California's Racist Republican Congressmen Have Gotten A Wake-Up Call

Usually when you think of blatantly offensive racists in politics, you'd think-- and with good cause-- of Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Arkansas... the unreconstructed Confederate states covered by Title 5 of the Civil Rights Act. [See discussion above, featuring Ari Berman.] But if you live in California, you're probably aware that the Republicans have fought a vicious battle against equality for Hispanics for many years and you've seen how it's contributed to the party's shriveled status throughout the state.

In recent years, due in great part to the wonders of gerrymandering, some of Congress' most notorious racists have come from California. Bigots, safe in their shrinking white-majority enclaves, like Ed Royce, Darrell Issa, Buck McKeon, Kevin McCarthy, Gary Miller, Duncan Hunter, and Brian Bilbray, have been able to vote as though they representing districts in the Deep South. But that's changed. Bilbray, for example, who answered every question about anything with a screed against Hispanics and was in love with Romney's "self-deportation" scheme, was fired by the voters in November. Ed Royce, who made a name for himself as a racist dog whistler throughout his disgraceful career, is starting to pander to minority voters. McKeon and Gary Miller, whose districts are now so filled with minorities, are both painfully aware that the clock is ticking on the ends of careers predicated on clinging to white supremacy. In November, the rapidly shrinking California Republican congressional delegation lost another 4 members to Democrats.

And yesterday, KPCC reported that most of the California racist congressmen are shifting from wanting to round up and deport all Hispanics to a more moderate/mainstream approach to immigration reform. Issa is already looking for words to use that mean "path to citizenship." We, he says, we "have to consider" citizenship for those who "are capable of meeting all the responsibilities." That's a big step forward for an anti-Hispanic extremist like Issa.

Citizenship has been the line-in-the-sand Democrats have drawn on immigration reform. In the past, some moderates in the GOP embraced legalization for undocumented residents. But many on the right labeled any kind of legal status as “amnesty.” However, more Republicans are now bowing to political realities after Latinos overwhelmingly voted for Democrats in November.

In an immigration speech in Las Vegas last month, President Obama said comprehensive immigration reform must include a pathway to citizenship. GOP Congressman Devin Nunes of Fresno agrees, saying he has no problem with what the President said in his speech.

Congressman John Campbell says there should be a path to citizenship-- for some. He says there's a difference between people who came here illegally and their children: "I think that’s a distinction which is credible."

Freshman Republican David Valadao of the Central Valley is the child of Portuguese immigrants. He estimates about half the undocumented immigrants in the U.S. have visa issues, stuck for years in the immigration bureaucracy.

Citizenship has been the line-in-the-sand Democrats have drawn on immigration reform. In the past, some moderates in the GOP embraced legalization for undocumented residents. But many on the right labeled any kind of legal status as “amnesty.” However, more Republicans are now bowing to political realities after Latinos overwhelmingly voted for Democrats in November.

In an immigration speech in Las Vegas last month, President Obama said comprehensive immigration reform must include a pathway to citizenship. GOP Congressman Devin Nunes of Fresno agrees, saying he has no problem with what the President said in his speech.

Congressman John Campbell says there should be a path to citizenship-- for some. He says there's a difference between people who came here illegally and their children: "I think that’s a distinction which is credible."

Freshman Republican David Valadao of the Central Valley is the child of Portuguese immigrants. He estimates about half the undocumented immigrants in the U.S. have visa issues, stuck for years in the immigration bureaucracy.

...But California isn’t like the rest of the country. The House of Representatives still has plenty of hardliners unwilling to vote for any immigration bill that includes citizenship. And as the number of California Republicans shrinks, the state’s clout in the GOP-led House on immigration and other issues shrinks as well.

So... how many of them will take on Boehner's man on the Judiciary Committee, anti-Hispanic zealot Bob Goodlatte? The reactionary and racist Goodlatte (R-VA) is tasked with shepherding the immigration legislation through Congress told NPA that “People have a pathway to citizenship right now: It’s to abide by the immigration laws, and if they have a family relationship, if they have a job skill that allows them to do that, they can obtain citizenship. But simply someone who broke the law, came here, [to] say, ‘I’ll give you citizenship now,’ that I don’t think is going to happen.” Issa's on his committee; let's see him put his money where his mouth is.