CA-50: Bilbray runs pro-Busby ads

Isn't it funny how ads and arguments that are supposedly attacks, often only give you more reasons to like a candidate (if you weren't the intended audience for the ad)? Case in point, some of Brian Bilbray's ads against Francine Busby.

They are all on his web page, lets take a look.

A TV ad "English" (WindowsMedia, Quicktime)

It plays a video clip from one of the debates, where Busby says she thinks having an official language is a silly idea. It also points out her support for the McCain-Edwards version of immigration reform.

• On both counts, great!

TV ad "One Clear Choice" (WindowsMedia, Quicktime)

Busby supports letting babies born in the United States, be citizens of the United States. (um, duh!) Bilbray brags about writing the first House bill that would bar some babies born in the United States from being citizens, depending on their parents' status (Question: does that include the father, because...how would that even work? Also, since just about every country in the world decides citizenship based on being born in the country, would those kids have citizenship anywhere else? Would they be citizens of nowhere?)

• Needless to say, score 2 more for Busby! Wow, Brian, your ads really are persuasive!

Mail piece: Endorsed by Corky Smith (pdf)

Corky Smith is about as good an endorsement as Mr. 19% Dick Cheney (pics of protest of Cheney's Bilbray fundraiser). Is someone accused of cronyism and secret dealings with Walmart, who openly mocked the efforts of a bipartisan grassroots group of his own constituents in a local TV news interview, really the kind of person that Bilbray wants to associate himself with at this juncture? (when there are questions about a New Year's Eve trip Bilbray and his wife took to the Marianas, paid for by Jack Abramoff!)

• If birds of a feather flock together, this is another big reason to vote Busby.

Mail piece: Had Enough? (pdf)

This one I'm just throwing in for entertainment value. The words "Had Enough?" take up half the page. Isn't that the Democrats' theme for November? This one really is a pro-Busby ad ROTFL!!


cross-posted on Calitics: a soapblox California politics blog

UPDATE: ogre made a useful comment about the way citizenship laws work. Apparently most countries do grant citizenship based on parents, not birthplace. However, the US Constitution dictates that those born in the US be citizens, so Bilbray's law appears to be unconstitutional.

Update [2006-5-31 11:8:5 by reid fan]:Regarding the constitutional question, the argument that I've heard from Republican talking heads on the talk shows is that the illegal parents are not "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" so the born clause does not apply. I don't know how sound this reasoning is.

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside...