Spencer Abraham, no way in Hell, Fred Thompson.

Fred Thompson has been my favorite for President in the 2008 election, until now. If what I'm hearing about Spencer Abraham, Thompson's new campaign manager, then Fred's campaign is dead in the water. Spencer Abraham, according to reports, is a supporter of open borders. That by itself is enough to turn most conservative voters off. On top of the border security question, I'm hearing that Spencer Abraham is an apologist for the Islamists. No way Fred can get elected if this is true. No way in hell.

Are you not aware that immigration restrictionists loathe Abraham as an open-borders true-believer, and that your appointment of him as your most important staff person throws into doubt your main selling point as a candidate? Did you have a reason for doing this, or are you just thick? (LibertyPost.com)

Michelle Malkin mentioned Spencer Abraham in her book "Invasion":

In my 2002 book Invasion (p. 71, 76), I noted the open-borders obstructionism of former Sen. Spencer Abraham (R-Michigan), who fought to block the implementation of two different tracking databases–one for foreign student visa holders and the other for all temporary visitors (which was mandated by Section 110 of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act). Abraham led efforts to starve the first database of funding and crusaded several times to kill Section 110 altogether. On September 11, 2001, neither of those databases was in place. To this day, they remain incomplete.

Texas Fred asks, "Reason for Concern?? Speak your mind and let us know". Indeed, let Texas Fred know what you think, but more important ... let Fred Thompson know what you think. I have already sent letters to the campaign telling them Spencer Abraham must go, or Fred Thompson had NO chance of winning the election.

The American Muslim Alliance praises Spencer Abraham via Babbazee at The Outraged Spleen of Zion in a comment at Texas Fred's. And from the Islamic Free Market:

“The future of the Islamic Free Market Institute will no doubt reach new heights under Saffuri’s strong leadership. ” Sen. Spencer Abraham, Michigan

I'm keeping an open mind. Some readers at Texas Fred's think this is a strategic move by Fred to win votes, others think it is a fatal mistake, while others don't see any problem with Abraham. Time will tell as more information comes out.

Other:

Washington Post: "In Online Writings, Thompson Flashes His Conservative Credentials"
The Senate passes $3 billion in emergency funds for border security, The Virtuous Republic
Judge supports hiring and renting to illegals!, Conservative Common Man
Border Agents Were Charged With 'Non-Existent Crime', Take Our Country Back
Fred Thompson 2008: Struggle or Strategy?, Blog@MoreWhat.com
Border security; Reid was against it until it was explained to him ... slowly, from Wake Up America
Sheriff Arpaio, your' the man, My Country - My View
Fred Thompson on the Hazleton Court Decision, A Lady's Ruminations
Fred Thompson on the Hazleton Court Decision, Bear Creek Ledger
NYT Loves Illegal Aliens, 123Beta
Fred Thompson Illegal Immigration Ruling, Wake Up America
Prices legislation to ensure deportation of illegal aliens The Virtuous Republic
Open Letter to Corporate Americas Supporters of open borders and Illegal Immigration, specifically the Race(ist) Based group known as LaRaza at Tom's Flashbacks

**This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email stiknstein-at-gmail-dot-com and let us know at what level you would like to participate**
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Comments

[conservativegrunt]

"Abraham brings insight into Michigan a state that will be critical." This statement erroneously assumes that Michigan sees Abraham in a favorable light. If that were true, they would have reelected him to the Senate in 2000 instead of replacing him with Democrat Debbie Stabenow. Michigan State Republicans attributed his defeat by Debbie Stabenow to "often scathing advertisements by a wide range of special interest groups, including advertisements that criticized Mr. Abraham's support for a relaxation of some immigration restrictions". During the campaign the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) ran ads asking: "Why is Senator Spencer Abraham trying to make it easier for terrorists like Osama bin Laden to export their war of terror to any city street in America?" Abraham was a consistent advocate of large-scale immigration and worked relentlessly to lessen immigration controls and regulations. In 1997 he received the "Defender of the Melting Pot" award from the National Council of La Raza.

Additionally, Abraham was one of only two Senators in the entire U.S. Senate who refused to sign a letter calling on President Clinton to condemn Palestinian terrorism and Yasser Arafat. This was at the height of a series of bombings in Israel in 1999 and 2000. Your assertion that "Abraham brings insight into Michigan a state that will be critical" is not insight that will be favorable to Thompson. And that's a good thing.

[Debbie]

Brandon, you make a good point. Perhaps there is meaning to Fred's madness.

Conservative Grunt: Thanks for all the information. I will read up. Doesn't sound good, does it?

I'm willing to watch and see for now. There's lots of time to make a decision. However, a politician's record does seem to carry a lot of weight as to how they would vote or legislate in the future.

[conservative grunt]

Fred Thompson and Spencer Abraham served together in the Senate (1995-2001). A review of their Immigration Reduction Report Cards, awarded by Americans for Better Immigration (ABI), reveals they received the exact same grade on every subject.

See Thompson's ABI Report here: http://grades.betterimmigration.com/testgrades.php3?District=TN&VIPID=743&retired=1

See Abraham's ABI Report here: http://grades.betterimmigration.com/testgrades.php3?District=MI&VIPID=401&retired=1

A review of their immigration profiles indicate that Thompson and Abraham amendment worked together on immigration issues. See immigration voting profiles for a complete record of votes. A few examples include:

Voted to strip legal reforms from 1996 bill
Sen. Thompson helped defeat legal immigration reform when he voted for Senator Spencer Abraham's amendment to remove the legal immigration reforms from S.1664, the Immigration Control and Financial Responsibility Act of 1996. This vote effectively killed any chance of Congress considering the Jordan Commission recommendations on easing legal immigration levels.

Voted for a foreign worker bill with no anti-fraud measures in 2000.
Sen. Thompson voted for S.2045, the Abraham foreign worker bill to nearly triple the number of foreign high-tech workers. On the heels of the release of a GAO report finding no proof of a high-tech worker shortage and evidence of abuse in the H-1B program, Sen. Thompson voted for this foreign worker bill that contained no worker protections or anti-fraud measures. The bill passed the Senate 96-1.

As Committee member, produced H-1B doubling bill in 1998
Sen. Thompson was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee that created the Abraham H-1B doubling bill in 1998, S.1723. He voted with the 12-6 majority to send the bill to the floor of the Senate without safeguards for American workers.

Tried to kill voluntary pilot programs for workplace verification in 1996
Sen. Thompson voted IN FAVOR of the Abraham Amendment to S.1664. He was part of a coalition of pro-business conservatives and liberal civil libertarians who tried to use the amendment to kill the establishment of voluntary pilot programs in high-immigration states. The programs were intended to assist employers in verifying whether people they had just hired had the legal right to work in this country. Such verification is considered by many experts to be an essential tool for withdrawing the job magnet from illegal aliens. The verification system established by S.1664 did not involve an ID card. Rather it provided that when new workers wrote down their Social Security number on an application, employers could phone into a national verification system to help assure that the number was a real number and belonged to the person giving it. In earlier smaller pilot programs, businesses had hailed the verification system for making it easier for them to avoid hiring illegal aliens. Sen. Thompson was unsuccessful in stopping the voluntary verification system. The Senate tabled the by a 54-46 vote.

View Fred Thompson’s Immigration Voting Profile: http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=TN&VIPID=743

View Abraham’s Immigration Voting Profile: http://profiles.numbersusa.com/improfile.php3?DistSend=MI&VIPID=401

[Brandon]

Ok let me be clear I am not a fan of Spencer Abraham. In addition I spent a great deal of my hard earned money calling, sending faxes, and letters to not only every senators Washington office but most of their home offices as well. I stood with the thousands that opposed the immigration bill and there are few that are more conservative than I. My only point is that it is ludicrous to think that just because Fred hires someone that he agrees with every position that person has ever taken. The bottom line is that Spencer Abraham has won state wide election in Michigan and Fred probably thinks there is value and experience in having him on board.

[Debbie]

Arnold Harris, I'm with you when you say:

"I'm dead set against allowing any illegal immigration into this country"

I don't understand politicians who seem to be for open borders. I guess the North American Union is headed our way.

We had a call from the Washington Repbublican National Committee asking for money yesterday. Hubby told them forget it, no more donations until they get serious about illegal immigration. Not one thin dime.

[Arnold Harris]

I'm dead set against allowing any illegal immigration into this country, and I will never support any candidate for office who waffles over this menace to our national sovereignty.

In my judgement, the need to seal our borders ranks with the onset of peak oil as the number one issue facing the United States.

All of the above, irrespective of any special insights someone may bring to Mr Thompson's campaign from the state of Michigan.

And no, I'm not necessarily a right-winger.

Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI

[Debbie]

Brandon, I hope you are right.I truly do.

Perception is a big deal in politics, and the perception that Abraham is bad news is out there now. I suppose we will just have to wait and see. It's still very early in the campaign. Fred is still my favorite, unless and until someone better comes along.

[Thomas Hamilton]

"Abraham brings insight into Michigan a state that will be critical."

Unfortunately, the conservative right wing base (me included) has become unforgiving on the subject of illegal immigration and the war on Islam. We have been pissed on so many times by the sitting politicians that any association with people like Abraham will be viewed as pandering and collaboration with the enemy. We are tired of compromise, political correctness, and "making nice".

I wish it weren't so but I am afraid it is.

[Brandon]

Let's keep our eye on the ball people. Fred is not bringing in Spencer Abraham because he believes in open borders all of a sudden. Abraham brings insight into Michigan a state that will be critical.

Let’s not automatically assume that Jeri’s influence is all bad either. Personally I don’t put a lot of stock in these professional political advisers that “manage candidates”. That is one of the problems we have had in recent years, we have too many advisors dictating the Washington message.

Do we honestly think that these candidates agree with every stance that their campaign staff have ever taken?

[Debbie]

Ortho, you are correct. I've heard the stories about Fred's wife also. Nothing can kill a campaign like an arrogant bossy wife. I hope he nips her control in the bud.

[Ortho]

Interesting post Debbie. All reports out of the bourgeois-liberal media suggest the Thompson "noncampaign" is dead in the water. Personnel turnover turmoil.

Thompson's wife, Jeri Kehn Thompson, is the one running his campaign. “It’s now become an open joke among people in the consultant community and political movers and shakers that the senator’s wife is really running the campaign,” said Tony Fabrizio, a Republican pollster and strategist. “The spouse needs to be an integral part of the campaign but it is never a good thing when the spouse runs the campaign because the spouse is never objective.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/28/us/politics/28thompson.html

[Debbie]

Kyle, thanks for the link, I'll go read it. I really like Fred, so I still have hope.

[Kyle]

The NY post is saying no way to Abrahams. I'm hopeful the guy's just a red herring or won't be in a position of any importance.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/07272007/news/columnists/lazy_daze_has_friends_of_fred_all_shook_up_columnists_charles_hurt.htm

[Debbie]

Stacy, I hope it's wrong, but it doesn't look that way. The best news here is for Fred Thompson to fire Spencer Abraham NOW. Before it's too late for his campaign.

[Stacey]

No no no no no! Say this isn't true. Debbie, this needs to be a mistake!

[Debbie]

jchild314, no where in this article did I say Fred Thompson was changing his views that the borders should be closed.

I did say that Spencer Abraham (Ibrahim?) is well known for his open border beliefs.

If this is true, and it looks like it is, WHY is Fred Thompson letting this man be his campaign chairman? This is not good for Fred. A big mistake.

Also I thought Fred Thompson understood the threat from Islamic jihadists. But if Abraham's support of Islamic groups is true, this is also a negative for Fred.

I like Fred, I think he doesn't understand what this choice will do to his campaign. It will sink it before it gets started.

[D. Ox]

Campaign managers help focus the program of the campaign, language that the President would then be obliged one way or another to act upon if elected. They also have continuing roles as insiders and perhaps GOP Chairs. Yikes! I took this selection as a DISASTER and hope it will be undone ASAP.

[Thomas Hamilton]

If all this stuff is true, I expect to see Newt Gingrich announce soon.

I am afraid we are looking at another president Clinton in '08.

[jchild314]

Please Debbie, I am just trying to find where in your rant Fred says he is switching his view that the boarders should be closed????? Your stretching it a bit.........

[Blazingcatfur]

Thanks for stopping by! I like your blog! I like Fred too, the new guy I'm not so sure of.