Congressmen Baron Hill and Joe Donnelly are joining Ellsworth in backing a new bill that would put thousands more agents at the border, and require that employers use a free government service to verify that those they hire are legal.
"If you're a business that is doing the right thing and only hiring legal immigrants, you have nothing to worry about," Hill said.
All three are Democrats and part of last year's freshman class who know their positions on illegal immigration are being closely watched. The potency of the issue already being seen in the presidential campaign, and is beginning to stir new action on Capitol Hill as well.
"I think you'll see a number of House Democratic freshmen, especially from a lot of these conservative-leaning districts who were first elected in 2006, emphasize the immigration issue," said Greg Giroux of Congressional Quarterly.
Both Ellsworth and Hill voted for the NAFTA-style Peru Free Trade deal. At least Donnelly did not.
So Ellswoth and Hill vote for corporate trade agreements throwing foreigners into poverty and forcing them to America, and then support militarization of the border to guard against people coming into this country.
Chris calls them Rove Dogs for jeopardizing Democratic prospects among fast growing populations. Really though they are simply con men using economic anxieties to bash immigrants as cover for their corporate agenda. Or maybe I'm wrong, and corporate trade agreements are super-popular in heavily unionized Indiana, where Ross Perot picked up 20% of the vote in 1992.
Steve Francis, who ran against Bush Dog democrat Joe Donnelly in the primary in 2006 before endorsing him for the general election, wrote a good profile of the Congressman. Long story short, Donnelly has been a big disappointment. Here's one local letter to the editor in the South Bend Tribune.
Elections can be paradoxical. One is never certain what he or she shall receive. I gave my time, effort and vote to U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Granger, to ensure the defeat of the terrible and wicked Chris Chocola. This has come to pass, but now I discover that perhaps Donnelly is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Donnelly has cast a Chocola kind of a vote in support of the recent Bush-sponsored surveillance bill.
Once again, Donnelly and other Democrats have cowed to Bush fear tactics on security over the erosion of individual rights and liberties. We the people called for change last November, hence the Democratic sweep. We have received lip service and not change but a continuation.
It would seem that some of these new Democratic congressmen such as Donnelly are easily swept up by Bush fear rhetoric and tactics in regards to national security. Fear-mongering by the Bush administration works! Donnelly and other so-called Democrats have once again been cowed by it! May I remind Donnelly that he and others who choose this route must be held accountable for helping to destroy our individual liberties and democratic values that separate this country from the terrorists we claim to be fighting.
The only change in our 2nd Congressional District have been of physical in nature and not of political philosophy in general. Former Congressman John Brademas, where are you when we need you?
Rod Spickler
South Bend
Donnelly is facing a tough reelection fight, along with a bunch of other Bush Dog Democrats.
Five of the 10 Democrats with the lowest party unity scores so far this year are freshmen who won seats in Republican-leaning districts: North Carolina's Heath Shuler, Pennsylvania's Jason Altmire, Indiana's Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth, and Texan Nick Lampson. Two others, Jim Marshall and John Barrow of Georgia, faced close re-election contests last year and are expected to do so again next year.
Donnelly campaigned as a social conservative, and he's the kind of Democrat lots of donors are going to have trouble supporting. It looks like the DCCC is going to have its hands full defending all these Bush Dog Democrat seats.
Only seven more Bush Dog Democrats to go, so consider grabbing one and doing a profile.
IN-08: Brad Ellsworth
IN-09: Baron Hill
NC-02: Bob Etheridge
ND-AL: Earl Pomeroy
TX-17: Chet Edwards
TX-22: Nick Lampson
TX-28: Henry Cuellar
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