Sylvia Smith gives us some information about what was up with those “polls” commissioned by the NRCC for Mark Souder. It seems likely that the polls weren’t commissioned to obtain information for the Souder campaign or the National Republican Congressional Committee. Instead, according to a Hayhurst campaign volunteer who received one of the telephone calls, the “polls” are really just push polls that misrepresent Hayhursts positions. For example, the Souder-poll tells call recipients that Hayhurst “supports amnesty for all illegal immigrants.”
Sickening. If Souder’s campaign has to sink to massive negative advertising and push polls then he obviously has NOTHING positive to stand on to deserve anyone’s support for another term.
Push polls were the same mechanism that Karl Rove used to help make people think of double-amputee and Vietnam Veteran Max Cleland as “unpatriotic.”
Tom Hayhurst’s election website says when I’m in the U.S. Congress, I will, “Support giving undocumented individuals living in the United States the opportunity to become citizens following the citizenship process required for any new immigrant.” Doesn’t he mean any new LEGAL immigrant? Anyway Souder might be pushing, but it’s the truth!
Congress says what is or isn’t legal, so use of the term “legal” in this context seems a little slippery. Instead of using “legal” or “illegal,” it’s probably best to describe the acts or omissions of the immigrants about which one is concerned.