Illegal Aliens Canvass for Votes in Wash. State

Illegal Aliens Canvass for Votes in Wash. State

Published October 22, 2010

| Associated Press


Oct. 16: Maria Gianni, an illegal immigrant, poses for a portrait at a phone bank in Seattle being used by OneAmerica Votes.

AP

Oct. 16: Maria Gianni, an illegal immigrant, poses for a portrait at a phone bank in Seattle being used by OneAmerica Votes.

SEATTLE -- When Maria Gianni is knocking on voters' doors, she's not bashful about telling people she is in the country illegally. She knows it's a risk to advertise to strangers that she's here illegally -- but one worth taking in what she sees as a crucial election.

The 42-year-old is one of dozens of volunteers -- many of them illegal immigrants -- canvassing neighborhoods in the Seattle area trying to get naturalized citizens to cast a ballot for candidates like Democratic Sen. Patty Murray, who is in a neck-to-neck race with Republican Dino Rossi.

Pramila Jayapal, head of OneAmerica Votes, says the campaign is about empowering immigrants who may not feel like they can contribute to a campaign because they can't vote.

"Immigrants really do matter," Jayapal said. "If we can't vote ourselves, we're gonna knock on doors, or get family members to vote."

So far the illegal immigrants going door-to-door aren't meeting opposition. Craig Keller, an organizer for Respect WA, a group pushing for stricter immigration law in the Washington, said he doesn't mind illegal immigrants volunteering for vote drives, he just wants to make sure mistakes on the voter rolls don't allow them to vote.

READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/22/illegal-aliens-canvass-votes-wash-state/

Nmysys wrote: She knows it's a risk to advertise to strangers that she's here illegally...

Risk? What risk?
She's in a sanctuary state in a country ruled by people who refuse to enforce existing immigration laws.

Illegals love living in Washington State. Heck they even give them EDLs - Enhanced Drivers License which means they can cross the border at will. Not susrprised that they're not meeting much resistance from Seattle-area voters.

Maybe it's in response to the Republican Hispanic effort urging Latinos NOT to vote. The ad was supposed to run in Colorado and several other Western states, but got pulled.

[youtube:2ln4adoh][/youtube:2ln4adoh]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162- ... 03544.html

Maybe they pulled it after someone on the left called the Illegals " Undocumented Democrats".

I heard the interview yesterday on NPR with the creator of the ad.

"So, is the ad telling them to sit out this election, now less than two weeks away?

Absolutely not, says Robert Deposada, who produced it.

In an interview Wednesday, he said the message is to boycott politicians who haven't lived up to their promises. He said there's no attempt to suppress the vote. But there was a problem fitting everything into the 60-second time frame."

http://www.vpr.net/npr/130715322/

They needed to figure out how to fit their message into the 60-second time frame.

"He said there's no attempt to suppress the vote."

It's Orwellian, calling an ad that clearly says "Don't Vote" not an attempt to suppress the vote.

They managed to fit the "Don't Vote" part in OK.

Pineguy wrote: Maybe it's in response to the Republican Hispanic effort urging Latinos NOT to vote. The ad was supposed to run in Colorado and several other Western states, but got pulled.

[youtube:2orbb81k]

[/youtube:2orbb81k]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162- ... 03544.html

How exactly is that a 'Republican Hispanic' effort? It is Latinos for Reform who put it out. And if you read the story the President of that group also encouraged them to not vote for Republican Angle. So why did you say this was a Republican add? Just becaue the Dems called it that? Did I miss something? I don't condone it as I think everyone should vote but I don't see where the Republicans put that add out.

"The chairman of Latinos For Reform is Robert Deposada, who has served in the leadership of the Hispanic Business Roundtable and The Latino Coalition, and was formerly director of Hispanic affairs for the Republican National Committee. In 2001, President Bush appointed Deposada to a commission to advance the administration's plan for privatizing Social Security."

http://www.npr.org/templates/archives/a ... =127309149

generally speaking - it's a lame ad.