Koster's pledge on illegal immigration issues raises questions

John Koster is a lot of things but passive isn't one of them.

His conservative beliefs are strong and he defends them strongly. There's no sugar coating on matters of principle for him, and if you touch the right nerve prepare for a little fire and brimstone.

I hit one by asking if he thinks President Barack Obama should be impeached for not keeping illegal immigrants from entering the country.

“It's a dumb question,” he said.

Americans for Legal Immigration doesn't think it's a dumb question.

The national group endorsed Koster in his race against Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., after the Republican vowed to play the impeachment card if Obama isn't tough enough on immigration.

“If I thought (the Obama Administration) were failing to protect the borders of this county, I would do that,” he said.

Koster signed the group's pledge that says if he's elected he will:

“Use the full power of my office, including impeachment if necessary, to insure the Executive Branch secures America's border immediately and begins to adequately enforce the existing immigration and border laws of the United States, which were enacted by Congress at the behest of America's citizenry.”

Koster is the only candidate for federal office in Washington state to sign the pledge.

He's also the only one backed by the organization whose leaders feel the Obama Administration isn't doing enough to find and drive every undocumented immigrant out of the U.S.

They are worried a Democratic-controlled Congress in 2011 will pass laws making it easy for the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country today to become legal.

This election, they've been seeking allies such as Koster in all 50 states who back their positions of opposing amnesty, securing the border, cracking down on employers who hire illegal immigrants and denying driver's licenses and taxpayer-funded services to those here illegally.

For Koster, illegal immigration is a national security issue because it's possible someone who crosses the border illegally may be planning on causing harm.

Koster contends it would be an impeachable offense if the president fails to uphold his oath of office to secure the borders and protect the nation. Allowing the flow of illegal immigrants to continue unchecked would constitute such a failure worthy of an impeachment conversation, he said.

Has it reached that point?

In one breath, Koster says no. “They're making an effort, though they've done a lousy job.”

In the next breath, he seems to be saying yes.

He called Obama's sending of National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border “too little, too late. They've failed to protect this country because they've failed to protect our borders, period.”

Not many voters are pressing Koster and Larsen on this issue.

That doesn't mean it's not on their minds. Koster wouldn't waste his time responding to the survey and signing the pledge if he didn't think it carried some value.

Even if he tells me it's a dumb question to ask.



Political reporter Jerry Cornfield's blog, The Petri Dish, is at www.heraldnet.com. Contact him at 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.