The Loony Right Stupidly Attacks Rudy on Immigrant

While rank and file Republicans appear to be embracing America's Mayor as their candidate, the Loony Right is feverishly trying to block Rudy Giuliani's path to the nomination.

Their latest weapon?

On the first day of his five-day California swing, a blog popular with state conservatives, Flash Report.org, posted a YouTube clip from a February 2000 Meet the Press in which Giuliani boasts that no public official in the nation is "more strongly pro-immigrant than I am."

The Radical Right, which doesn't like Rudy for numerous reasons including the fact that he's a New Yorker and of Italian American heritage, should find some other issue to throw against Rudy. It's immigration that is likely to help propel rather than hurt Rudy's cause.

Why?

First, Rudy's pro-immigrant beliefs will likely resonate with Americans. After all, a huge percentage of the country has an immigrant heritage--and it's more likely than not to resemble something like Rudy's.

Second, raising the issue allows Rudy to separate himself from the nativists and those pandering to them--which will only help raise his stature even more. Americans like someone that's tough, but they don't like stupid or mean.

Third, Rudy's direct experience with 9/11 gives him a clarity and an authority fighting terrorism and protecting the homeland that none of his opponents has. He would argue that we need to be smart and strategic in the war on terror--and that efforts to scape-goat immigrants are dumb and potentially counter-productive.

And finally, he's one of the few politicians that can talk about rationale reform, effective enforcement and improved U.S. and Mexico cooperation.

So if I were Rudy, I'd say to the Loony Right: Bring it on!