'ACHILLES' HEEL?'

In Governor’s Race, Beauprez Aims for Immigration

By David Frey, 10-06-06

Rep. Bob Beauprez said illegal immigration is the "Achilles' heel" of his opponent Bill Ritter, and he plans to press the issue in the remaining weeks of the governor's race in an effort to close in on the frontrunner.

"We're going to keep tweaking that Achilles' heel until it breaks," Beauprez, a Republican, told supporters on Wednesday before a debate at Rifle High School. "I believe on Nov. 7 we're going to have victory."

Ritter, a Democrat, said he doubts Beauprez will get much traction on an issue that has divided the Republican Party, with business interests often relying on immigrant workers.

"There are reasons that I think he's struggling with some normal Republican constituents and a lot of it is, he's talking about immigration in politically-convenient ways but not about solutions that are achievable," Ritter told the Aspen Daily News on Thursday after a breakfast meeting with supporters in Glenwood Springs.

Beauprez has become outspoken on immigration issues in recent days, accusing Ritter of not being tough enough on illegal workers. He's made it an issue in recent debates, including Wednesday's forum in Rifle when he fired a closing salvo at Ritter for his immigration record.

Beauprez said he hopes the issue can give win him enough new supporters in the run-up to Election Day to topple Ritter, who is leading him in the polls and in fundraising.

"We think we're narrowing pretty rapidly," Beauprez told supporters after arriving in Rifle from an appearance with President Bush in Denver. "We've got momentum on our side."

Beauprez has repeatedly assailed Ritter in recent days on his record as Denver district attorney, plea bargaining 152 felony cases of immigrants so they would avoid deportation, including some who faced drug, burglary and weapons charges.

"He is systematically taking criminal aliens - not legal citizens who emigrated here but aliens here illegally - and plea bargained them down from felonies," he said.

Ritter accused Beauprez of distorting the issues without giving him a chance to respond. He acknowledged that he plea-bargained the cases down to charges of farmland trespassing because it is a non-deportable offense. But he said that only applies to immigrants in the country legally.

"Where illegal immigrants are concerned, if they're in the justice system, it doesn't matter what they plea to. They should be deported," Ritter said. "It doesn't matter what the offense is. Where illegal immigrants are concerned, every offense is deportable."

Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer said Beauprez was "attempting to exploit less than one half of one percent" of Ritter's cases "for political gain." He criticized Beauprez for failing to adequately fund immigration enforcement as a congressman. Ritter's office "as a matter of routine" called immigration authorities to deport illegal immigrants, he said, but they "would not come pick them up because Congress failed to provide the resources."

Beauprez also criticized Ritter for proposing that children who were brought illegally into the country by their parents be offered in-state tuition. He called the plan a "magnet" that would draw more immigration.

"Ritter thinks we should make in-state tuition available to illegal immigrants," Beauprez said at the debate. "I don't think that's a very good idea. I think we're crowded enough already. I think we've got limited resources. ... We ought to take care of our own first. Bill, you can talk all you want but you don't have the evidence to back it up. I take exception to the idea that our limited resources here should be spent to educate all the world's people."

Ritter defended the idea, saying children shouldn't be penalized for their parents' choices.

"I'm in favor of making it possible for kids who make it through high school, even though their the children of illegal immigrants, to get in-state tuition," he said.

At a time when some Republican candidates are distancing themselves from President Bush, Beauprez said he wasn't shy about appearing with the president at the fundraiser. The one area where he did seek to distance himself was on illegal immigration. Bush has proposed a program to allow immigrants who are in the country illegally to obtain work visas, a position critics say amounts to an amnesty program.

"I've got my differences with the president but he is the president after all," Beauprez said in an interview. "I'll express where I've got a difference of opinion with him. I do on immigration."

The last five news postings on Beauprez's Web site criticize Ritter over immigration. A 10-point plan calls for proof of citizenship to vote, limiting services to illegal immigrants and reimbursement from the federal government for services that are provided.

Ritter criticized Beauprez and other legislators for failing to pass laws to address illegal immigration, in part to avoid creating a political wedge issue in the upcoming elections.

"Congress in general, and even Congressman Beauprez, have just failed miserably, some of it by intention," he said.

Ritter said he would make sure state legislation that cracks down on benefits to illegal immigrants passed last summer in a special session would receive funding. He called for a guest worker program to help Colorado employers fill jobs with immigrants.

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