Jeff, you are re-writing history and contributing to an urban legend. I assume that is because you were not involved in the early stages of Proposition 187, back when Pete Wilson was vociferously opposing it and using the same arguments that the Democrats later used against him. You need to know more about the real history of that campaign, not the distorted version of the campaign that Democrats and their media allies have been making up ever since they lost.

I was a member of the California Republican Party Executive Committee back in 1994 when we voted to loan the Proposition 187 campaign $100,000 (at the request of then-Assemblyman Dick Mountjoy) to help the campaign kick-start its fund-raising operation. I will never forget how a parade of Pete Wilson’s appointees gave speech after speech AGAINST the initiative to the Executive Committee. Dick Mountjoy and Mike Spence spoke in favor of it, as did a couple of other past and future California Republican Assembly Presidents. In response, we were repeatedly told that Governor Wilson would never support it and it was bad for the California Republican Party. Fortunately, the people who were not on Wilson’s payroll supported the donation overwhelmingly and we were able to help get the campaign going despite his opposition. The California Republican Party did not “jump on the issue” after it passed; the California Republican Party was in full support before the measure even qualified for the ballot.

You claim that “there were only 2 well known Republicans backing Prop 187 style laws in the 1990s. Pete was one, the other was David Duke.” The truth is that almost every elected Republican in California initially supported Proposition 187 EXCEPT Pete Wilson! For example, the measure had near unanimous support among Republican legislators, including quite a few who may have been as well known in California as David Duke was at that time.

You said, “I was so impressed that Pete was willing to put this career on the line to support this important issue.” The truth is that Pete Wilson was the least popular Governor in California history at that point, at least as far back as the public opinion polls had been published, and his career was already on the line. Governor Wilson did not change his mind and decide to support Proposition 187 until (1) it had qualified for the ballot despite his vocal opposition and (2) his consultants showed him that he had the support of less than a quarter of the voters and Proposition 187 had the support of more than three-quarters of the voters. Only at that point did Pete Wilson courageously put his career on the line by supporting an initiative that was three times more popular that he was. What a profile in courage that was—NOT!

You dredge up Jack Kemp, Robert Bennett, Bill Kristol, Linda Chavez, and President Bush as prominent Republicans who opposed Proposition 187, but you fail to mention that they were all attacked by loyal Republicans for their stupid positions on that issue. Jack Kemp, who had always been a favorite among conservatives, had his speeches interrupted by booing and heckling when he dared address the issue at all. It destroyed any chance that he may have had of winning the Republican nomination for president in 1996!

I am not saying that Proposition 187 had no opposition. Every position on every issue has opposition. My point is that enforcing the laws against illegal immigration and ending the taxpayer subsidies for illegal aliens had overwhelming support among Republicans back then, far more support than almost any other issue with which the Party has been associated.

Tom, name me 5 top ranking national Republicans with skin in the game in 1994 who publicly supported Prop 187 and 209?

Tom, after reading this further I need to clarify something. This was actually a very controversial issue Pete Wilson supported back in the mid 1990s so I have to disagree that there was unity among the GOP on this issue at both the state and national level. There were only 2 well known Republicans backing Prop 187 style laws in the 1990s. Pete was one, the other was David Duke. I know because this was a very big issue in my book and I was so impressed that Pete was willing to put this career on the line to support this important issue that it was the catalyst which made me decide to go work for him. I recall seeing a help wanted sign placed by UPS at Sierra College for a truck loading job that read “women and minorities only.” When applying for a college internship at Nike, I noticed they also had a statement at the bottom of the application that only women and minorities would be accepted into the program. No one thought he could run and win on this issue and he in fact beat Kathleen Brown by over 20% in 1994. It was then the GOP jumped on this issue. Even Jack Kemp, Robert Bennett, Bill Kristol and Linda Chavez, all who were very prominent and influential within the GOP ranks at this time, were dead against this issue. Kemp was Dole’s Presidential running mate in 1996. Even your President, George W. Bush, as Governor of Texas, was outspoken against Prop 187. This issue was later used against Pete when he was thinking of running against Boxer for her Senate seat in 2004 and he later decided against a run. I don’t think there was unity then and even now, we have a President who is carefree about having an open border even though he supposedly is tough on terror.