Where There's Immigration, There's Sure to Be Lawyers

Lawyers always seem to be close by whenever the subject of "immigration reform" is brought up.

We saw it in 2008 when Jeff Flake's brother in law, Kevin Gibbons, attempted to run against Russell Pearce.  Chad Snow and his wife were one of the first donors to his campaign.  Chad's office with then partner, Ed Maldonado, were just down the street from Gibbons' office.  Other notable donors to his campaign were Liana and Steven Clarkson, Beth and Chad Coons and Mac and Sandy Magruder.

Kevin Gibbons = Immigration Lawyer.  Makes one wonder why his license would currently be suspended for 2 years.  (according to the disciplinary record, it states: Aggravating factors: prior disciplinary history, dishonest or selfish motive, multiple offenses, failure to comply with the State Bar’s investigation, vulnerable victim, and substantial experience in the practice of law.)
His law offices are in the same building as the Mexican Consulate.  What a strange coincidence.

We saw multiple (immigration/workers comp related) lawyers surrounding those behind the recall effort:

Randy Parraz
Chad Snow
Alex Carpio
Domingo Garcia
Tom Ryan
Jose Penalosa









We saw just as many, if not more, behind Jerry Lewis:
Mike Wright  (a registered Democrat and Precinct Committeeman)
John Giles
Dea Montague
Clint Smith
Kenneth P Smith
Daryl Williams

The common denominator of those behind Lewis?  LDS lawyers. 

Brian Barabe, one of the founders of the East Valley Patriots for American Values with Randy Parraz said back on June 11th,

We meet with the Mormon lawyers at the Wright House this morning.

I enjoyed the visit yesterday. Hope the coffee was good.

Some of those LDS lawyers behind Jerry Lewis, were voicing their opinions on immigration reform and Russell Pearce long before the recall effort.  Not to mention, playing the "church" card in the process in an effort to sway LDS opinion.

For example:
Kenneth Smith, branch president of a Spanish branch in Mesa, wrote a letter regarding SB1070 and his disgust with Senator Pearce back in May 2010.

My name is Ken Smith. I am a 4th generation of Mesa and have been practicing law for over 25 years. I too am a Branch President in the LDS Church for a Spanish speaking congregation in Mesa.

 We have many new families from Mexico that have recently joined the Church. To think that a so called "member" of the Church, i.e., Russell Pearce, would hunt these members

 and their families down like animals and deport them makes me sick to my stomach.

 In my humble opinion, Russell Pearce is not living his religion. 

The Savior taught that in the last days, even the very elect will be deceived. That prophesy has somewhat been fulfilled in that Russell Pearce has been elected and now he has been deceived.

99% of all the immigration problems could be solved with a fence and a guest worker program. Because they are blinded by hate and racism, our state leaders cannot see that simple solution.

I can also tell you that the Republican party is making a generational mistake by not taking the lead to embrace the 12 million or so undocumented economic refugees and turn them into

Republicans that would help keep the Dems out of power for generations.

They would make great Republicans in that they believe in God,

they are against abortion, they believe in strong families, they are hard working,

 they don't like big government, they like low taxes, etc.

He also referenced Nazi Germany in connection to cops who would round up illegals during routine traffic stops. 

Haven't we heard that correlation before?


Back on January 31st, 2011, we can find posted on the Facebook group, Conservatives Against Arizona Immigration Law SB1070 (by Dee Dee Blase) the following statement:

“If you live in Mesa, AZ and if you would like to sign the RECALL RUSSELL PEARCE petition,

 please visit Kenneth P Smith’s law office located at 715 North Gilbert Rd Suite 5, Mesa, AZ”

Dea Montague referenced the LDS church in his relationship with Jerry Lewis.  As if being a "Stake President" or "Bishop" somehow gives them more credibility over someone else.

It was his son, Tyler, who said the following to a reporter from the Arizona Capitol Times right after the recall election,

Yes. I can finally say it. From the beginning, we went to stake presidents and bishops to get their support.  I heard someone call it the ‘Mormon Fall,’ and I think that totally fits.

Comparing the recall election to the mass protests in North Africa

and the Middle East known as the “Arab Spring.”

According to the article:

 Their approach: Offer a simple choice to the most influential Mormons in Mesa. We said, ‘Here’s what the Mormon Church says about immigration, and here’s what Russell Pearce says about it. Where do you come down?’” Montague said.
...Daryl M. Williams, a member of the Paradise Valley Stake High Council and a trial attorney, said he could see the way the Mormon community responded to the church’s stance,

and that he believes it played heavily in Lewis’ success.
“It was more than just a useful tool.

 It was a critical turning point in Mr. Lewis’ campaign,” Williams said. 

Daryl Williams used his position in the LDS church to sway naive members.  He said,

“Russell Pearce, the chief proponent of Arizona’s immigration laws is, like me, a Mormon. His views, however, do not reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

 the official name of the Mormon church. Indeed, Mr. Pearce’s views are

 inconsistent with the official position of his church.”

Also stated in the Arizona Capitol Times Article:

Williams said Lewis attended one of the meetings

where Williams spoke, and that Lewis took him aside afterward to express

his agreement and encourage Williams’ message. 

Of course, these "devout" LDS leaders gave fodder for those outside of the church, intent on recalling Senator Pearce.

Dee Dee Blase, from Somos Republicans, said:

 It is imperative for them to know that

Russell Pearce (a member of the LDS community)

 refuses to listen to the Mormon Prophet

Lawyers. They aren't just ambulance chasers any more.

Alinsky's tenth rule of the ethics
"You do what you can with what you have and clothe it with moral garments."

Laughable Hypocrisy of the Day

An article on AZCentral today:

Cancel Arizona's GOP presidential primary,

Democratic lawmaker says

An Arizona state senator wants Gov. Jan Brewer to cancel the state's presidential preference election, saying elected officials should instead spend the money on education and job creation.

Which Senator was this, you ask?

Wait for it.............







Wait for it.................






Senator Steve Gallardo.

In his letter, Gallardo notes the Arizona Legislature set

aside $3.4 million to pay for the election.

"(This) costs taxpayers millions of dollars for what is really

 a political-party function," Gallardo said.

Yes.  The same Senator Gallardo who actively campaigned and canvassed for the recall election in LD18.  The same recall election which was essentially a Republican Primary election.

But, THAT wasn't a waste of tax dollars which could have been used for education and job creation?

Hypocrite.

Exposing those behind the Compact: Todd Landfried

Todd Landfried is the point man for ImmigrationWorks USA.

Landfried is also the spokesman for the Arizona Employers for Immigration Reform (AZEIR).

AZEIR organized the Arizona Immigration Conferences held around the State this last year in an effort to work towards "sensible immigration reform for our state and country."

You can see his comments here.

It was Landfried who traveled to Utah by invitation of Utah politicians and businessmen last February with Lydia Guzman (also from Somos America and one of Randy Parraz's pals) to oppose enforcement-only immigration laws set to be discussed in the Utah Legislature. 

On the heels of Utah's immigration bills and the various "newsroom" statements by anonymous authors intended to sway members of the LDS church, it was no coincidence that a letter drafted by a slew of Arizona CEOs suddenly appeared days before a series of new immigration bills were set for vote at the Arizona legislature.  Landfried, of course, was always willing to make a statement decrying the evils of bills attempting to curb illegal immigration.

The people in the business community finally said, ‘Enough is enough,'

and told the Senate president that moving these bills forward now is damaging us.

At a time when businesses are moving out of the state and people are getting laid off, this is not good for the economy or the people of Arizona. We have to stop this.

Within days of the CEO letter, Landfried was using the opportunity to link the principles of the Utah Compact with those of local business leaders. (Remember, the coalition must be "authentic") 

 "...the path to compromise on the issue might be through the business community."  

Landfried was busy following Randy Parraz throughout the recall effort of Russell Pearce as well as promoting the principles of the Utah Compact and the "myths and misconceptions" of immigration.

During the statewide push over the summer to rally support for a similar Utah Compact here in Arizona, Landfried wrote an opinion piece on AZ Central titled, "Let's Find Real Immigration Solutions". It is chock full of the immigration buzz words, spin and half-truths.

It is understandable to see Landfried with the likes of Parraz and the Democrats, but he seemed to appear in some of the most unlikely places throughout the recall/election process.

Like here at the Jerry Lewis announcment at the Wright House in July
 (He can be seen appearing in the background during the Don Stapley interview around 6:25)

and at the Jerry Lewis Election Night Party.

Remember his resume?
Earlier in his career, Landfried worked for the Clinton Administration's "reinventing government team" and also worked with Vice President Al Gore's "Intergovernmental Team." After leaving Washington, Landfried had a Democratic-oriented radio program in Phoenix for several years which one newspaper called a "far-lefty" program. He recently served as the Executive Director of the Maricopa County (Phoenix area) Democratic Party organization
and subsequently as a party officer.

Landfried sent out a news release through AZEIR days after the recall election in LD18.
 In his statement, he says,

 "We believe the voters for whom immigration was an important issue recognized the differences between Pearce and Lewis and voted accordingly...They recognized Lewis' practical and balanced perspective and his call for a permanent  federal solution as the only effective way to secure the border, while providing access to essential labor and addressing the questions of how to deal with those who are already here.

AZEIR welcomes Lewis' fresh and much-needed change in approach to solving this critically important problem....We hope political parties and candidates

realize elections can be won with this approach."

Politics sure makes strange bedfellows.

Immigration Buzz Words...get to know them.

HUMANE

McCain: GOP needs to address immigration in a 'humane' way

Can GOP accept Newt’s immigration policy?

Interfaith Platform on Humane Immigration Reform

Principles of Humane Immigration Reform

COMPASSIONATE

Christian Group Calls for 'Compassionate Immigration Reform'

Compassionate, prudent immigration reform needed

Americans deserve fair, compassionate and lawful immigration reform By Sen. Orrin G. Hatch

ELCACS1029 - Toward Compassionate Just Wise Immigration Reform


TONE

“The Utah Compact...does not set law, it does not supersede law, it does not change law – it simply sets the tone, the tenor of the conversation."

Politicians Must Change Tone of Immigration Debate

Mexican foreign policy adviser: U.S. must change immigration tone

Evangelicals implore GOP presidential hopefuls to tone down immigration rhetoric

PRACTICAL, REAL AND FAIR SOLUTIONS

Americans are demanding that Washington produce practical solutions to real problems. Comprehensive immigration reform is such a solution

Let's find real immigration solutions

GOP pols urge practical solutions to immigration

Time for a Real Solution on the Illegal Immigration Issue



It is interesting to find that the overwhelming majority of requests to change the tone in exchange for compassionate, humane, real solutions to immigration reform are towards the Republicans.  As if the Republicans are the only ones who must give up all of their values in the "compromise". 

More disappointing is knowing that not only is the charge coming from those outside of the party, but from within the party establishment themselves.

Perhaps the true Republicans should come up with their own "reform" in November 2012.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO RADICAL part 2

By Former Arizona State Senator Karen Johnson
October 25, 2011

...the Chamber of Commerce and other business associations had launched conferences and lobbying efforts at the state level through a group called ImmigrationWorks USA, a coalition of businesses working to promote comprehensive immigration reform. If there was ever going to be a conservative player in the amnesty fight, it would be here. The public tends to think of businessmen as conservative on political policy.

The point man for ImmigrationWorks USA is Todd Landfried. Earlier in his career, Landfried worked for the Clinton Administration's "reinventing government team" and also worked with Vice President Al Gore's "Intergovernmental Team." After leaving Washington, Landfried had a Democratic-oriented radio program in Phoenix for several years which one newspaper called a "far-lefty" program. He recently served as the Executive Director of the Maricopa County (Phoenix area) Democratic Party organization and subsequently as a party officer.

Under the direction of ImmigrationWorks USA, he chaperones the Compact on its tour through the states and lobbies it before state legislatures. He also presents the Compact to the public as a conservative document in ImmigrationWorks USA conferences. His audience is unaware of his liberal history and beliefs or the background of the founder of ImmigrationWorks USA.

The Board of Directors of ImmigrationsWorks USA:

Randel K. Johnson- He is a senior Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce responsible for labor, immigration, and employee benefits issues before Congress. Further, Johnson is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Immigration Forum, the mastermind of the Utah Compact. Johnson's three-way board membership links the major groups who created the Utah Compact and are pushing for amnesty.

Marshall Fitz-  Director of Immigration Policy at the aforementioned Center for American Progress. Before he came to ImmigrationWorks USA, Fitz served as Director of Advocacy for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, a big promoter of comprehensive immigration reform. The AILA has close ties to the National Lawyers Guild, which is tied to the Communist Party.

Jim Kolbe -  Former Arizona Congressman.  Kolbe sits on the Board of the Mexico Institute of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The Mexico Institute "seeks to improve understanding, communication, and cooperation between Mexico and the United States by promoting original research, encouraging public discussion, and proposing policy options for enhancing the bilateral relationship," with particular attention to security cooperation, economic integration, and migration.

Andrew Selee-  ...the Director of the Mexico Institute, is also a board member of ImmigrationWorks USA... an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University, is an associate of the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI) and a member of the Mexican Collective for Security and Democracy (CASEDE). He has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relation's Independent Task Force on Immigration, chaired by Jeb Bush and Thomas F. MacLarty; as well as a steering committee member of the Migration Policy Institute's Task Force on Immigration and America's Future.

Their ultimate goal has always been to erase the border between the U.S. and Mexico, U.S. sovereignty notwithstanding.

ImmigrationWorks USA sponsored a national conference in Washington, D.C., in July to make a little more noise about the Utah Compact and keep the issue in front of Congress. In a meeting with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) the day before the conference began, immigration advocates settled on their new spin, which was really an old spin known as "the economic argument." After the meeting, Schumer told Politico reporters, "We decided we ought to start highlighting the fact that immigration creates jobs rather than takes them away .... Everyone agreed that is how we are going to start talking about immigration, as a job creator."

While Hispanic activists stage protests outside state legislatures, the "suits" come inside and give testimony before legislative committees about how reasonable and how conservative comprehensive immigration reform is. The "suits" are the calm, respectable voice of the movement. While the protestors figuratively beat up on the legislators, the "suits" speak gently and softly, a welcome relief from the shouting demonstrators outside the state building. Like a good cop/bad cop operation, the vitriolic protestors with their Saul Alinsky tactics wear the legislators down and the "suits" then gently lead them to the desired finish...amnesty. Working together,they surround the legislators and knead them like clay until they absorb them into willing acceptance of comprehensive immigration reform. Like a one-two punch, they think that the legislators and Congress will fall for the trap.

The Utah Compact was dreamed up by radicals, facilitated by radicals, fine-tuned by radicals, and funded by radicals. Now it's slithering from state to state, escorted by radicals who would have you believe that it's nothing more than a nice little conservative message.

But make no mistake. There are NO conservatives who support the Utah Compact except for some who mistook its statement of principles as well intended. Taken singly, we can all agree with some of its principles. But taken in its entirety, the Compact is devilishly deceptive and manipulative.

Wherever you live, you can expect the Utah Compact to show up in your state, pushed by coalitions of churches, Chambers of Commerce, and other business groups.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO RADICAL part 1

All Roads Lead to Radical part 1
by Karen Johnson
former Arizona State Senator

We will attempt to highlight pieces of this article.  You are encouraged to read through the whole article in order to better understand the lefts plan of attack.

The campaign to pass "comprehensive immigration reform," or amnesty, is charging like a speeding train at Congress. After the last major attempt went down to defeat in 2007, the open-borders advocates licked their wounds and regrouped, realizing they would have to reframe amnesty to make it look conservative and reduce the pressure on conservative Congressmen. The end result was the Utah Compact...

Although it was superficial and simplistic, the Compact was dripping with all the trappings of conservatism. It came from Utah, a very conservative state. It appeared to be the product of conservative politicians, a conservative think tank, Catholic and Protestant churches, and nonprofits.  The Compact spoke of humaneness, family values, and free markets.

...they began dancing the Compact in front of legislators all over the country to persuade them that the public had had a change of heart on immigration and that they now wanted amnesty. But the Utah Compact was a fake.  It was all propaganda. (See "Propaganda and the Utah Compact.") The Utah Compact was conceived by radical Hispanic advocacy groups and foisted on Utahns through a masterful facilitation process by Carter Livingston of the National Immigration Forum. (See "Who Wrote the Utah Compact.")

...many supporters of the Utah Compact included left-wing and radical groups in Utah and other states. The following are only a few of the liberal-to-Marxist groups which support comprehensive immigration reform and which all signed the Utah Compact:

• American Civil Liberties Union of Utah • Communidades Unidas
• Enriching Utah Coalition• Equality Utah (a pro-homosexual civil rights group)
• Human Rights Education Center of Utah (an anti-bullying, homosexual-tolerance group)
• National Council of La Raza• MEChA B Movimiento Estudiantil Chicana/Chicano de Aztlan• Peaceful Uprising•United for Social Justice

Notably absent from the list of groups which signed the Compact are conservative organizations.

...Another hint that the Utah Compact wasn't as conservative as it was cracked up to be came in the form of a conference held in Chicago a week before the Utah Compact was announced. The conference was co-sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and a group called "People Improving Communities through Organizing" (PICO) The title of the conference was "Justice for Immigrants." Its purpose was to train churches of all denominations to promote the passage of amnesty by Congress...PICO uses Saul-Alinsky-type techniques to promote an array of socialist programs, such as national health care, affordable housing, and amnesty.

The "Justice for Immigrants" conference in November, 2010, consisted of three days of workshops, all focused on comprehensive immigration reform. The speakers at the conference included the leaders of some of the most prominent pro-open-borders, progressive/Marxist/liberal groups on the left, including:

Ali Noorani, National Immigration Forum — NIF is the Godfather of the Utah Compact, which would be unveiled a week later. The Forum has ties to the Service Employees International Untion (SEIU), the Arab American Institute, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the National Lawyers Guild (a communist front organization).

Angela Kelley, Center for American Progress (CAP) Funded by George Soros, CAP is a Progressive think tank and supporter of the radical Left and the Democratic Party.

Michele Waslin, Immigration Policy Center. — The IPC is funded by George Soros, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and other Leftist foundations and has ties to the National Council of La Raza and other radical groups.

Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America's Voice — Sharry is the former Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum. While with the Forum, he helped organize the opposition to Arizona's 2004 ballot initiative (Prop 200) which prohibits illegal aliens from receiving welfare benefits.

Helen Harnett, Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights — Chicago-based housing, healthcare, economic security, and legal advocacy group which advocates for amnesty, homosexual rights, and government-supported social services.

The conference included instruction on immigration issues... comprehensive immigration reform (amnesty), administrative advocacy, the DREAM Act, and immigration enforcement issues. There was a session on "best practices in organizing," including how to organize in parishes and congregations, and sessions on how to oppose the arguments for enforcement, the rule of law, and SB1070-type bills in the states.

Once the Compact was public, the congregations were ready to launch grass-roots campaigns to adopt the Compact in their state.  Behind the scenes, the radical groups provided advice, talking points, and local Hispanic activists as foot solders for demonstrations. It was a battle on two different fronts. At the state legislatures, they were working to defeat "enforcement-first" legislation. In Washington, they were lobbying to pass comprehensive immigration reform, insisting that there was a new mood out in the states — a conservative mood. 

The results began to show in February.

On February 2, 2011  "Value Georgia."

February 7, 2011   Florida Compact

February 9, 2011   Indiana introduced their Compact.

February 10, 2011 Maine Compact was announced.

With a few state compacts in hand, the Chamber of Commerce, the religious Left, and the radicals were ready for the next step -- an American Compact. On March 8, 2011, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, who was one of the primary sponsors of the Utah Compact, presented his state Compact to a national meeting of Attorneys General in Washington, D.C.. During the meeting, he told the audience, "What I'm working for is to try and expand the Utah Compact and make it a national compact," he said.  KSL-TV, March 8, 2011

The next day Shurtleff met with White House officials to provide them with an overview of the Utah Compact and the concept for a national version. By the end of March, a draft of the national version of the Utah Compact, called the "America's Compact," was ready to go.

Utah's Attorney General Shurtleff headed back to Washington to present both versions of the Compact to the President and coalition leaders at an immigration summit at the White House. The summit took place on April 19, 2011. Approximately 70 people gathered...ONLY open-borders advocates were invited to the summit. No advocates for border security were present.

The Mesa Compact Unveiled

The Mesa Compact

A Declaration of Five Principles to Guide

Mesa's Immigration Discussion

FEDERAL SOLUTIONS:  Immigration is a federal policy issue between the U.S. government and other countries--not Arizona and other countries.

LAW ENFORCEMENT:  Local law enforcement resources should focus on criminal activities, not civil violations of federal law.

FAMILIES:  Strong families are the foundation of successful communities.  We oppose policies that unnecessarily separate families.

ECONOMY:  Mesa is best served by a free-market philosophy that maximizes individual rights, responsibilities and opportunity.  Mesa's immigration climate must affirm our global reputation as a welcoming and business-friendly city.

A FREE SOCIETY:  We must adopt a humane approach to the realities of immigration, reflecting our unique culture, history and spirit of inclusion.  The way we treat each other defines us.

Compare to the UTAH COMPACT:

THE UTAH COMPACT

A declaration of five principles to guide Utah’s immigration discussion

FEDERAL SOLUTIONS Immigration is a federal policy issue between the U.S. government and other countries—not Utah and other countries. We urge Utah’s congressional delegation, and others, to lead efforts to strengthen federal laws and protect our national borders. We urge state leaders to adopt reasonable policies addressing immigrants in Utah.

LAW ENFORCEMENT We respect the rule of law and support law enforcement’s professional judgment and discretion. Local law enforcement resources should focus on criminal activities, not civil violations of federal code.

FAMILIES Strong families are the foundation of successful communities. We oppose policies that unnecessarily separate families. We champion policies that support families and improve the health, education and well-being of all Utah children.

ECONOMY Utah is best served by a free-market philosophy that maximizes individual freedom and opportunity. We acknowledge the economic role immigrants play as workers and taxpayers. Utah’s immigration policies must reaffirm our global reputation as a welcoming and business-friendly state.

A FREE SOCIETY Immigrants are integrated into communities across Utah. We must adopt a humane approach to this reality, reflecting our unique culture, history and spirit of inclusion. The way we treat immigrants will say more about us as a free society and less about our immigrant neighbors. Utah should always be a place that welcomes people of goodwill.

Who wrote the Utah Compact?