Specialist for Calif Republican Party violated immigration visa
The California Republican Party, whose conservative wing is among the loudest voices demanding the government take drastic measures to stem illegal immigration, is red-faced this week after it was discovered a Canadian political specialist the party hired to handle campaign operations was violating federal immigration law.
The SF Chronicle reports Christopher Matthews violated the terms of his H-1B visa by earning income from two employers. The second employer was the San Diego Republican Party.
Some in the Republican Party wanted to hire an immigration lawyer to fight for Matthews' right to continue his work for the party. But then someone asked if the GOP would be so willing to defend Matthews if his name was Mario Lopez.
It turns out that Matthews had been hired by a California Republican Party executive, Michael Kamburowski, an Australian citizen, who had worked as a conservative lobbyist for five years without a valid work permit.
Comments
Since neither party has a workable plan to solve illegal immigration, the hypocrisy would be the same if Matthews was a Democratic party stooge. Any politician that touches this third rail gets burned.
Posted by: Robb Willis | March 7, 2008 10:39 AM
No worries, he's Canadian.
Posted by: John | March 7, 2008 10:41 AM
you mean "most" republicans, don't forget the one who happens to be the Republican nominee, John McCain is more liberal on this issue, which makes him the target of right wingers like Limbaugh and Coulter.
Posted by: JB | March 7, 2008 10:46 AM
Robb Willis: So true.
JB: Agreed. McCain winning the nomination is an indication the Republican Party, and the nation as a whole, has moved to the left. The right-wing is fading into the fringe. Subject of a future blog post.
Posted by: Andrew Bird | March 7, 2008 12:35 PM