Southern. Republican. Ally for undocumented immigrants.
This is a short scene from "Documented," a film written and directed by Jose Antonio Vargas, an undocumented American---one of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. ...
By: Define American
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Southern. Republican. Ally for undocumented immigrants. - Video
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) - Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Joe Miller said Friday that he could not commit to supporting the eventual nominee should his own candidacy falter.
The three major Republican candidates were asked during a forum at the state GOP convention what steps they would take to ensure the Republican nominee defeats incumbent Democratic Sen. Mark Begich, if they themselves lose the primary. Moderator Ben Brown said over half the questions he received were on that theme.
Both Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell and former state Natural Resources Commissioner Dan Sullivan said they would support the eventual nominee, though they, like Miller, also expressed confidence in their respective bids. Sullivan said the election was bigger than petty politics or personal ambition. Treadwell said the party needs to stick together.
But Miller said making such a commitment requires a baseline of trust. He said his opponents supported Sen. Lisa Murkowski in 2010, when she mounted a write-in campaign to keep her job just weeks after conceding the GOP primary to Miller. Without that baseline of trust, I cannot make such a commitment, he said.
Sullivan, who was Alaskas attorney general during the 2010 elections, told a reporter he didnt publicly take sides in that race. He said he was neutral, as someone in his position at the time should be.
Treadwell, who was elected lieutenant governor in November 2010, said he did not endorse a candidate in the fall election. He said he told anyone who asked at the time that the race could go into overtime, which it did. It wasnt certified until the end of December that year, after he had been sworn in. Treadwell said he later shared that he had voted for Murkowski.
The state Supreme Court, in the days leading to the election, allowed election workers to provide a list of write-in candidates to voters requesting one. The Department of Law, under Sullivan, argued in support of this practice as a way to help voters.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties challenged the practice. Miller spokesman Randy DeSoto said the campaign considered that to be Sullivan taking sides, saying there had been no prior precedent for such lists.
The 2010 Senate race was hard-fought and drawn-out. It was followed by a boisterous state convention in 2012, in which Ron Paul supporters elected like-minded individuals to leadership posts only to have those members removed from those positions later. The Anchorage Daily News this week reported that many Paul supporters planned to skip this years convention and some planned to join an alternative Republican group.
But many in the party are eager to move on. Calls for unity have been voiced repeatedly by Republican leaders since the convention kicked off Thursday. Current party chairman Peter Goldberg has stressed that all Republicans are important and welcome in the GOP.
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Republican US Senate hopefuls square off at forum
For years, theres been conflict between the Alaska Republican Partys establishment wing and its more hard-line faction of Ron Paul supporters. Those tensions bubbled to the surface on Friday when the partys U.S. Senate candidates took the stage at the state convention. APRNs Alexandra Gutierrez reports from Juneau.
Up until the very end, the Republican Senate candidate forum was a mostly a kumbaya-type affair. The candidates avoided personal attacks, and they stuck to their message of beating Democratic incumbent Mark Begich.
Dan Sullivan, a former attorney general and natural resources commissioner, sprinkled the word unite throughout his speech. He hammered that point when the moderator asked if he would support the partys nominee even if he lost the primary.
We need to unite, Sullivan told the audience. What Ive been trying to do for the last six months is unite all Republicans.
Mead Treadwell, the sitting lieutenant governor, also promised to support the nominee, if Republican voters dont choose him.
We as a party need to stick together, said Treadwell.
But then the moderator got to Joe Miller.
I think that when we make such a commitment, it takes a baseline of trust. Both of my opponents who are sitting here today supported Lisa Murkowski in her war on the Republican nominee in 2010, said Miller. Without that baseline of trust, I cannot make such a commitment.
Miller won the partys Senate primary back in 2010, defeating Murkowski in an upset.
While Murkowski had initially said she was going to support the partys choice, she ended up launching a write-in campaign and beating Miller in the general.
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Miller Rejects Unity Pledge At Republican Convention
By Niels Lesniewski Posted at 4:32 p.m. on May 2, 2014
Updated 10:01 p.m. | A Republican appropriator on Friday called for reviving congressional earmarks so lawmakers can use the power of the purse but wants it to be transparent.
During a wide-ranging interview airing Sunday on C-SPANs Newsmakers program, Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota urged a transparent process of congressionally-directed spending, when asked if earmarks should be allowed again in appropriations bills.
I think theres got to be, you know, full, open transparency and disclosure, but Congress has to work to make these decisions about where the dollars are spent and how, but everything has to go through a full open process, and not only in the committee, but also on the floor, Hoeven said,I think thats how you address the whole issue of earmarking in a way where Congress fulfills its rightful role that best serves the public.
He said such a practice would provide a better opportunity to slash pork and cut things that should not be funded.
The Republican senators viewpoint is similar to that of some other veterans of the Appropriations panel, including Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill.
Durbin responded directly to a letter circulated Thursday by Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Mark Udall, D-Colo., pushing to continue an earmark moratorium. Durbin said he didnt like that idea.
I do not want to turn over the decision on the future of projects in the state of Illinois to someone in Washington who is not familiar with our state, our economy and how we can build jobs in my state, Durbin told CQ Roll Call.
On the broader issue of spending for the next year, Hoeven said Friday he is backing efforts by panel Democrats to work the regular fiscal 2015 appropriations bills through the committee and to the floor for consideration.
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in March that he planned to carve out four weeks in June and July for the purpose of taking up spending bills. For Republicans, the measures could give them a rare opportunity to offer myriad amendments.
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Republican Wants to Revive Earmarks --With Transparency (Updated)
MADISON Republican leaders of the Wisconsin state Senate say there is not enough time for the Legislature to convene in special session and pass a voter identification law that can be in effect for the November election.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald tells the Wisconsin State Journal in a story published Thursday (http://tiny.cc/lzm6ex ) that a federal court ruling Tuesday striking down the law leaves little room for the Legislature to act.
Fitzgerald says, Its not going to be resolved for the November election.
Republican Senate President Mike Ellis agrees, saying calling a special session to pass a voter ID law would be an exercise in futility.
The state Department of Justice is appealing Tuesdays ruling. Two separate cases are also pending before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
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Republican leaders: Not enough time to pass voter ID law