Credibility: The Minutemen have none when they endorse Parker Griffith…

Yes, you read that correctly… The Minutemen have endorsed Parker Griffith for re-election for Congress. They join other conservatives from across the country who have endorsed Griffith as part of the deal he cut when he switched parties in December.

This endorsement stings because of how embarrassing it is for actual conservatives and those who fight for REAL immigration reform. We should expect clowns like  Boehner and the other Congressmen to back Griffith, they are playing the game and hoping for more Ds to turn to Rs (they are still wrong). But I never expected conservative groups to endorse Parker Griffith, especially groups that claim to be about principles and not parties. The Minutemen have claimed they are one of these groups. They claim they care about the issue of illegals and not about Rs and Ds.

Well… they either forgot that or did not do their homework on Parker Griffith.

Brian LeCompte at flashpoint put together Parker Griffith’s real position on illegal immigration almost two years ago.

On the topic of illegal immigration Griffith boasts on his campaign website that he “co-sponsored the toughest illegal immigration bill this session.”

“In the State Senate I co-sponsored SB 426 as introduced by Senator Beason to address illegal immigration in Alabama. The goal of this legislation is to make Alabama a less attractive place for illegal immigrants to live, protect taxpayers who should not foot the bill for services for those here illegally, and preserve Alabama jobs for our citizens. It is my hope that this legislation can be used as a starting point to address this growing problem.”

There is a tiny little problem, though.  Griffith actually actively impeded Scott Beason’s bill despite being a co-sponsor.  He also opposed attempts to pass individual portions of Beason’s bill.

Griffith Skips Committee Hearing

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But the skipped FRAC meeting wasn’t Griffith’s only attempt to stand in the way of illegal immigration legislation.
Griffith Does Not Vote for the Beason Bill

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Griffith voted “Present” (Roll Call 357) during a vote to determine whether or not to table (i.e. kill) the substitution.  That is the equivalent of saying, “I don’t want to go on record supporting or opposing this bill.”  If Griffith really supported SB426, and didn’t just sign on as a co-sponsor so that the could brag about it in his campaign literature, then he would have voted “no” to tabling the substitution.

Griffith Votes Against Portions of the Beason Bill

Beason also offered amendments to Orr’s bill, again with Orr’s approval and support, that were word-for-word excerpts from his own bill – the bill Griffith now claims to be an avid supporter of:

• Amendment 102231-1 dealt with harboring or transporting illegal aliens.  Griffith voted to table the amendment (Roll Call 358).
• Amendment 102232-3 stipulated that when individuals are charged with a felony or DUI that a “reasonable effort” be made to determine their legal status.  The amendment passed 26-4 with Griffith voting yes (Roll Call 359).
• Amendment 102244-1 would have restricted illegal aliens from receiving “any postsecondary education benefit, including, but not limited to, scholarships or financial aid.”  In Roll Call 360 Griffith voted to table the amendment.
• Amendment 102247-1 would have dealt with the sale and distribution of fraudulent identification documents.  Griffith voted to table this amendment as well (Roll Call 361).
• Amendment 102249-3 required that authorities attempt to confirm the legality of persons in custody for a crime that required bail.  Griffith voted to kill the amendment (Roll Call 362), but the motion to table the bill failed by a vote of 12-11.  It then passed 21-4 (Roll Call 363), with Griffith changing his position and voting in favor along with other Democrats who supported tabling it just moments before.  (He voted against it before he voted for it!)
• Amendment 102254-2 required that motorists have a valid drivers license in their possession.  The amendment passed 25-4 with Griffith voting yes (Roll Call 364).
• Amendment 102240-1 would have required employers to verify the work eligibility status of all employees.  Griffith also voted to table this amendment (Roll Call 365).

Griffith voted to block five amendments that were direct excerpts from Beason’s bill.   If Griffith is such a big supporter of Beason’s bill then why did he prevent its substitution and why did he then vote against five amendments to another bill that were taken word-for-word from Beason’s bill?

Now that is a lot of info right? So how could we expect Jim Gilchrist to know all of this?

Simple.

He opposed Parker Griffith in 2008 AND endorsed Wayne Parker because of this info.

North Alabama congressional candidate Wayne Parker is scheduled to appear with the founder of the hard-line anti-illegal immigration Minuteman Project this morning to accept the group’s endorsement.

Parker, a Republican from Huntsville, has scheduled a Monday press conference with Jim Gilchrist, a California native who founded the organization in 2004 to push for tougher enforcement of immigration laws.

Say what Dale?

That’s right.

He stood next to Wayne Parker in 2008 and endorsed him while SCOTT BEASON laid out how Parker Griffith impeded him on illegal immigration at every turn.

Here is the video.

Gilchrist talks at 0:49 in the video.

Beason starts to lay it all out at 5:30 and even thanks Gilchrist at 5:50.

On his website and in speeches Parker Griffith brags about being a co-sponsoring  my bill Senate Bill 426 which would give Alabama one of the strongest immigration bills in the nation. .Truth is, Parker Griffith played bait and switch with the people of Alabama. He wants credit for co-sponsoring a tough immigration bill. But when he had multiple chances to fight for that legislation, he failed to vote for it. One time after co-sponsoring the bill and failing to show up to a well publicized public meeting he actually told the Huntsville Times quote, “he had no position on that legislation. With supporters like that who needs detractors and it’s no wonder we don’t have stronger immigration bills in Alabama.

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Griffith is who he is and he is not going to change.

Exactly.

He keeps playing the same game.

What is Jim Gilchrist doing?

Listening to the discussion about past votes, Gilchrist seemed puzzled. He said his endorsement is based on the current voting record. “What would it matter if a congressman felt one way two years ago and now feels another way?” Gilchrist asked.

Can anyone tell me what those votes are?

So it boils down to this for Jim Gilchrist… Who cares about Parker Griffith’s track record?

That is a ringing endorsement if I ever heard one.

No Honor (for Parker Griffith)
No Integrity (for his supporters)
No Parker Griffith (for Congress)