Huckabee's New Strategy - Embrace Hatred

Today, two important events demonstrated just how far to the right the Republican Presidential candidates are shifting on the immigration issue. The first was the endorsement of Iowa front runner, Mike Huckabee, by Minutemen founder, Jim Gilchrist –not so much for the fact that Gilchrist is once again trying to thrust his agenda center stage – but rather Huckabee's willingness to embrace it.

On stage at an event in Council Bluffs with Gilchrist ,Huckabee characterized the anti- immigrant vigilante as "a person who just got fed up with what he saw as a breakdown of his own government.…Since October of 2004 he's been one of the leading voices in this country trying to bring sanity to an issue that's spiraled.." adding:

"Frankly, Jim I've got to tell you there were times in the early days of the Minutemen I thought what are these guys doing, what are they about," Huckabee said. "I confess I owe you an apology." He said of Gilchrist, "nobody can question his commitment to his country."

Washington Post

The second event was an announcement by the leading civil rights watchdog group, The Southern Poverty Law Center, that the parent organization of the Washington think tank that's been credited with formulating Huckabee's new tough nine-point plan on immigration has been officially placed on their list of Hate Groups operating in the US.

In a statement issued today, the SPLC asserted that due to its ties to know white supremacists and promotion of racist ideas, the nation's leading anti-immigrant organization, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), would be placed on the Hate Group list. It joins other radical groups like the Neo-Nazi, National Alliance, and the KKK, who also share the same classification.

The country's leading anti-immigration organization — whose leaders have testified repeatedly before Congress and are frequently quoted in the media — has ties to known racists and a long track record of bigotry, according to a new report released today by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

The group, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR):

• is the creation of a man who operates a racist publishing company and has compared immigrants to "bacteria;"



• has employed members of white supremacist groups in key positions;



• has promoted racist conspiracy theories; and



• has accepted more than $1 million from the Pioneer Fund, a racist foundation devoted to eugenics and to proving a connection between race and IQ.

The SPLC today added FAIR to its list of hate groups operating in the United States.

"FAIR's position on immigration is rooted more in its anti-Latino and anti-Catholic beliefs than in policy concerns," said Mark Potok, the director of the SPLC's project that monitors hate group activity. "Remarkably, it has still managed to infiltrate the mainstream and shape the immigration debate in this country."

FAIR helped defeat federal immigration reform earlier this year and has played a key role in fueling the fierce, anti-immigrant backlash in the United States. It was founded in 1979 by John Tanton, a man who has compared immigrants to bacteria and warned that high birthrates will allow Latinos to take over America. Still a member of FAIR's board, Tanton also operates The Social Contract Press, listed as a hate group for many years by the SPLC because of its anti-Latino and white supremacist writings.
SPLC

FAIR's ties to Huckabee come through its public policy wing; The Center for Immigration Studies, which the former Arkansas Governor has widely credited for the formulation of his new "get tough" immigration policy. In fact he pretty much just lifted the whole thing from a proposal by CIS executive director Mark Krikorian.

The nine-point immigration plan released Friday by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee came with a footnote:

"Note: This plan is partially modeled on a proposal by Mark Krikorian, Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies." That proposal by the conservative anti-illegal immigration activist was published in the National Review in May 2005.

Not only is Huckabee's plan strikingly similar to the magazine piece – in some cases, it contains exact quotations copied over from the article

CNN

Its been well documented that FAIR, CIS and a network of other leading anti-immigrant groups are all in fact not only connected, but were all founded and under the leadership of one man; John Tanton, who for over 25 years has been the driving force behind the ant-immigrant movement. The groups share funding, leadership, and in some cases offices.

in 1985, FAIR would spin off yet another major Tanton organization — the Center for Immigration Studies, which presented itself as an impartial think tank and later even sought to distance itself from the organization that had birthed it.

Today, the Center regularly dispatches experts to testify on Capitol Hill, and last year it was awarded a six-figure research contract by the U.S. Census Bureau.

SPLC

SPLC on Federation for American Immigration Reform

The fact that Huckabee has chosen to align himself with CIS, Krikorian, and FAIR is not surprising. FAIR, through its networks of organizations, has become a leading political force in anti-immigrant politics. During the last debate over immigration reform legislation, FAIR affiliate, Numbers USA, was credited with a campaign that generated over a million faxes in opposition to the bill. Obviously with the adoption of Kirkorian's immigration policies Huckabee is hoping to put the full weight of the Tanton network behind his campaign.

This "new" Mike Huckabee is a far cry from the preacher turned politician who a few years ago called anti-immigrant legislation "Un-Christian"

Gov. Mike Huckabee Thursday denounced a bill by Sen. Jim Holt that would deny state benefits to illegal immigrants as un-Christian, un-American, irresponsible and anti-life.

… Even if benefits to people who are in the U.S illegally could be stopped, "I don't understand how a practicing Christian can turn his back on a child from this or any other state," Huckabee said.

… The bill is modeled after a similar law in Arizona and supported by the newly formed group Protect Arkansas NOW. The group's chairman is Joe McCutchen

… Huckabee said he took exception to characterization of immigrants in the bill and by its supporters as exploiters of social programs. "They pay sales taxes on their groceries," Huckabee said. "They pay fuel taxes. If they're using a fake Social Security number, they're paying Social Security taxes and will never receive any benefit. It would be closer to the truth to say they're subsidizing Joe McCutchen and Jim Holt more than the other way around.

Arkansas News Bureau, 1/28/05

But then again, the old Mike Huckabee could never have gotten through the Republican primary process …not in the current toxic climate where hate groups, racist vigilantes, and politicians willingly join forces to pander and promote hatred and fear.

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Missing funds cause rift in vigilante group

Last summer news of missing funds initiated a near meltdown within the ranks of the Minutemen. When financial statements showed that much of the $1.6 mil dollars raised to build barricades along the border was unaccounted for, Minuteman Civil Defense Corp founder, Chris Simcox, faced numerous defections and challenges to power from disgruntled fellow vigilantes.

Now his former partner, and Minuteman Project co-founder, Jim Gilchrist, has been ousted from the leadership of his group amongst allegations of the misappropriation of $400,000 in donations intended to fund border patrol activities.

Although Gilchrist denied the allegations, saying the controversy "could very well bring an end to the entire Minuteman Project", the case has now moved to a California courtroom where a judge will be making a decision that could very well determine if Gilchrist will remain the public face of the vigilante movement.

A behind-the-scenes power struggle over control of the Minuteman Project spilled into an Orange County courtroom Monday with ousted co-founder Jim Gilchrist asking a judge to give him back control of the citizen border patrol group.

Superior Court Judge Randell L. Wilkinson said he would issue a ruling within a few days.

Gilchrist, 58, a national figure in the fight against illegal immigration, was removed as president of the Minuteman Project this month by its board of directors, which accused him of abusing his power and leaving more than $400,000 of the organization's money unaccounted for.

Gilchrist, a retired accountant from Aliso Viejo, denied the allegations but said the controversy "could very well bring an end to the entire Minuteman Project. There are groups around the country with the name, but we are the most well known and the most powerful."

Gilchrist said in an interview that his opponents were motivated by "a greed for power and a false perception of an endless stream of money."

Gilchrist said all money raised by his organization was accounted for and that his critics had leveled false allegations to gain control of the organization.

LA Times Feb. 27,2007

Yet, Gilchrist's opponents see things a little differently.

Deborah Courtney, the group's recently appointed treasurer, said in an interview that a direct mail company helped raise $750,000 for the group in 2006, but that she believes the Minuteman campaign received only $311,000. Courtney said she and others had been unable to trace the rest of the money.

…opponents also allege in interviews that he used Minuteman funds to promote the book he co-wrote — "Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America's Borders" — but kept the royalties.

LA Times Feb. 27,2007

Additionally, a complaint against Gilchrist was recently filed with the Internal Revenue Service by opponents who alleged that he never obtain nonprofit status for the group and that he used another organization's nonprofit status to receive discounted nonprofit postal rates.

Infighting, power struggles and questions of financial misconduct are nothing new in the world of the Minutemen. The Minuteman Project has been plagued by controversy from the start. The question is; will Gilchrist survive this newest round of rebellion from within?

The Minuteman Project has never been too particular about who they associate with and has a long history of association with far-right fringe elements like the neo-Nazi National Alliance, Joe Turner's Save Our State, and Barbara Coe of the CCIR (California Coalition for Immigration Reform.)

Since the split between Minuteman Project co-founders Simcox and Gilchrist that left Gilchrist at the helm of the original organization with Simcox running the rival Minuteman Civil Defense Corp, Gilchrist has been forced to compete with a growing number of new vigilante groups for members, funding, media attention and allies. Currently there are about 200 loosely affiliated Minuteman groups operating across the country – with new ones starting all the time. This added competition has left Gilchrist vulnerable to attacks from both the fringe right and those wishing to move the group into the mainstream.

Opponents state that Gilchrist has outgrown his usefulness to the "movement" and it's time for its chief spokesman to take a powder.

Robert Vasquez, a former county commissioner in Idaho who sued companies that hired illegal workers, said top conservative Minuteman leaders turned against Gilchrist, including Barbara Coe. She heads the California Coalition for Immigration Reform and co-wrote Proposition 187, the ballot measure that sought to deny undocumented immigrants certain public benefits.

"Sometimes a position becomes bigger than the man," Vasquez said. "It's unfortunate that it has reached this point." (1)

"It is absolutely traumatic," said Coe, of Huntington Beach. "I had total loyalty to him, and I reassured Jim many times. I pleaded with him, I begged him to [work] with us who were trying to resolve the problems with the Minuteman Project."(2)

(1)LA Times

(2) LA Times Feb. 27,2007

Marvin Stewart, who to replace Gilchrist in February after a vote by board members, said Gilchrist's charisma "is what got me on the team. It attracted people across the nation to come aboard…. But when we talk about the rule of law as an organization fighting illegal immigration, we too as an organization must be in compliance with the rule of law, when we allow these things to occur with any organization, we send a message to the public."

As a centralized Minuteman movement slowly unravels, to be replaced by a loose-knit amalgam of vigilantes and cazamigrantes (immigrant hunters) around the country, it is inevitable that we will see an increase of violence and racially motivated attacks.

In the fall of 2005, when there were only approximately 40 spin-off groups (as opposed to today's 200), the Southern Poverty Law Center chronicled the growing violence in these spin-off groups.

Trigger happy," Goliad County, Texas, Sheriff Robert DeLaGarza thought to himself. It was early July and DeLaGarza was meeting with members of the Texas Minuteman Corps, a new vigilante border patrol outfit that started recruiting in DeLaGarza's county in June.

"They kept talking a lot about shooting illegals, and what they could and couldn't do to make it self-defense of life or property," DeLaGarza said. "One woman kept asking, 'Well, what if they reach for a rock, can we shoot them then? What if they're on private land? Can we shoot them for trespassing?'"

DeLaGarza gave the vigilantes a stern warning: "My community doesn't tolerate racism or racist violence in any form. I told them that if they step one inch out of line, I'm going to hammer their ass."

Later that month in California, two Mexicans were wounded in separate shootings the same night along a 14-mile stretch of the border between Campo and Tecate, Calif., that was being patrolled by the California Minutemen, another new vigilante border patrol group.

…snip…

Inspired by the Minuteman Project, … more than 40 anti-immigration "citizens border patrol" and "internal vigilance" groups have formed since early May. The original Minuteman Project's leaders, Jim Gilchrist and Chris Simcox, have little or no control over most of these splinters, spin-offs and imitators.

SPLC

More recently we've seen increased violence aimed at migrants. This past month alone there were three separate incidents along the Arizona border, two resulting in deaths. We cannot be sure if these attacks were the actions of border vigilantes, or other criminal elements, but whenever there is a growing movement like that of the Minutemen, with it's mix of racism, militarism, and xenophobia, conditions are ripe for violence. When this is coupled with a lack of any real centralized leadership or accountability, violence is all but inevitable.

The original Minuteman Project was already the home of numerous far-right white supremacist and neo-Nazi deviants. Like a cancer, the further break-up of the group will only send these infected cells out to further metastasize and spread their message of hate and violence to infect the nation.

Related:
San Diego Union-Tribune
Washinton Times


tags: immigration, Jim Gilchrist , minutemen, vigilantes

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Hypocrisy, pure and simple

Last week, when student protesters prevented Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist from speaking at New York's Columbia University, the outrage from the right-wing was deafening. Lou Dobbs recounted the "unprovoked attack" on Gilchrist and how he had to "run for safety" from the stage. He then went on to bemoan the "death of free speech" at the "liberal" institution.

Bill O'Reilly did Dobbs one better warning of the "dangerous far-left" and how Columbia was a "disgrace, not interested in fee speech or learning…only indoctrinating leftists and radicals."

Gilchrist himself on his website wrote a long dissertation on the death of free speech and a warning about the tyranny of mob rule demonstrated by the incident.

Both Dobbs and O'Reilly featured selected video clips of the "riot." But, they forgot to inform their audiences of just how edited their clips really were.


tags: immigration, Jim Gilchrist , minutemen , Lou Dobbs, Bill O'Reilly, Columbia University

From the bastion of free speech, Mr. "shut up!" O'Reilly, we have this little fair and balanced piece of reporting:



and from Mr. Dobbs, this little unbiased gem:



Not to be topped, the paragon of free speech, and human rights, Jim Gilchrist gives us this little missive:

There is a national treasure so dear to the American people that it sometimes requires our life, liberty and sacred honor to protect it. The center piece of our National Treasury of Rights is the freedom of speech, the very cornerstone of self governance that countless heroes have fought and died for to preserve.

The United States of America has been the beacon of freedom throughout the world, empowering people whether great or common, rich or poor, strong or weak, to speak up with confidence, expressing views and vocalizing their beliefs.

When priceless free speech is suppressed by force, threats of violence, or intimidation, then the cornerstone of our Constitution begins to crumble and eventually the entire foundation of our nation, long coveted as a nation governed under the rule of law, comes tumbling down.

When such a freedom is replaced with tyrannical bellowing and "mob rule", then only the demons of disorder are allowed to speak and the voice of a nation is muted. It is my greatest fear that in the market place of ideas the voice of free Americans will be stifled by the disease of "politically correct paralysis".

The abolition of freedom of speech carried out against The Minuteman Project speakers and Columbia University's Republican Club at Roone Auditorium on October 4 is but a symptom of a deeper national infection; an infection of complacency that numbs the American people into the belief that freedom, especially freedom of speech, is reserved only for the meanest thugs wielding the biggest clubs.

JimGilchrist on Free Speech

Luckily for those who actually want to see what really happened, the Spanish language station, Univision, caught the ENTIRE episode on tape. Poor little Jimmy Gilchrist attacked by all those crazed brown leftists for no apparent reason at all.

Keep your eye on the minuteman on the right with the baseball cap and white tea shirt to see who really provoked whom and why a "riot" ensued. Or perhaps it was the guys on the left trying to rip the sign from the protesters hands .




To hear the likes of the lying bully, Bill O'Reilly lecture on about free speech… would be laughable if it wasn't so sad. The same is true of Dobbs who rarely lets an opposing view get a word in edgewise between his interruptions and mock righteous indignation.

As for Gilchrist… he's all about the free speech that one... Talk about the tyranny of mob rule, and free spech being "reserved only for the meanest thugs wielding the biggest clubs", he's got to be kidding.

He should have been forced to take a subway back to his hotel, then let him opened his big pie hole on the train and he would have gotten a good healthy dose of free speech. He wouldn't have lasted a minute… even the old ladies would have given him a good going over - and a quick kick in the ass.

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Minuteman leader wants boycott of Ford – over "Gracias Manuel"

It appears that we're finally through the looking glass in the current hysteria over immigration. Minuteman founder Jim Gilchrist has suggested a boycott of the Ford Motor Company because they dared to include two Spanish words in an English Language ad. The vigilante leader claimed the ad demonstrated the "Trojan horse" being used to gain "domination of culture" by Spanish speakers from south of the border.

The ad, for Fords popular f-150 truck, has been running since this spring as part of the companies, "Bold Moves" campaign. It features some popular themes that have been used in truck ads for years; rugged terrain, a cowboy, a beautiful girl and a truck coming to the rescue.

We've seen it all before … but this ad has a twist … or two.


tags: immigration, Minutemen, Jim Gilchrist , Ford, Boycott

So this hunky, swarthy, full-lipped guy in a white cowboy hat is tooling down a country road in a red pickup truck. He comes upon a big tree fallen across both lanes. No problem. He off-roads around the obstacle and cruises on.

But in the rearview he spies a dude driving a silver convertible with a dark-haired beauty in the passenger seat. They can't get around the tree.

Cowboy knows what to do. He lassos a chain around the tree and drags that sucker out of the way. Convertible Dude says: "Appreciate it." Cowboy replies: "Anytime."

Then the lady, who looks Latina, addresses Cowboy -- in Spanish.

" Gracias, Manuel."

Cowboy tips his hat.

Driving away, Convertible Dude is puzzled. He asks, "You know him?"

"Yes," she says, in English, with a flirty smile. "He's my ex-boyfriend."

Convertible Dude whips his head around to stare at Bilingual Babe -- and with that kicker, this Ford commercial for the F-150 truck ends.

link

Gilchrist views the ad as further evidence of what he sees as a Latino assault on American culture.

"It's part of the Trojan horse domination of our culture. Now they're coming after our language," said Gilchrist, "It's another steppingstone in a literal takeover of our country, eventually. . . . I'm supportive of a boycott of Ford, because now they'll be complicit."

WaPo did an excellent article about the ad, having people from the arts and social sciences analyzing what it says about our changing culture.

They looked at the various levels that the ad plays on, and how it reflects current atttitudes on issues of class, sex, and race. Yet, it is Mr. Gilchrist's paranoid view that stands out among them all. Only Gilchrist saw the ad part of a vast conspiracy to destroy "his culture."

Ironically, the website for the organization he founded, The Minuteman Project, prominently displays on its front page a disclaimer stating:

"The MMP has no affiliation with, nor will we accept any assistance by or interference from, separatists, racists, or supremacy groups."

Apparently Mr. Minuteman doesn't understand what the words "racists" or "white supremacist" really mean ... maybe "Manuel" could explain it to him ... but he'd better do it the "right way" ... in English.

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