http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/23/navarrette/index.html

Commentary: Letter is bid to intimidate Latino voters
By Ruben Navarrette Jr.
Special to CNN

SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- What we have here is an attempt to intimidate.

There is no question that was the intent behind a toxic letter sent to an estimated 14,000 Spanish-surnamed voters in Southern California's Orange County. Just as there is no question that the letter came from the campaign of Republican congressional candidate Tan Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant who hopes to defeat Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-California, in the November 7 election.

Written in Spanish, the letter threatens: "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time."

The only question is whether Nguyen authorized the mailing, or whether he's telling the truth in blaming the whole mess on a renegade staffer who has since been dismissed.

Calling the letter "grotesque and obnoxious," Orange County Republican Party Chairman Scott Baugh is convinced that Nguyen orchestrated the whole thing. Baugh claims the mail house that sent the letter told him that Nguyen was personally involved in the mailing. The local GOP has asked Nguyen to resign his candidacy, saying through a spokesman that the candidate is "not a welcome member of our party."

Nguyen won't withdraw. Instead, he hired a lawyer to help him answer questions from the Justice Department and the California Attorney General's Office, both of which are looking into whether any federal or state voting rights laws were violated.

The letter is reprehensible, and whoever is responsible for it should be punished -- harshly.

First, it contained false information. While illegal immigrants are prohibited from voting, legal immigrants can vote if they've become naturalized citizens. The letter also stated that the federal government had installed a computer system to verify the names of new registered voters and that anti-immigrant groups (of which there is no shortage in California) would be able to access that information. According to the Justice Department, there is no such database.

Besides, the letter was an exercise in ethnic profiling. Let's be clear: This mailing wasn't aimed just at illegal immigrants, or even legal immigrants. Some recipients may have been U.S.-born Latinos whose names happened to show up on a database of Democratic voters to which, Nguyen claims, the staffer gained access. According to a spokesman for California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, recipients included "longtime registered voters in California" and possibly even "fourth-generation Californians."

No wonder California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called the letter "racist" and urged Lockyer to prosecute those responsible with a hate crime.

Arnold's right. This was a slap against all Latinos and an indication of how afraid some people are now that they're becoming more numerous and acquiring more political power.

The good news: Stuff like this helps clear the air. Those folks who are afraid of changing demographics always talk about how Mexican-Americans in particular should stop thinking of themselves as "Mexican" and just consider themselves plain ol' Americans.

It's a sweet idea, but one in which, apparently, not everyone puts much stock.

Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the editorial board of the San Diego Union-Tribune and a nationally syndicated columnist. Read his column at http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/op-e ... index.html

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/ho ... 327836.php

Monday, October 23, 2006
Nguyen refuses to quit
Campaign official claims translation altered meaning of letter. Angelides and others to rally today in Santa Ana.

By AMY TAXIN
The Orange County Register

GARDEN GROVE – Just two days after his office was raided in a probe of a mailer warning immigrants against voting, Republican congressional candidate Tan Nguyen said Sunday he would keep campaigning and rejected what he said were "ridiculous" calls to resign from the election.

"I am not going to quit this race and I am going to win this race," Nguyen told reporters called to his campaign headquarters for a press conference.

Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant, has come under fire by Republicans and Democrats alike since the mailer was linked to his campaign. On Friday, agents raided Nguyen's campaign office and home in a state Attorney General probe of the mailer, which was sent to 14,000 foreign-born Hispanic Democrats.

Nguyen, who is running against incumbent Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, declared his innocence and said he did not authorize the mailer. Campaign spokesman Bill Braniff conceded someone close to the campaign, in fact, wrote the letter, which was later translated to Spanish and sent out.

"I acknowledge that somebody connected with the campaign did draft it," said Braniff, adding that the translation of the text had altered its original intent to address only people who were not citizens and thus ineligible to vote.

Braniff said an initial English-language draft of the mailer made specific references to illegal immigrants and green card holders. The Spanish mailer used the word emigrado, which is defined as someone living outside his or her country, according to the Real Academia Española.

Braniff claimed that the word has been incorrectly translated as "immigrant" by the public.

Leaders of Orange County's Republican and Democratic parties said Braniff's claims were irrelevant since the letter was sent to thousands of people who were legally registered voters and had adopted the letterhead of an anti-illegal immigration organization.

"I guess you can parse it and spin it so you can justify what you want, but the upshot of the letter is it was designed to intimidate registered voters from voting," said Orange County Republican Chairman Scott Baugh.

Braniff refused to explain the letterhead or why the mailer was sent.

Orange County Democrats plan to rally in Santa Ana today in response to the letter and are calling for the Registrar of Voters to send a letter to households clarifying voters' rights. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides is expected to attend the 10 a.m. rally at the Old Orange County Courthouse, 211 W. Santa Ana Blvd.

Nguyen questioned the motives behind the Attorney General's probe and accused agents of interfering with his right to campaign by seizing his computer last week.

Carrie Brooks, a spokeswoman for Sanchez, said she had no further comment on the mailer.

Orange County Democratic Party Chairman Frank Barbaro did.

"The whole thing is just stinky," he said.

San Diego apparently has some charming politicians running around. The Republicans should just give up down there as they can't find anyone who isn't corrupt or utterly incompetent.

This thread needs even more Napoleon love.

"Corrupt and utterly incompetent" is the Republican motto, and it's been working for them for a god damned long time.

The only reason the Democrats don't hold that motto is because they aren't in charge. Nobody wants to bribe a Democrat because they don't have the power.

I for one was just refering to the fact that San Diego seems to have had more than its fair share of scandal recently. The Duke Cunningham thing and now this. They need to work on their PR.

In short ... the Democratic motto is "Utterly incompetent."

Well, that would remain to be seen. Personally, I don't think they would do a very good job with either the economy or with national security. That's not to say that they would be utterly incompetent, but they don't have anywhere near a unified position on the latter and a shaky case for raising taxes (other than to address the deficit).

Whereas the Republicans are simply wonderful with the economy. Why do you have a deficit again?

Because of huge increases in spending.

Tax reciepts are at record levels now...