I’m More Anti-Illegals!
GOP voters focus on who's coming into America.
In normal times, Steve King is an obscure figure—a low-ranking Republican congressman from rural western Iowa. But these aren't normal times: Iowa's caucuses are almost here. So King suddenly is a kingmaker and symbol of his party's growing—and politically risky—obsession with immigration, which is now the top concern among likely GOP voters in Iowa and No. 2 in New Hampshire and South Carolina. King favors deporting the nation's estimated 12 million illegals, and he is surveying the field for a nationally salable soulmate. "This is my 'destiny setter' issue," he told me. He plans to set up shop in a Des Moines hotel lobby until caucus night "so I can talk about this to everyone."
Heading into what could be a series of photo finishes, Republican candidates are trampling each other as they race toward the Kings of the party. The latest is Rudy Giuliani, who has the most distance to cover. As New York mayor, he ran what was widely considered a sanctuary city for illegals. Now he's airing a TV ad that applies his tough-guy persona to the issue (though he doesn't call for deportation). In an interview with author Bill Sammon, Giuliani suggested he wanted to deport the city's 400,000 illegals, but couldn't because the Clinton administration wouldn't go along. Giuliani's foes note he sued the administration to preserve benefits for illegals.
While Giuliani plays defense, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee are attacking each other. As Massachusetts governor, Romney took some restrictive stands (no driver's licenses for illegals or in-state tuition assistance, for example). Now he aims to burst the Huckabubble in a new ad that points out that the former Arkansas governor once favored giving college scholarships to illegals. (Fred Thompson jumped in as well with a slick mail piece poking fun at "Huckabee U.") Eager to protect his lead in Iowa, Huckabee answered with a "secure America plan." The main feature: a 120-day "window" during which all illegals must "register … and leave the country" and get in line to come back. King remains suspicious, but he's impressed by the effort: "People are beginning to see how important this is."
Democratic strategists enjoy the "pander-rama." They think the general election can be won in the Southwest, where the ranks of Hispanic voters are swelling. They also think the angry tone of the GOP debate will turn off suburbanites, who think of themselves as tolerant and who like the cheap labor. "The Republicans are at such a low point that all they can do is speak to the fears of their base," says Simon Rosenberg of the New Democrat Network. Polls consistently show most voters favor a package deal, like the one Congress considered, which would toughen border security, weed out criminals, amp up employee ID requirements, require English-language proficiency and offer a "path to citizenship."
But Democrats need to be careful what they wish for. As the economy weakens, the immigration issue could hurt them. "The Washington establishment has no idea what is about to hit them," says Laura Ingraham, the conservative radio host. Without a package deal in Congress to protect them, Democrats are vulnerable to attacks on proposals like driver's licenses for illegals. Polls show voters oppose it, 31. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was forced to retreat from the idea, as was Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama is all for it. If he's the nominee, you'll hear a lot more about it—and not just from Steve King in Iowa.
Like The Daily Beast on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates all day long.
Howard Fineman is Newsweek's Senior Washington Correspondent and Columnist, senior editor and deputy Washington bureau chief. He is the author of "Living Politics," a column that began on MSNBC.COM and Newsweek.com and that now also appears in the print magazine. An award-winning reporter and writer, Fineman also is an analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, appearing regularly on "Countdown with Keith Olbermann," "Hardball with Chris Matthews" and "TODAY." The author of scores of Newsweek cover stories, Fineman's work has appeared as well in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The New Republic. His 2008 national best-selling book, "The Thirteen American Arguments," was released in paperback by Random House in the spring of 2009.
One of the nation's leading political reporters, Fineman has interviewed every major presidential candidate from (then-vice president) George H.W. Bush in 1985 to (then senator) Barack Obama early and often in the 2008 campaign cycle. His current work focuses on the Obama Administration and its top officials, as well as on Congress and politics throughout the country. Although based in Washington, Fineman travels widely in the U.S. and has covered politics and other events in 49 of the 50 states.
Fineman's work has produced many milestones and awards. A cover story in November 2001 featured President George W. Bush's first extensive interview after 9/11. Another cover, "Bush and God," was part of a series of articles that won the 2003 National Magazine Award for General Excellence. His reporting has helped Newsweek win many honors from the Magazine Publishers Association and the American Journalism Review. Other awards include a "Page One" from the Headliners Club of New York, a "Silver Gavel" from the American Bar Association and a "Deadline Club" from the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). In 2006 he received the Alumni Award from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
As a reporter and writer, Fineman ranges widely. Besides campaign-year covers, other projects have included: race and politics, the impact of digital technology on society, the influence of Hollywood on politics, the rise of the religious right and of conservative talk radio. He has interviewed business leaders such as George Soros, Bill Gates, Steve Case and Robert Rubin and entertainment figures such as Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda and Jay Leno.
Although now under exclusive television contract to NBC, Fineman over the years has appeared on major public affairs shows, such as Nightline, Face the Nation, Fox News Sunday, Larry King Live, Charlie Rose and the NewsHour. He was a regular panelist on Washington Week in Review on PBS (1983-95) and on CNN's Capital Gang Sunday (1995-98). He worked with Ted Koppel on Nightline specials, and has been a guest on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report."
A native of Pittsburgh, Fineman began his career at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, covering the environment, the coal industry and state politics before joining the newspaper's Washington bureau in 1978. He moved to Newsweek in 1980, was named chief political correspondent in 1984, deputy Washington bureau chief in 1993, senior editor in 1995 and senior Washington correspondent and columnist in 2008.
Fineman holds an A.B., Phi Beta Kappa, from Colgate, an M.S. in journalism from Columbia and a J.D. from the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. His legal education included a year as a visiting student at the Georgetown University Law Center. He received Watson and Pultizer Traveling Fellowships for study in Europe, Russia and the Middle East, and has traveled to more than 40 countries, among them China, Vietnam, Japan, Ukraine, Israel, Turkey and the West Bank Palestinian Territories.
Fineman is married to Amy L. Nathan, a senior counsel at the Federal Communications Commission. They live in Washington with their two children, Meredith and Nicholas.
For inquiries, please contact The Daily Beast at editorial@thedailybeast.com.
Comments