Minutemen find themselves in Bustamante’s corner

Even I was surprised when I read at Red County/OC Blog, and at the Register’s Total Buzz blog that Lupe Moreno, the Minuteman activist who is best known for her anti-immigration stance, has dropped out of the race for the 1st Supervisorial District. She has endorsed Carlos Bustamante.

I am not sure that this helps Bustamante. He might pick up a few Minutemen, but he stands to lose a lot of Latino votes. Maybe this is a concession that he is not in fact doing well with his paisanos?

Noted immigrant-rights activist Benny Diaz is starting to really pick up speed as Democrat Latinos realize that they should not be supporting Tom Umberg. After all, Umberg’s candidate statement reads like he too is going after the angry white vote.

My other theory is that Moreno is doing this as a favor to Bustamante’s consigliere, Tim Whitacre. However, if that is the case, this could backfire, as I have outlined herein. Indeed this might prove to be an enormous boon to Diaz. Now he finally has something to rally the voters to the polls with – the ultimate Cucuy/Chupacabras…Lupe Moreno.

Diaz asked me the other day why I ran Moreno’s campaign for the 34th State Senate District last year, when we don’t agree on immigration. The plain truth is that at the time I perceived Lynn Daucher to be the greater threat. Ironically, I later got to know the Dauchers and found them to be very pleasant people. I ended up endorsing Daucher in the general election.

My own position on immigration is that we ought to find green cards for those who have been working here without causing trouble over the last few years. Let them work. Their children are often American citizens – why tear these families apart?

And so I now find myself in Diaz’ corner – and Moreno finds herself in Bustamante’s corner. That’s politics – but I think Bustamante is going to rue this endorsement. Hey Benny – if you are reading this – time to go on Canal 22 my friend!

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"Admin" is just editors Vern Nelson, Greg Diamond, or Ryan Cantor sharing something that they mostly didn't write themselves, but think you should see. Before December 2010, "Admin" may have been former blog owner Art Pedroza.