The GOP has a total double standard on this issue.

These people come here looking for WORK. 

The GOP takes huge piles of money from the people who make it possible for these people to come.

Some people would call it racketeering.  Take campaign money from the people who are enticing these people in so the GOP can have more people to attack.

More on Del. Albo's hypocrisy here:

http://albomustgo.bl...

If those people ever became legal immigrants they would qualify for minimum wgaes and benfits.  The Republicans WANT illegal immigrants because these people represent an easily bullied underclass of laborers that don't need to be paid a living wage.

That's why Bush's position is so popular with corporatist Republicans: allow the illegals in, but keep them at a disadvantage, subject to deportation if they step out of line.

Of course this runs counter to the racist wing of the GOP.  Did you see where the KKK is making a comeback in Manassas?  I wonder who invited them to participate in the debate?

A couple of years ago I saw an analysis of the republican party and rove.  They said he formed a coalition of social conservatives to be used as foot soldiers and big business to provide the money.  These 2 groups are rabidly on opposite ends on this issue.  Hopefully this will crack the coalition.

complete ignorance of the fact that Republicans take huge amounts of money from illegal-immigrant-hiring/union-busting industries. 

I got a rather nasty email from my blog from a Cantor supporter concerning the fact that Vpap shows no record of Smithfield providing contributions. I am sure it may have gone to his Pac because I did not see it either. Though I understand the rhetoric coming from the Reps we need to be careful because by the looks of it people like Brian Moran, Roscoe Reynolds, Ben Lambert, Don Maceachin, Frank Hall and others have accepted contributions from this very same illegal worker hiring firm. Smithfield has also contributed to both Rep and Dem Pacs most likely in an attempt to hedge its bets. IT was pointed out to me that in 2002 it was more like a 50/50 split to each party and Smithfield has donated to One Virginia Pac, Black Caucas and Commonwealth Fund all Dem Pacs. If accepting this money we are saying that illegal workers are just fine I certainly have a problem with that. All of the leaders accepting donations need to fess up and address just what is Smithfield expecting in return for its investment. If Dems were perceived as being the Party that would endorse the continuation of zero enforcement I think the numbers would be higher, does Smithfield know something we do not and that the Rep threat of solving this issue is hollow at best?

The reason you can't find donations to Cantor on Vpap is that Vpap only tracks state officials, not federal. In order to find the information for federal candidates you have to go to opensecrets.org and search under Smithfield's PAC, and then you will see Cantor listed as a recipient of money from Smithfield. And, yes, there are Dems listed as well.

The point here is not just that the money was donated, but that the very people who have been running around claiming to be against illegal immigration have been taking money from companies who have been busted for hiring illegal immigrants.

You mention several Dems above who may have received money, but this particular post is about Congressional Representatives who are taking money, not state reps. For the record, there is only one Virginia Democrat (Congressman Scott) who got money from Smithfield ($1000 in 2004 and $1000 in 2006) and it was siginificantly less than the Republicans got.

In all, there are 8 members of Congress who took money from Smithfield and 7 of them are Republicans. And that includes 2002, so, no, it wasn't a 50/50 split. 87.5% of the money donated to Virginia's congressional delegation from Smithfield went to REPUBLICANS.

And if you want to throw in the Senators, John Warner took $7000 from Smithfield in 2002. Though I haven't heard him running around screaming about amnesty, so I'm inclined to give him a pass.

Seems to me this is more than being about who did or didn't take money, but the hypocrisy of that certain individuals took the money all while claiming to be opposed to undocumented labor.

thanks for clarifying that in tersm of the data. I will be interesting to see since illegals are beginning to shape alot of elections at the local and state level.

I think you are going to find that even at the state level most of the contributions are going to Republicans. But there is something that you should keep in mind, state and local officials have almost no influence over cracking-down on illegal employers; which is why SO much of the money from Smithfield is going to federal candidates.

It's the federal government who makes decisions about immigration enforcement and reform, and that's who Smithfield has set out to influence. And what you see is a result in which no matter how much a given candidate may talk about "cracking down on illegal immigration" what they really mean is "cracking down on immigrants."

Not a single one of the Congressional candidates who has recieved money from Smithfield has said anything about cracking down on employers. They all campaign on the same thing: Securing the border and deporting immigrants. None of them has suggested that we impose fines or go after employers like Smithfield. And none of them has returned the money, even though Smithfield has run afoul of the law with regard to hiring illegal immigrants.

The difference between the democrats and the GOP on this issue is that the Democratic candidates are not running around talking about "cracking down on illegal immigration." You may think they should be, but atleast they aren't misrepresenting themselves to their consituents like these members of the Virginia Congressional delgation.

Just Saying I am seeing a trend of this issue going local. Canvassing is showing people won't the county government to step up to the plate. It is shifting towards not wanting federal involvement if you can believe that. Now I know there are certainly some hurdles but local governments working with ICE and putting pressure on Washington may be the only thing that changes the issue. Virtually every major area of Virginia has or is conducting studies on the impact of illegals, residents tax money is going for these studies and they will as they should demand that the study be used to address the areas that are being impacted the greatest. People want leadership on this issue and if the Feds are providing it you can sure bet voters will be turning to local officials for solutions.