Infinite MonkeysIt's not just Baca.
John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou (John & Ken) host the top afternoon drive talkshow on the radio in Los Angeles. I find them obnoxious bordering on unlistenable, so I don't tune in very often. Truth is, though, they were pretty good on the recall last year. Now they've taken up the cause of immigration reform. Disgusted with GOP "waffling" on the question, they've asked their listeners to choose a prominent Republican congressman for a "political human sacrifice" this November. According to the Washington Times:
The duo...say it is meant as a wake-up call to Republican leaders who ignore their constituents' pleas for stronger border enforcement for fear of offending Hispanic voters or the agriculture industry."We're overwhelmed by illegal immigration in Southern California. The Republican Party just doesn't understand the level of anger out here," Mr. Kobylt said. "They just say [to conservatives], 'Who else are you going to vote for?'"
On the list for possible sacrifice are Reps. Mary Bono, Chris Cox, David Dreier, Darrell Issa, and Dana Rohrabacher. So far, only Dreier (a weekly regular on Hewitt's show [site's back!]) has refused to appear on the show. He probably figures, not without reason, that subjecting himself to half-an-hour of badgering from John and Ken is a waste of his time. John and Ken figure, not without reason, that several hundred thousand cheesed-off listeners (who vote!) should be enough for Dreier to reconsider. He has until Friday to call in.
If you read the Wash Times piece, you get the inescapable impression that the Republicans are taking John and Ken's effort more seriously than they let on. And they should. Immigration is no longer simply an economic question. It never was. It's always been a question of what citizenship means. Now more than ever, immigration is a national security issue. It's obvious that the federal government—Congress, the White House, and the courts included—don't quite see it that way. If John & Ken succeed, the people in charge may finally see more clearly.
Posted by Ben at August 9, 2004 07:16 PM | TrackBack