
  • Obama calls service members on holiday
  • Gay marriage vote stalls in N.J., N.Y.
  • Shaq pays for murdered girl's funeral

By

The bipartisan immigration bill being pushed by the White House and Sen. Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican, is fracturing rather than "saving" the Republican Party nationally, according to angry party leaders and new poll findings.

Arizona Republican Party officials have received "hundreds and hundreds of calls, e-mails and letters from Republicans angry about the bill," state party Chairman Randy Pullen told The Washington Times.

"They were saying, 'I am going to register independent and not give you any more money' -- and that's the base of our party saying that," Mr. Pullen said.

Republican officials also criticized Sen. Mel Martinez, Florida Republican, as being out of touch for his weekend remark on CNN that the immigration bill "could be the saving of the Republican Party."

Chuck Laudner, the Iowa Republican Party executive director, told The Times that Mr. Martinez is "dead wrong because the bill doesn't save the Republican Party -- it drives a wedge right through it."

"I don't think the immigration bill is going to save the Republican party," Cindy Costa, the Republican national committeewoman from South Carolina, told The Times. "If you undermine your base as this bill does, I don't hardly see how that can save the GOP."

Mr. Martinez was handpicked by the White House to be general chairman of the Republican Party because he agreed with the Bush administration's goal of reaching out to the nation's growing Hispanic electorate.

"I like Mel, he is a great guy, but his political instincts aren't real good -- my Florida friends tell me they're calling him 'Amnesty Mel' down there," Mr. Pullen said.

The measure, whose chief sponsor is Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat, would provide illegal aliens a way to gain legal status and eventually citizenship. It is "a Democratic bill," Mr. Pullen said.

"The White House and Jon Kyl are giving Democrats exactly what they need -- cover," the Arizona official said. "Democrats aren't going to be out there alone, giving amnesty to 20 million illegal aliens.

12Next »

Post a comment

There are comments on this article, submit your opinion!

Commenting is disabled for this entry.
If you feel there is still something worth mentioning about this entry please contact the author or the site admin.

Ask a Question

You Report

Do you have another point of view, photos, audio, video or more information about a story?

Top Stories

Most Read

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  3. EDITORIAL: The global-cooling cover-up
  4. Grade-schooler unearths fossil at dinosaur park
  5. Top Republican lawmakers not attending State Dinner
More Top Stories »
  1. D.C. sports icon, Wizards owner Pollin dies
  2. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  3. List of W.H. state dinner guests
  4. EDITORIAL: Obama's sacked inspector general
  5. HOLMES: Behind Obama's overseas allure

Most Shared

  1. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  2. EDITORIAL: The global-cooling cover-up
  3. EDITORIAL: The duty of a nation to obey God
  4. PRUDEN: Trouble afoot for high priests
  5. Grade-schooler unearths fossil at dinosaur park
More Top Stories »
  1. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  2. Finance mavens gloomy
  3. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  4. Mayor Fenty's approval in D.C. divided by race
  5. The United Socialist States of America

Most Commented

  1. Climate 'czar' says hacked e-mails don't change anything
  2. EDITORIAL: Hiding evidence of global cooling
  3. Climate czar rejects doctored data claims
  4. Obama to attend Denmark climate summit
  5. EDITORIAL: The duty of a nation to obey God
More Top Stories »
  1. Obama taking emissions goal to summit
  2. EDITORIAL: The global-cooling cover-up
  3. 9/11 families sharply split on civilian court trials
  4. HOLMES: Behind Obama's overseas allure
  5. Ky. hanging, ruled a suicide, leaves bloggers at loss for words

Listen to Washington Times Radio

  • America's Morning News

    with John McCaslin and Melanie Morgan

Blogs & Columns

  • Hot Button Blog

    RNC: Breast cancer recommendations may lead to 'rationing'

  • Belief Blog

    Evangelicals OK civil disobedience

  • Out of Context

    Foods that might kill libido

  • On the Fly

    United lifts some 'award' blocking

  • Technology

    Facebook wins round against phishing spammer

  • Redskins 360

    Redskins matchup

  • SNOBlog

    Beyond 'Woody'

Videos

Advertising Links
TWT Store
  • e-edition
  • Print Edition
  • Weekly Washington Times
TWT Affiliates
  • Middle East Times
  • Golf
  • UPI
  • Arbor Ballroom
  • Washington Times Global
  • About TWT
  • Press Room
  • F.A.Q.
  • Work for TWT
  • Advertise
  • Sponsors
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map

All site contents © Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC.