FNC's 'Beltway Boys' Call GOP Anti-Illegal Immigration Stand 'Dumbest Move' of 2006

January 3rd, 2007 2:59 PM

Just to prove that Fox News Channel doesn't live up to the liberal stereotype of Music to Conservative Ears, angry E-mailers are demanding someone denounce Fred Barnes and Morton Kondracke for slamming conservatives who staunchly oppose illegal immigration. In their year-end Beltway Boys "awards show" this weekend, there was this clip of agreement:

Kondracke: "Our 'Dumbest Move' award of the year is Republicans trashing immigrants. And this - this has disastrous consequences for the, in the election. The Hispanic vote, which is the fastest-growing element of the population, went 55 to 42 percent Democratic in 2004. This time, it went 76 to 26. And it's all because of this stupid wall that the House Republicans wanted to build, and rejected their own president's plan for a comprehensive immigrant reform in preference to cozying up to radio talk show hosts."

Barnes: "I don't think it's the wall, per se. I think it's their whole attitude toward immigrants in general, but particularly Hispanic immigrants. It seemed mean-spirited, and, you know, American voters are generally not mean-spirited. You, you're going to have some kind of a wall at some point, but you have to a lot of other things, too."

Kondracke: "Yes. The wall only is the problem."

Later, the Beltway Boys also slammed CNN's Lou Dobbs:

Kondracke: "‘Blowhard of the Year’ award goes to CNN's Lou Dobbs. Now this is a guy who also could qualify for Turncoat of the Year."

Barnes: "Yes."

Kondracke: "When he used to be a cheerleader for capitalism and for corporate America. Now he is a demagogue, it amounts for populists and potectionists and xenophobes. And he doesn't have any answers."

Barnes: "And he's wrong. You know, the fact is, the rolling up our borders and pulling out of the globalized economy is a way to achieve one thing: a lower standard of living."

Kondracke: "Yes. Poverty. Yes, exactly. Absolutely."