Bob McDonnell: Big-Time Immigration Hypocrite!
By: Lowell
Published On: 9/6/2007 7:04:14 AM
Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell, also known as "our hero," has come to our rescue once again, this time with a letter "calling on the federal government to immediately act to combat the growing criminal illegal immigration problem in the United States." Well, finally, NOW we'll get action! Ha.
Seriously, though, I have no problem with Bob McDonnell writing to George W. Bush and asking him about "years of debate and inaction by the Congress and President" -- on the Republicans' watch , let us all note -- and demanding action on illegal immigration. There's only one problem, and that's Bob McDonnell himself. It turns out, according to the ever-helpful VPAP, that McDonnell has been a huge cash recipient from companies that employ illegal immigrants and which have been busted for doing the same. For instance:
*Smithfield Foods gave Bob McDonnell $27,843 in 2004-2005.
*Smithfield Foods gave Bob McDonnell $20,000 in 2006.
*Smithfield Foods gave Bob McDonnell $20,000 in 2007.
Just to remind everyone, Smithfield Foods has been and continues to be a major employer of illegal immigrants. And just to clarify, Bob McDonnell took most of this money from Smithfield AFTER it has been made public that Smithfield was employing undocumented workers. Brilliant, huh?
For more on this, see here and here and of course here. Yet McDonnell has taken over $67,000 (!!!) from Smithfield.
In sum, Bob McDonnell with one hand takes wads of cash from companies like Smithfield that hire illegal immigrants, then with the other writes a letter demanding action on...you guessed it, illegal immigrants! It would be hilarious if it weren't so pathetically hypocritical.
As Albo Must Go wrote about Dave Albo, "what does our hero do when a big Virginia corporation (Smithfield Foods) that actually employs undocumented workers comes with its checkbook?"
To paraphrase Albo Must Go's conclusion to all this:
RETURN THE MONEY, MR. ATTORNEY GENERAL - ALL OF IT
P.S. It's certainly not just Smithfield; McDonnell also receives hundreds of thousands of dollars from the real estate and construction industry, one of the largest employers of illegal immigrants in the United States. For more on where McDonnell gets his money, see here.
Comments
Hypocrites (Not Harry F. Byrd, Sr. - 9/6/2007 8:06:36 AM)
In 2001, Attorney General/Gubernatorial candidate Mark Earley returned a $47K contribution from an individual whose company made money off porography:
http://query.nytimes...
I don't understand why Bob McDonnell and the rest of the Republican caucus aren't all scurrying to return this money if they REALLY care about illegal immigration.
Maybe all they care about is demagoguing the guy taking the paychecks instead of the big corporate Republican donors writing them....
Especially (Just Saying - 9/6/2007 8:14:06 AM)
considering that McDonnell was blatant enough to take money from Smithfield in 2007, which is astonishing.
Smithfield was busted for hiring undocumented workers in 2006; which you think would have kept McDonnell from taking their money in 2007. At a minimum, Smithfield was VERY PUBLICLY busted with illegal workers just last month. One would think that given all the "immigration mania" in Virginia, they would have at least returned the money from 2007 at this point.
It's almost astonishing that the Republicans have left themselves open to this kind of attack.
McDonnell is shameless. (Lowell - 9/6/2007 8:21:15 AM)
But what do you expect from a guy who
buys alcohol for minors at a Republican
retreat "advance." More hypocrisy from the never-ending file on Republicans who don't do as they say, but like telling everyone else what to do!
Yes, Smithfield is BOTH a major employer of illegal (Lowell - 9/6/2007 8:10:25 AM)
immigrants AND a union buster AND a major environmental violator. Kind of the terrible trifecta right there.
guilty as charged (JScott - 9/6/2007 12:16:39 PM)
I am charging myself with three counts of idiocy in that I have purchased that I can recall three products of Smithfield Foods. But man that ham is awesome. I think it may be just as difficult to turn down that ham as it is for politicians to say no to their money.
If politicians are hypocrites (and they are) then I and all of us are as well by buying products from a company that we know has so blatantly skirting our laws. Should we boycott Smithfield products????????
There are lots of good reasons to boycott Smithfield (Lowell - 9/6/2007 12:18:40 PM)
but that's not the point here (nice try, though). The issue here is the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Virginia demanding action on illegal immigration with one hand while taking tens of thousands of dollars in contributions from companies that employ illegals with the other hand. That's hypocrisy of the highest (lowest?) order.
There are many other fine country hams (True Blue - 9/7/2007 3:32:19 PM)
I know what you mean: a white house roll with dab of mayo and a sliver of salty ham. Man that's good stuuf.
But there are many fine country hams other than Smithfield.
The (leftofcenter - 9/6/2007 9:05:45 AM)
rethug base is demoralized so they have to fire up their base and immigration always gets the racists going. Besides what else are they going to talk about? Trnasportation? Abuser fees? How bad they're going to lose in November when we take back the senate for sure and house maybe?
Hopefully Virginians won't fall for this.
They are a pathetic group.
Jim Webb said about George Allen (Lowell - 9/6/2007 9:10:17 AM)
"He's got nothing to report." Well, neither do Virginia Republicans, except for their pathetic abuser fees (aka, "backhanded, outrageously unfair taxes"), their gay bashing, their opposition to stem cell research and a woman's right to choose, and their utter inability to govern in general.
B-I-N-G-O!!! n/t (Doug in Mount Vernon - 9/6/2007 1:22:47 PM)
Campaign Soundbite for Democrats! (Dianne - 9/6/2007 10:32:48 AM)
A good diary and one we can use on the campaign trail. My take for a soundbite on this story:
Republican Bob McDonnell, our Attorney General, knew he was accepting money from a company that employed illegal aliens!
It's short, to the point, and identifies the behavior as Republican (therefore, it can be applied to the universe of Republicans).
When Will McDonnell Return the Money? (The Grey Havens - 9/6/2007 10:49:43 AM)
Time for Bob-Watch!
Let us count the days.
When will McDonnell Return the Money (changeagent - 9/7/2007 12:02:40 AM)
Does the same standard apply to Connolly who has taken thousands of dollars from developers, construction companies, etc.?
Perhaps An On-Line Petition Should Be Started....... (Flipper - 9/6/2007 12:11:31 PM)
demanding that McDonnell return this money. Any idea how to do this?
Yes, you can start a petition (Lowell - 9/6/2007 12:20:46 PM)
using
iPetitions. That's what Bryan Ault used for the abuser fee petition.
give back (HeathPulaski - 9/7/2007 8:16:25 PM)
he will give the money back when Gerry Connolly gives back all the money he has taken from every developer in NOVA and a few from Maryland.
Gerry is a hypocryte he wants cool counties, yet he lets any developer who lines his pocket build anything they want. while he hangs-up on normal virginians "As reported on the Liberal Chris Core Show on WMAL"
Changing the subject, but nice try. (Lowell - 9/7/2007 8:47:59 PM)
Seriously, though, I'd love to hear that from Bob McDonnell directly that he agrees to give back his illegal immigrant corporate money back if other politicians do the same. Wait, what is that I hear, the sound of crickets chirping? Yeah, that's what it is...how surprising!
In the meantime, what we're left with is utter hypocrisy on the part of Republicans, who take millions of dollars from the very industries that are the biggest employers of illegal immigrants. When challenged on it, what do you get? Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.