Man, is this the strangest election cycle you’ve ever seen, or what? First, on the Democrat side, we start off with what I felt was sure to be a shoe-in with Sen. Clinton. I just knew that with all the money, name-recognition (which is something money just can’t buy), and with all the influential people the Clinton’s knew, that the road to the White House would be a cake walk for Hillary.

In all sincerity, who would have thought that at this point in the game, there would even be a contender still standing? Much less one that could “KO” Sen. Clinton at any moment.

And what about Barack Hussein Obama? This guy spends a little time at the U.S. Senate, and before the paint on his “This space reserved for Sen. Obama” sign in the parking lot is even dry, he’s running for president. The nerve of this man!

I would have never guessed in a million years that this guy would be running for president, and I certainly would have NEVER seen him winning it. And no, for all you liberal talking heads out there, I don’t say that because I’m a conservative redneck. I say that because it’s true. Here is a man who is brand new to the national political scene, has no national record on which to stand, and he’s flipping winning. It’s just incredible!

And on the other side of the aisle, things are equally as strange. We had a strong field in the Republican party this year. The only problem is, you can’t elect them all, and there hasn’t been a single candidate that could unite the party enough to really rally the troops behind him.

For this Christian Conservative, I would have liked to have seen Fred Thompson in the Oval Office. Sadly, though, it seemed like everybody except for Fred Thompson wanted Fred Thompson to be the president.

So, looking down the list, yes, Rudy Giuliani appeared he would be tough on national security…but that was it. He reminded me of John Kerry running against Bush where whenever things got tough, he would always come back to “but I fought in Vietnam.” Except Giuliani always came back to, “I was the mayor on 9/11/01.

So I went on down the list, and I finally found one that I was reasonably happy with: Mitt Romney. Here was my hope. I knew he had some changes of positions in the past, but I felt he was sincere, and I knew he was confident in what he was doing.

He had both the government background and the business savvy to make things happen. I felt that, regardless of the rumors of his church, he had the moral fiber to lead our nation. What’s more, I knew he had the strength of his convictions. Yes, he was THE man.

Gov. Huckabee was one that I never really gave a lot of serious consideration. I was, at best, skeptical of his social conservatism. And I was convinced that he was not a fiscal conservative.

So, I immediately set to work on getting Gov. Romney a new address: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I started writing all kinds of articles praising his good works and dedication to the preservation of the United States Constitution. My writings on Romney, and on most of the 2008 presidential field, can be read in my new book, “Mr. Right Opinion- Unplugged and Unashamed” which should be available within the next week at: http://www.51756.authorworld.com/. I hope you’ll check it out.

Anyway, I, and a whole slew of other folks, are hard at work trying to get Romney nominated when…BAMN! In his most Reagan-esque way to date, The Governor from Mass. Drops out of the race for “the good of the party.” I was disappointed by his decision, but I could respect it.

This news kind of knocked me back on my heels, as I’m sure it did many Republicans. It took me a while to figure out what to do next. I was not very impressed when the “Governator” Arnold gave John McCain his endorsement. Quite frankly, I don’t see Arnold as a Conservative. However, I knew if the Republicans didn’t do something, and do it pretty fast, we were going to be in trouble (ala today’s Democrat party). So I decided it was time to “rally round the flag” and support the man who would undoubtedly be our nominee: John McCain.

Since then, I have tried to point out positives about the Arizona Senator. You can go back to previous posts I have written about McCain, and you’ll see that I’ve said that even if you have to hold your nose to do it, if you are a republican, pull that lever for McCain.

But, John, you are NOT helping me here. Going to speak before a conference of La Raza, the pro-Aztlan and pro-illegal immigration group is not exactly a way to shore up your base.

And what about this little speech on global warming. Have you picked up a Science magazine lately? We are in the middle of a five-year cool down. Senator, I have honestly been telling people to hold their nose and vote for you because it would be better than a vote for Hillary or Obama, and it would.

But, sir, it is now reaching the point where we are not merely looking over a few disagreements. We are fast-reaching a point where, for me to tell my fellow conservatives to vote for you, even if they are holding their nose, crossing their fingers, standing on their heads and doing a jig, is for me to tell my fellow conservatives to vote against their own consciences. And I simply cannot do that.

PLEASE Sen. McCain, give us the kind of leadership we need so we can get behind you. If that’s not possible, then it looks like the Republicans are just going to have to miss out on a golden opportunity to keep the White House, even at a time when anti-Republican sentiment is so high that the cake walk that almost never happened may happen after all.

Hello fellow Opinioators! Well, it has officially been three weeks since my back surgery to have a pain pump installed. You know, I have to say that it is not as comforting as I thought it would be...at least not yet.

However, we still have some adjusting to do, the doctor and I, so there is still good reason to be optimistic. So I shall be!

I am hoping that I am going to be able to start posting more. My first post with any real significance will be out today, and I hope to continue from there.

I appreciate you all hanging with me through all this, and I hope you've been listening to Mr. Right Opinion on the air. My friend, Nedd Kareiva (founder of the Stop The ACLU Coailition) and I have a talk show on Blog Talk Radio on Tuesdays and Thursdays which can be heard here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Mr-Right-Opinion. And even if you miss the live broadcast at 1:30 p.m., you can always go back and hear the archive.

Also, don't forget my book which will be out probably next week. It can be purchased for a special price here: http://www.51756.authorworld.com/.

Finally, I mentioned my friend and co-host Nedd Kareiva. His Stop the ACLU Coalition can be found here: http://www.stoptheaclu.org/.

Thanks for your loyalty, and I promise to do my best to keep these ventures going as best I can now that I am slowly but surely feeling better.

God Bless,
Mike Minton

Greetings All,

I would like to apologize for my prolonged absence from posting on the blog. Much has been going on that is beyond my control.

The Good News:

The good news about what has been happening is that a good friend of mine, Nedd Kareiva (founder of http://www.stoptheaclu.org) and I have started our own online talk-radio show which can be listened to here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Mr-Right-Opinion.

The show runs on Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30-3:00 p.m., and is a conservative show. The plan right now is for us to get used to hosting the show, and then maybe have some guest interviews. If you would be interested in being a guest, leave me a message and I will get back to you.

The Bad News:

The bad news is that I had back surgery a couple of weeks ago, and it is taking me longer than expected to recuperate. That means I cannot sit at the computer for any length of time. This, naturally, means I can't write like I would like to.

However, I hope you guys will tune into the show, or check out the archived shows if you can't hear it live.

Also, my book, "Mr. Right Opinion-Unplugged and Unashamed," will soon be available at: http://www.51756.authorworld.com/, so check that out if you have a chance, too!

Thanks for bearing with me!

Mike

This will be a one-time only offer on this website, the one that made “Mr. Right Opinion-Unplugged and Unashamed: one man’s musings during perilous times in America’s history” possible.

Anyone who sends an email to mrrightopinion@windstream.net between now and April 30, the time by which I hope the book will be printed, will receive, free of charge, a complete article/chapter out of the book so you can decide for yourself whether it is as enlightening as I feel it is.

To make this offer even more enticing, I have a “Topical Table of Contents,” from which you may choose the subject on which you would like to hear me pontificate.

This is a one-time offer to blog readers, although I may apply it to radio interviews I do at later dates.

The “Topical Table of Contents” consists of the following: Abortion; American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); Anti-Americanism; Assault On Christianity; Clash Of Cultures; Culture Of Corruption; Culture Of Death-see also abortion; Efficiency In Government; Eminent Domain; Great Speeches; Holding Them Accountable; Homosexual Agenda; Honoring America; Illegal Immigration; Iraq War-Criticism; Iraq War-Rationale (including one that is a must-read for those with doubts of Saddam’s intentions); Late, Great Ronald Reagan; Legislating From The Bench; Light-Hearted; Media Bias; Middle East-War on Terror; 09/11/2001 (the day the world changed forever); PETA; Presidential Election; Radical Islam; Social Security and Mexico; State Legislatures; Statesmanship; United Nations Corruption!

Whew, what a list of topics. I got tired just ‘copying and pasting!

At any rate, just email me at mrrightopinion@windstream.net with your particular area of interest, and I will be sure to send you a TOTALLY FREE article I have written on the subject; an article which will appear with the other 124 other articles in the book (Mr. Right Opinion-Unplugged and Unashamed is 360 pages).

If, after viewing it, you agree, there will be a link provided which will take you directly to the page where you can get your copy of the book http://www.51756.authorworld.com/. I am telling you, for conservatives, it is a must-read. Even for liberals, it is at least a “should-read.”

Thanks and God Bless,
Mike Minton-a.k.a. Mr. Right Opinion

To order “Mr. Right Opinion-Unplugged and Unashamed,” please visit: http://www.51756.authorworld.com/.

(An aside: when I refer to and quote the United States Constitution in this artcle, unless otherwise noted, the information and quotes come from www.usconstitution.net)

In his trip to America, Pope Benedict XVI has said many profound things. However, this single sentence jumped out at me, and now I cannot get it out of my head. The latest Pontiff was quoting his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. And the entire quote from CNSNews.com’s story, “Pope Hails America’s Founding Principles“, by Terence P. Jeffrey, went: “Few have understood this as clearly as the late Pope John Paul II," he (Pope Benedict XVI) said. "In reflecting on the spiritual victory of freedom over totalitarianism in his native Poland and in Eastern Europe, he reminded us that history shows time and again that 'in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation,'

and a democracy without values can lose its very soul.

What an insightful statement. What a prophetic use of language which should be a warning to us all. Not just the Chinese, who systematically suppress individual freedoms, not just the Taliban who suppress, or at least did, and are still trying to, an entire population under the guise of religion, an not just to the Castro brothers, who continue a brutal dictatorship under the guise of an equality for all system known as Communism.

No, this message must not be lost on the ears of Americans as being some very profound words that a lot of OTHER nations could really use. Folks, we could use them here at home, too. Maybe here more than anywhere as, we see the morality and teachings of our forefathers slowly, but steadily, slip away.

The United States of America was founded on certain basic Judeo-Christian ideologies which, in recent decades, have been totally turned on their head. One by one, we systematically pluck out truth from our society and replace it with lies, all in the name of progressive (i.e. liberal) ideals. One by one, we are undermining the very footers upon which this nation was built.

Was every forefather at those conventions perfect? Of course not. Did they sin, just as we do today? Naturally. They drank to excess, they murdered, both the enemy and each other, I’m quite sure many of them stole to feed their families, and some of them even committed what Barack Hussein Obama termed “America’s original sin”-- slavery.

However, that does not mean that the writings which laid down the very principles upon which this country was built were anything less than Divinely-inspired. But we, as a nation, have lost sight of that divine inspiration.

For instance, in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, it addresses the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. The Founding Fathers wrote: “Becoming a citizen

 

A non-citizen may apply to become a citizen of the United States. At no time will such a person ever be considered natural-born (unless the U.S. Code is changed in some way). The process to become a citizen involves several steps, including applying to become and becoming a permanent resident (previously known as a resident alien), applying to become and becoming naturalized, and finally taking the Oath of Allegiance to the United States. Children of naturalized U.S. citizens generally become citizens automatically, though they will also not be considered natural-born. There is a time constraint before a permanent resident can apply for naturalization, generally either 3 or 5 years. The other requirements are that there be a minimum length of time in a specific state or district, successful completion of a citizenship exam, ability to read, write, and speak English, and good moral character. (http://www.usconstitution.net).

Nowhere in that original document did I see anything about being able to sneak across the border long enough to be given amnesty! We have lost track of the truth!

Another lack of truth when studying the Constitution is that the President does not have the power to “react to acts of war in an expedient fashion as he sees fit.” While this is a broad statement, it does, in fact, give the president the authorization to most-definitely strike Afghanistan, who, outside of your Michael Moore types, is known to be behind the tragic events of 9/11/01. Thus, the constitution absolutely gave President Bush the right to attack Afghanistan in his capacity to “react to acts of war in an expedient fashion as he sees fit.”

This, obviously, brings us to the question of Iraq. Did the president have the right to, along with a “coalition of the willing,” attack Iraq and bring down it’s regime?” Please allow me to enter Exhibit ’A’ if you will: S.J. Res. 23:Authorization for Use of Military Force (Enrolled Bill) found at: http://news.findlaw.com/cnn/docs/terrorism/sjres23.enr.html.

The act says, verbatim:

“Authorization for Use of Military Force (Enrolled Bill)

--S.J.Res.23--

S.J.Res.23

One Hundred Seventh Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,

the third day of January, two thousand and one

Joint Resolution

To authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against those responsible for the recent attacks launched against the United States.

Whereas, on September 11, 2001, acts of treacherous violence were committed against the United States and its citizens; and

Whereas, such acts render it both necessary and appropriate that the United States exercise its rights to self-defense and to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad; and

Whereas, in light of the threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by these grave acts of violence; and

Whereas, such acts continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States; and

Whereas, the President has authority under the Constitution to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States: (emphasis added) Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This joint resolution may be cited as the `Authorization for Use of Military Force'.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) IN GENERAL- That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.

(b) War Powers Resolution Requirements-

(1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution.

(2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS- Nothing in this resolution supercedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate. “

Once again, we have to look at the truth. Now obviously, you and I will never have access to the intelligence reports, at least the non-redacted ones, to know exactly what they said about Iraq’s involvement in plans to attack America, although there is plenty of taped evidence suggesting that they had plans to do just that.

Regardless, the TRUTH, as the Pope pointed out, “in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation.” And the TRUTH, as hard as it is for some liberal…oops…progressives…to believe, is that Congress unanimously said that, “Whereas, such acts continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States; and

Whereas, the President has authority under the Constitution to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States: (emphasis added) Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This joint resolution may be cited as the `Authorization for Use of Military Force'.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

Having read Congress’s words, there is little doubt thay they gave President Bush the “`Authorization for Use of Military Force,” in SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE, and in SECTION 2. “AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.”

Yet we have lost sight of this truth, and as a result, and as the Holy Father said, 'in a world without truth, freedom loses its foundation.' And indeed, in losing what the truth on Iraq was, we are indeed losing our very foundation.

Just look how divided we are as a nation. We have the religious right-wing coming out that McCain isn’t’ conservative enough, we have moderate Republicans saying that he’s too conservative for their liking. And then there are the ‘Progressives’ or, as I still like to call them, Liberals.

They are just salivating to see which Democrat will screw up next so they can try to move in for the kill. It is a sad situation.

And the majority of this bickering could stop if we just take a lesson from the Pope and see that without truth, freedom loses its foundation. Think about it.

Don’t forget Mr. Right Opinion’s upcoming book “Mr. Right Opinion-Unplugged and Unashamed.” It will soon be available through authorHOUSE at: http://www.51756.authorworld.com/.

 

 

 

 

I know I’m a few days late in getting the jump on this story, but so much has been going on, and it’s just hard for one man, even one as good as me, to do it all! But, I try.

It seems that our “friends” at Absolut vodka have chosen to market to Mexicans in a very unique way. They have chosen to go for the heart of Mexicans. Am I talking about Mexico City, the capital? No. I am talking about Aztlan. Aztlan is the part of Mexico that was sold to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

It is also a subject which I cover in great detail in the second “chapter” of my upcoming book, “Mr. Right Opinion-Unplugged and Unashamed” (soon available at: http://www.51756.authorworld.com/). The United States of Aztlan, as I call it in my book, consists of the United States of America giving back to Mexico what they truly feel is theirs. That is more than one-third of the U.S.. States include: Arizona, New Mexico, California, Texas, Utah, Nevada and Colorado. That’s just working from memory, but you get the idea.

This is a total slap in the face of Americans by Absolut vodka, and it deserves an immediate boycott of the alcoholic beverage. If you must drink vodka, try SKYY Vodka. In an email from ALIPAC (Americans for Legal Immigration PAC), they say of a SKYY vodka press release, “History was made when American-made SKYY vodka sent out a press release proudly supporting the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and criticizing Absolut for their offensive advertising in Mexico.”

A Newsmax article, “Absolute’s ‘Mexico U.S.’ Map Angers Many,” on April 14, 2008, quotes SKYY vodka spokesman Dave Karraker as saying, “Like SKYY vodka, the residents of states like California, Texas and Arizona are exceptionally proud of the fact that they are from the United States of America. To imply that they might be interested in changing their mailing address, as our competitor seems to be suggesting in their advertising, is a bit presumptuous.” Well said, David!

This United States of Aztlan is real, folks. It’s time to wake up to what’s going on around us. Yes, we need to be involved in our political process and learn what our candidates are all about. However, you are not going to get that in these loop replays of he said-she said stuff that the media feed you. You have to go out and do some digging for yourselves.

I know it’s not easy to find the time. Believe me, I am a single father of two girls, just finished writing a book, am a guest commentator on one blog, and have two blogs of my own that I’m trying to keep up. I know it’s hard to find the time, and even harder to find the energy, to investigate this stuff. But, that is why I am here. I feel it my job to do the homework. Then you have the obligation to “trust but verify.” At least with my writings, you have a starting point at which to begin the verification process.

As I write in my upcoming book, Aztlan is what Mexicans who feel they got the short end of the stick call the land that the United States legally purchased in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. And for the past thirty to forty years, there has been a movement afoot to flood the Southwest United States with both legal and illegal Mexicans. The idea is to gain more political, cultural, and social clout. The eventual goal here is to regain what are now rightfully states belonging to the United States of America.

Just look at these next couple of paragraphs taken from my book, “Mr. Right Opininion-Unplugged and Unashamed:” Charles Truxillo, professor of Hispanic Studies at the University of New Mexico, predicts that it is inevitable that this mythical Aztlan will be created, adding that the capital would most likely be Los Angeles. He further advocates that this should be accomplished, "by any means possible."

He does admit, however, that Mexico lacks the military capability to make this happen. So he surmises that Aztlan will be brought about by political pressure from what will inevitably be a majority of the Hispanic population if immigration is not brought under control.

Now, this next part should make any American mad enough to revolt. In an interview with the Albuquerque Tribune, Professor Truxillo, an instructor at an American institution of higher learning, funded by tax dollars collected from the sweat and hard work of American citizens, who are here LEGALLY, claims that it is his "task to help develop a 'cadre of intellectuals' to begin thinking about the practicalities of how the Republic of the North (a name he sees as befitting this new Aztlan) can become a reality."

So, it’s not enough that we have fifteen-twenty MILLION illegals to worry about here, now we have to deal with some Swedish vodka company running ads calling on Mexicans to basically continue the fight for this Aztlan? I say we ban Absolut from the American alcohol-consuming community. If they think it’s so great, why don’t they rent a few hundred-thousand airplanes and bring the illegals to Sweden. Heck, just get them drunk, they won’t care!

Before I start this article, I would like to point out that I have intentionally steered clear of the election fiasco as of late, something I am sure has not escaped the attention of my readers. I have done this because our party’s decision has been made, and there is nothing that I could say about the two Democrats that would be nearly as damaging as what they are saying about each other.

I may enter the fray on occasion, but for now, I am waiting until the general elections to start firing my guns. Having said that, I will get on with the task at hand.

It seems that President Chavez, the Venezuelan dictator, is trying to stir up more trouble down in his neck of the woods. The dictator, it seems, has proposed founding what he calls “SATO” (South Atlantic Treaty Organization). On Sunday, according to FoxNews.com, the president said, “’I once said that if NATO exists — the North Atlantic Treaty Organization — why couldn't SATO exist? The South Atlantic Treaty Organization?’”

President/dictator Chavez first proposed this “SATO” back in 1999 when he began his official role as president, but the idea was quickly met with regional opposition.

Pres./dictator Chavez announced that he would make the proposal to the Brazillian Defense Minister, Nelson Jobim, when he visit’s the Venezuelan capital Monday. This comes as a surprise to yours truly, as Brazil and the United States have had a fairly good relationship as of late.

In fact, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars quotes the former Brazilian Ambassador to the United States in 2004 as saying, “Not a single action taken or decision made by the United States in the last three years has negatively affected Brazilian interests….”

So, why would Chavez start with Brazil? That really is a puzzler considering that he has countries like Cuba and Suriname (who?) to consider. From what I’ve read, the U.S. and Brazil, as I have pointed out, have a pretty healthy relationship. I wouldn’t think they would want to risk having us as an ally by partnering with one of our most disliked dictators. And if they go along with this idea, they are fools.

I honestly do not think this is going anywhere. I think that Chavez has a grand plan that he would like to put into place which would leave him in control of this so-called SATO. He said that the defense council (SATO) would , according to Yahoo news, “design our own defense policies.” He failed to mention that he would be the chief architect in this “design team.”

But the question remains, why would these countries, outside of the ones already on the wrong end of America’s generosity, want to ostracize themselves from the good will of the United States of America?

While, as I said, I think this plan is going nowhere, I thought you should know what the rest of the world is up to while the MSM tells you about Hillary dodging sniper fire and Barack Hussein Obama talking about his kids being “punished” with having a baby. What a couple of idiots those two are.

By the way, for those who didn’t know, Citgo gas is owned, lock, stock and barrel, by Venezuela’s Chavez. Therefore, you can do your part by not purchasing ANYTHING from Citgo gas stations.

Finally, don’t forget about my upcoming book, “Mr. Right Opinion-Unplugged and Unashamed.” It will be available soon at: http://www.51756.authorworld.com/.

I appeared as a guest on Cao's (pronounced 'Key's') Blog Talk Radio show last night. We had a great time, or at least I did.

Unfortunately, we only had a half-hour, so we didn't cover nearly as much ground as I would have liked.

You can listen to it here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Cao/2008/04/12/Key-To-Victory-Show

Hopefully that will work.

Thanks,
Mike-a.k.a. Mr. Right Opinion

While perusing Louisville’s Courier-Journal newspaper on Sunday, April 6, 2008, my eyes were naturally drawn to an article entitled “Arizona Waging Immigration Fight On Its Own Terms.” As you may have read, I have focused quite a bit of energy and brain-power on the issue of illegal immigration. In fact, a lot of my new book, Mr. Right Opinion-Unplugged and Unashamed (available soon at: http://www.51756.authorworld.com/), deals with this very topic.

However, I was particularly interested in this article because it sounded as though the newspaper was praising Arizona for dealing with the issue on its own terms, as opposed to waiting for the federal government to get around to it (as if that will ever happen). And if you read the Courier-Journal, or any other Gannett-owned newspaper, you know how out-of-character it is for anything conservative to get positive coverage.

Now, I will be the first to admit that my articles are biased. I report on current events from a conservative point of view, and I make no apologies for it. However, I am the operator of a news and opinion weblog. I am not, nor do I claim to be, an independent source of news. The Courier, however, is supposed to be a newspaper; inherently obligated to report on current events from an unbiased stance. But as we all know, unbiased journalism is nearly impossible to find these days.

At any rate, the story started out on a good note. Reporter Nicholas Raccardi, of the Los Angeles Times (no bias at that paper), starts the article by noting that “Arizona has become a laboratory for whether a state can single-handedly combat illegal immigration.” This statement obviously makes the point that the feds are doing next-to-nothing on the illegal immigration front. And nothing could be closer to the truth.

The article points out that Arizona, in recent years, has made it almost impossible for illegals to receive government services, and that a new law there makes it possible for the state to close businesses that hire illegal immigrants. It also says that the sheriff of Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, has his deputies, along with “posses” of volunteers, going out to search for “illegal street vendors or immigrants.” All good things in my opinion. Any time a state can solve problems without the interference of the federal government, that is a good thing. That’s how it’s supposed to work.

Apparently, state Rep. Russell Pearce, who has authored some of Arizona’s toughest immigration laws, feels as I do. The LA Times quotes him as saying, “What I love about what Arizona is doing is that we don’t have to rely on the federal government…. It has truly woken the rest of America that states can fix that problem.”

Up to this point, the news story had been strangely, and uncharacteristically, positive about Arizona’s fight against illegal immigration. It just seemed to good to be true…and it was! Mr. Riccardi was just setting us up for the kill. The rest of his article is just a rant about how unfair it is to illegals for American states to actually enforce immigration law. The article spends all of three paragraphs highlighting the positives of the state’s immigration fight, and it spends the remaining twenty-three paragraphs on a huge, bleeding-heart diatribe about the evils of enforcing the law.

By my estimation, that is nearly an eight-to-one allotment of negative vs. positive coverage. This is a terribly unfair advantage to the pro-illegal camp. Especially when one considers the fact that news outlets are supposed to be neutral in the first place!

The article states that “Illegal immigrants complain that it’s impossible to find good work and (they) are leaving the state.” It would seem to me that this outcome is the whole goal of what the state is doing, and that Arizona is therefore meeting it’s goal. That’s really not too hard to figure out.

Mr. Riccardi does point out one legitimate complaint: he says that a minority of illegals have been unfairly victimized by the system the state uses to verify the employability of potential illegals. Apparently, Arizona uses a system called E-verify, a federal pilot project that allows businesses to verify the status of workers. It seems that the system has mistakenly identified a small percentage of people as possible illegals.

However, the acting chief of E-verify, Katherine Lotspeich, said officials would soon be proposing several changes which would make the system more error-free. The reporter then identifies one of the “victims” of the E-verify system, a naturalized citizen who was told by employers that he would lose his job due to information supplied by E-verify.

What the article tries to hide, though, is the fact that the reason the “victim,” Mr. Ochoa, was classified the way he was is that he, like some 3,200 foreign-born U.S. citizens, failed to register his citizenship with the Social Security Administration. Therefore, they are classified by E-verify as possible illegal immigrants. So, in reality, what the reporter tries to call victims of the system are actually victims of their own failure to properly register their citizenship.

It truly is amazing how these folks at the LA Times try to play on our emotions. In one case, they talk about a thirty-two year-old illegal by the name of Jorge Hernandez. They say that Mr. Hernandez, who has lived in Phoenix illegally for the past eleven years, lost a job he had worked at for years because of the new employer-based sanctions enacted by Arizona.

The quote from the newspaper is: “Now he struggles to support his family by working as a day-laborer, and is thinking of leaving.” Seriously, that’s what they say in trying to garner my sympathy for this man who is here illegally in the first place. They say he now dreams of moving to New Mexico, where the anti-illegal immigrant sentiment is weaker.

State Rep. Pearce, whom I quoted earlier, said that the positive effects of Arizona’s efforts were undeniable. “Smaller classroom sizes (and) shorter emergency room waits” have been seen as a result of the state’s work. He also says, “Even if (illegal immigrants) are paying taxes-and most of them aren’t-the cost to taxpayers is huge.”

The state’s work in fighting illegal immigration is having a major impact. So effective is it that the neighboring Mexican state of Sonora has complained about the number of refugees fleeing Arizona and coming back to Mexico. Imagine that…a Mexican state complaining about the number of Mexican “refugees” crossing the border! Only now, the illegals are heading in the right direction!