Rep. Paul Kanjorski is scrambling to position himself as a tough-on-immigration lawmaker before a possible challenge from Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta in 2008.The 12-term Democratic incumbent sent out a mailer to constituents in the 11th District this month that touts his anti-immigration votes in recent years. It bears the headline: ‘‘Congressman Paul Kanjorski: Tough on Illegal Immigration.’‘
‘‘We need strong border security, which is why I voted for tough legislation in the U.S. House,’‘ Kanjorski writes in the four-page mailer, which features a photo of troops building a border fence on its cover. ‘‘ We need to enact this legislation and the other bills described in this piece to stop illegal immigration and protect Pennsylvania jobs.’‘



Kanj's Border (Damage) Control
I find Kanjorski’s tactics here a bit curious. He seems to be meeting Barletta’s possible challenge (I don’t believe he’s an announced candidate yet)on Lou’s turf: immigration. You would think Kanjorski would be trumpeting his record in Washington or bragging about “bringing home the bacon” or some other talking point. Couldn’t Kanjorski be construed as an endorsement of Barletta’s stance against illegal immigration? By essentially agreeing with Barletta, isn’t he handing Lou a huge feather to put in his possible electoral cap? Or is the issue, as I suspect, more about Kanjorski trying to get his union ducks in a row before Barletta attempts to court them next year? A healthy portion of Dems in the 11th (as in many other districts across Pennsylvania) are the much-talked about “Reagan Dems”, who might be tempted to cross party lines once again.
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