A Huge Opportunity To Send A Message Tuesday

This is a column that I just wrote for the California Republic.org website.



I have been looking forward to this Tuesday
December 6th for a long time. It is a day when the
great citizens of the 48th Congressional District here
in Orange County get to send a clear and unmistakable
message to President Bush and his open border cartel.
We are fed up with the federal governments refusal to
enforce our immigration laws and the lip service on
smaller government. We are taking matters into our
own hands. John Campbell is a decent guy, but
desperate times call for desperate measures.

How did we get to this point in time? I
first heard about Jim Gilchrist and the Minutemen last
year when they started receiving huge media attention
for their audacity to actually go down to the porous
border and become the largest glorified neighbor watch
group in America. I was literally cheering the
television when I saw clips and interviews of Jim
Gilchrist and Chris Simcox telling the media that they
were doing the job that the federal government has
refused to do. I had no idea that later next
year(this year) that a seat in the House would open up
in the district where Jim actually lives. We
literally drafted Jim into the race. He was a
reluctant warrior, but I am so glad that he decided to
do it.

I have seen first hand what has happened to
once great cities in Southern California like Santa
Ana and Los Angeles from the deluge of illegal aliens
streaming into our state. These cities are now
ghettoes. I would never send my children to school in
these neighborhoods now where English is a second
language, and no one can read their diploma when they
graduate.

I myself have been a loyal Republican foot
soldier ever since I turned eighteen. I have always
voted only for Republican candidates. I have never
been part of and don't want to part of the county GOP
establishment here. I am just a grassroots volunteer
in Irvine with a lot of opinions! I rejoiced when the
Republicans won the Congress back in 1994. Lately
though as I watch the Republican majority, all I'm
reading and hearing is how they are caving in on
important conservative principles. What good is a GOP
majority if you're not using it to govern effectively.


I listen to a lot of talk radio and I started
my own blog Powder Blue Report a year and half ago at the urging of
my neighbor here in Irvine, Hugh Hewitt. I bet he
regrets that advice now, LOL. Anyway, my favorite
show is the John & Ken Show on KFI AM 640. They have
been hammering on the illegal immigration problem for
years now and the issue has been getting a lot of
traction lately because of what Jim Gilchrist and the
Minutemen have done. I have been following the tragic
story of Los Angeles County Deputy David March, who
was murdered by an illegal alien and then fled to
Mexico for safe haven. Our local Congressional
delegation barely lifted a finger to try and help the
March family get justice. This really pissed me off.
Especially bad was Congressman David Dreier. John &
Ken made an example out of him last year and held his
vote to only 53% last year when he was used to getting
65-70%.

Why do I support Jim Gilchrist then over a
polished GOP annointed candidate like John Campbell?
After all, I've never punched the chad for anyone but
Republicans for my whole life and I have never missed
voting in any election since I could vote. We have
over 200 John Campbell-like Congressmen back in
Washington already and I want someone who is going to
be a Tom Tancredo-like Congressman and stir things
up/get in people's faces about illegal immigration and
other conservative issues. Jim Gilchrist will be that
guy. John Campbell wants to go to DC and just go
along and get a good committee and we'll never hear
from him again. I also know that John had no buzz in
local GOP grassroots circles when he announced his run
for the seat, but Jim Gilchrist just had a huge buzz
about him. John also has a suspect record at best on
immigration. All these factors make Jim Gilchrist the
best candidate in my opinion.

I want to close this column with a plea to
my fellow Republicans. Jim Gilchrist is a Reagan
Republican, not a George Bush Republican. There's a
big difference in my opinion. So although he may not
technically be registered a "Republican", he will be
a great addition to the GOP caucus back in DC and he
will hold their feet to the fire. If you want more of
the same from Washington, then John Campbell is your
guy. If you want someone who is going to get into
President Bush's and the GOP open border
establishment's face, then pull the lever for Jim
Gilchrist. Thanks for your time.