During Congressman Buck McKeon’s tele-town hall tonight, a woman from Valencia asked McKeon for his thoughts on Bob Kellar’s “Proud Racist” statement at a January 16 anti illegal immigrant rally.
McKeon said he agreed that illegal immigration was a problem and said that the USA is a nation of laws. McKeon said he hadn’t read the reports closely but understood that Kellar was speaking in reference to a Teddy Roosevelt quote when Kellar stated that he was a proud racist.
That said, McKeon was unambigous about what Bob Kellar should do:
“It’s unfortunate that Bob made that statement,” McKeon said.
It was “a very unfortunate statement. I would like to see Bob issue an apology,” McKeon continued.
The woman from Valencia explained that she was at the rally, appreciated Kellar’s appearance there, and thought that Kellar had been unfairly treated by some in Santa Clarita. She said Kellar was a proud American, at which point McKeon stated, “That’s what he should have said,” followed by a short laugh.
The woman ended her comments saying that “There is a movement rising up in this valley against illegal immigration that is not going to slow down anytime soon.”
Concluding his call, Buck McKeon said that Kellar should “Get it clarified, get it cleared up, apologize to everyone and move on.”
Some city council candidates like TimBen Boydston and Harrison Katz have said that Kellar ought to apologize for his statement. David Gauny, in contrast, has defended Kellar. Yesterday, the Meg Whitman campaign dropped Bob Kellar’s endorsement over the comments.
Kellar has told several media outlets and hundreds of residents at a recent City Council meeting that he stands by his comments. However, he has told KHTS that he wishes he had used different wording.
The discussion above occurred over the phone and live via U-Stream. Once there is an archive of the show, I will post it here.
Buck’s surveys are so lame as to be embarrassing.
How do you believe the deficit should be cut ?
1-Decrease Spending
2-Increase Taxes
Do you believe the current level of deficit spending is sustainable.
1-Yes
2-No
How long do you think Jeff Wilson is going to ride with the Kellar comments?
1-Forever
2-Until his bike is stolen
The woman you mention speaking to Buck is Barbara March, mother of slain Deputy David March. Her son was murdered in cold blood while on duty by an illegal alien with a criminal record who had already been deported, twice I think.
Many of us agree Bob could have used different verbiage but he has a right to express himself however he sees fit. I do not feel he should apologize. How many of us have said something that perhaps we could have said better but is how we truly feel? The only people who should be offended by Bob’s comments are the illegals.
The fact remains he was responding to those who have and would call him a racist for declaring his desire to see our immigration laws enforced .There will always be those who wish to misinterpret his comments and make them out to be something they were not.
I want to hear Buck’s ideas since he represents us in Congress. A Congress, which has avoided the issue like the plague. I want to see Buck do something to protect the American people and get our Federal Government to enforce our immigration laws once and for and deal with this issue.
Buck called the house today to speak to my answering machine. All he said was, ‘they’ have a majority but we have stopped some things. Hopefully we can stop everything.
I don’t know about you, but this isn’t what I consider legislation.
Berta – I hate to say “i told ya so”
I feel the need
the need to quote ortiz
THANK YOU BUCK!
Buck and his conservative counterparts should do everything necessary to stop the expansion of socialism. That is exactly why “we” voted him into office.
Vince: I hope I do not live long enough to see people only speak when others approve of their remarks or only when what they say will not create controversy.
I don’t think that many people think Mr. Kellar is a racist… only a small number of the usual suspects. I don’t. Personally, I think only those LA imports who were carrying the signs (the signs with ‘Keller’ misspelled) think Bob Kellar is a racist.
Illegal immigration is not only a problem, but it is illegal and should be dealt with at all levels of government in accordance with the law. Ignoring the problem won’t make it go away, and all I heard from the speakers at the City Council meeting was that everyone (except one or two youngish speakers) wanted the law enforced.
But I like what McKeon had to say…
“It’s unfortunate that Bob made that statement,” McKeon said.
It was “a very unfortunate statement. I would like to see Bob issue an apology,” McKeon continued.
To pair the issue of illegal immigration and Bob’s comments that as he has said, were intended in give a little something to the crowd at the rally, is very much a mistake. It is offensive to many who also want illegal immigration addressed seriously by government. I was offended and many I know were too.
So, the Republican establishment has weighed in between Buck’s statement and the Whitman disavowal. With the Congressman now exactly aligned with TimBen Boydston’s comments that TBB made at the Council meeting, will Buck now endorse TBB for election?
Let’s face it, TBB was the reasoned voice at that City Council meeting, and in essence provided the cover that could have taken the issue of the inflammatory comments off the table in order to spare the City a bad reputation that we know is undeserved. Business interests and ‘Think Santa Clarita Valley’ can’t be happy with Kellar’s statements.
Maybe my comments are unwelcome by some, but this is still America, and I have the right to say them (as also stated by TBB in support of Kellar, BTW). TimBen’s full statement is posted elsewhere on this website.
Jeff- move on. Bob isn’t going to apologize.
I quote from a part of TBB’s CC statement:
“A simple apology for the use of that phrase, and for an unintended breach in our ethics code would be all that would be needed to put this turmoil to rest. I call upon our honorable City Council to ask for a simple apology.”
The council DID NOT!
Now, the question is, will our current City Council agendize the illegal immigration issue?
Let’s hear it from our city council not the rallies.
For those of you who don’t think that the jerk should be sanctioned for not clearly identifying his speech as his own and not as a councilman, all I have to say is, “what would they have done to Jill Klajic?”
This councilwoman was constantly being sanctioned and ganged up on by the rest of the council for doing the same kinds of things that bigmouth does. Is our council/city attorney sexist?
Clearly all the media who ran this story as “City Councilman said…” think he was speaking on behalf of the council/city.
I think that Mr. Ron Ippolito told THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, in his opinion piece in today’s Signal.
http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/24079/
Immigration is all about the dollar, and without these hard working men and women (and children who work the crops!), most of us would not have extra money in the bank or time to enjoy the fruits of THEIR LABOR!!!
I am so tired of the fear factor being put out there about the EVIL IMMIGRANTS and the ills they bring to our country. Sure, we will have illegals that break our laws in the obvious ways (murder, robbery, rape, etc), however the majority of those that are doing our DIRTY WORK for LESS THEN MINIMUM WAGE, are doing so to provide a life for their families that they can’t in their own countries…AND FOLKS IT’S NOT JUST MEXICO, which Mr. Ippolito reminded us was part of the USA prior to the Alamo!
lvogel:
I personally know Ron Ippolito and it does not surprise me that he articulates that position so well. I hope he does not get savaged since St. Bob has decided to stir up the hornets that really want to pound some brown people.
jane:
If Jill Klajic had done exactly the same thing they would be screaming so hard it would be deafening, and not without reason.
No I don’t think the difference is mysogyny. I think it relates to a situation where Bob has been able to retreat into a bubble where he is surrounded and protected by his friends and people are hesitant to pierce that for some reason. Jill Klajic would have never retreated into that bubble!
Timothy Myers:
Please extend to Mr. Ippolito my personal appreciation for his ‘articulate’ OpEd. Unfortunately, there will always be those that truly believe that anyone other than WHITE and AMERICAN, should be treated with less respect then they deserve.
Anyone who works hard to support their family; anyone that loves their family enough to take the ‘pounding’ by doing that hard work, gets my respect!
I miss Jill
+1 lvogel
Hot off the press –
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jorgemario-cabrera/what-is-santa-clarita-cou_b_445152.html
That pretty much sums it up!
It is funny but I did not hear this learned gentleman, Jorge Cabrera, once make any distinction between legal immigrants and ILLEGAL immigrants. The numbers he cites are also flawed. He is himself Hispanic but apparently does not understand the difference between race and ethnicity. He speaks of the number of Whites, vs. Latino/Hispanic again making no distinction between race and ethnic background. I would ask him the same question I asked Ann Simmons of the LA Times.
Berta González-Harper says:
January 28, 2010 at 11:19 am
Hello Ms. Simmons.
I am one of those supporters who broke into tears you reference in your article regarding Councilmember Bob Kellar.
As a point of discussion, you site statistics regarding white residents and then later regarding “Latino” residents. How would you count me using those labels? My race is Caucasian, my ethnic background is Hispanic (not Latino just because the Census Bureau says so). There are many of “us”. Do I count twice, once in each category, or only once and in which category? You are doing what so many others do and mixing your “labels” into one. I would question any numbers using those labels from whatever the source.
Regards,
Berta González-Harper
And what was her answer to that question, Berta Gonzalez-harper?
From: Edgar, Deirdre [mailto:Deirdre.Edgar@latimes.com]
Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 1:22 PM
To: berta@thevine.net
Subject: RE: Kellar article
Ms. Gonzalez-Harper,
I’m the Readers’ Representative for the Los Angeles Times, and Ann Simmons shared your e-mail with me regarding the terms she used in her article in yesterday’s paper. She has received a couple of notes expressing similar sentiment, and I’ve received a reader question about the article as well.
I’d like to address your point, and the couple of others, in a post on the Readers’ Representative Journal, which is online at latimes.com/readers. Would that be OK with you? And if so, could you let me know what city you live in?
Thank you,
Deirdre Edgar
Readers’ Representative
(BGH said yes and provided information requested)
On the news again tonight!
Channel 7 @ 11:00 PM
Juan Jose Gutierrez of Full Rights for Immigrants said Bob Kellar must step down and is asking that the Board of Supervisors investigate.
Annette:
As predicted, a befuddled council member steps to a microphone, does not back down, and then draw the crazies on BOTH sides down on us.
Tim;
That prediction accepted!
Still not on board with your TBB prediction,unless you’ve changed your mind!
It’s time to Clean Out City Hall.
NO VOTES FOR INCUMBENTS!
“Jill Klajic would have never retreated into that bubble!”
Jill never had that bubble to retreat into.
Hopefully “Bucks” days are numbered. He lost my support when he stopped listening to his constituents, voted for the stimulus and distanced himself from Bob Kellar by playing politics.
He feels the same way as Mr Kellar does but decided to play politics instead. The LDS church should be ashamed of him.
Please put “Buck” on the NO INCUMBENT list!