Update January 23rd: This is really an update of Falknor’s Blue Ridge Forum piece on the two Kings in Congress and how Congressman Peter King has also wimped out on promised shariah hearings. See Diana West here.
Update January 22nd: Richard Falknor writing at Blue Ridge Forum has more background on what is happening with the Republican establishment in Congress on the issues of immigration and shariah law.
Just when some of us were hopeful that the new House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law (here, apparently not updated as of this writing) would hold hearings on some troublesome areas of the refugee and asylee programs (like the Somali asylum seekers arriving on our borders by the hundreds, here), it looks like Speaker of the House Boehner has blinked and must have had some behind the scenes role in choosing a moderate (sounding) Republican rather than Rep. Steve King of Iowa for the chairmanship. King would really have shaken things up.
This is from AP a week ago. And, here is a story from The Hill. Maybe there is something more up-to-date than the AP story, but this is very discouraging news:
WASHINGTON — Republicans eliminated a potential liability with Latino voters Friday by refusing to give the top spot on an immigration subcommittee to a congressman who once proposed stopping illegal immigrants with an electrified fence.
The expectation was that Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, House Judiciary Committee chairman, would choose fellow
Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa to be the next chairman of the Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on immigration, citizenship and other related issues.
Instead he chose California Rep. Elton Gallegly, who is considered an immigration hawk, but who is less likely to make explosive comments that make him a target for critics.
[…..]
By choosing Gallegly, Republicans get a subcommittee chairman whose public comments are less likely to be incendiary and won’t GOP hurt efforts to become more Latino-friendly, while depriving Democrats of an easy target in the run-up to the 2012 presidential elections.
Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said the decision is a clear message Republican leadership doesn’t want to antagonize Latinos.
The AP says Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith passed over King and chose Gallegly, but I don’t believe it for a minute. This is the inside the beltway Republican leadership wimping out! And, to me, it is clear evidence that the pro-open borders Republicans (the Bush/McCain gang) are taking control.
A reminder to readers. Check MicEvHill.com daily for what is happening in Congress on immigration. This blogger is an open-borders advocate but it’s a good place to see what they are up to and what is happening in Congress and in Washington on immigration and refugee issues. Oh, and since he works for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops you probably pay his salary!