Naturalized citizens and New Americans, the children of immigrants, will be playing an increasingly important role in the electorate, agreed all of the participants in a call conference held by the Immigration Policy Center.

New Americans registered in significant numbers in several battleground states for this election. In some swing states, such as in Colorado and Florida, New Americans make up a percentage of the electorate which is larger than the margin of victory during the 2004 election. This means that New Americans could tip battleground states and will be critical in this and future elections.

New Americans are sensitive to immigration issues, and a significant amount of New Americans are Latino and Asian. Republicans need to make sure that they are not perceived as anti-immigrant or anti-Latino, said Frank Sharry of America’s Voice. Sharry predicted that the record number of New Americans registering to vote would create large momentum towards immigration reform. “The fact is is that it’s very hard to be competitive in a presidential year if you’re perceived as anti-immigrant by the fastest growing group of new voters in the country,” said Sharry.

Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) describes the great risks of permitting elections fraud to continue. He says voting fraud can threaten the Constitution and the “very foundation of our democracy.”(0:35)

 

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The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee held a press conference to discuss elections being held in November. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told the press that Saturday, July 29 begins the 100 day countdown to the November election, saying that the DSCC has overwhelming evidence that Americans are looking for change and finding it in Democrats.

Schumer said polls indicate that Americans are more concerned over topics like health care and education rather than national security and abortion, a concern he said shows a preference for Democratic policies. He noted Mississippi, which he described as the most conservative state, is leaning Democratic in November and becoming a swing state. Schumer, who said that only 3 of the 35 seats contested in the fall are in blue states, said Sen. Barack Obama’s popularity in the Republican Deep South is a valuable asset for Democratic senatorial contests. Schumer said Democratic senatorial candidates are well ahead in Virginia, New Hampshire, Colorado, New Mexico, and Alaska while candidates in Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska are behind but gaining momentum.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) stated that elections are also looking promising for Democrats on the House side of the Hill. He said that the DCCC is focusing on early contact and persuasion, launching “Get Out and Vote” campaigns in 50 districts throughout the United States. With a Democratic-controlled White House and Congress, Van Hollen said policies concerning stem cell research, children’s health care, Iraq, and gas prices would be successfully addressed.

Vice President Dick Cheney criticized the press at the National Press Club when referring to the Pulitzer Prize won by the New York Times for a piece that divulged information pertaining to US security, an action that he deemed was “less than honorable.” When asked, Cheney said that the most difficult part of his jobs involves the press since his role as an adviser necessitates an ability to keep important information secret. (more…)

Executive Director of the Reform Institute Cecilia Martinez offers her suggestions for educating voters on their polling places to the Committee on House Administration hearing on “2008 Presidential Primaries and Caucuses: What we’ve learned so far.” She says “elections administrators can also engage in public-private partnerships with consumer service providers.” (0:45)

 

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Speaking at the American Foreign Policy Council’s conference on missile defense Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) says that there is a potential for the next commander-in-chief to be someone who has cut spending on missile defense. (0:22)

 

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The Senate Foreign Relations Committee heard testimony from United States Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte on “U.S. Policy Options in Post-Election Pakistan.”

Chairman Joseph Biden (D-DE) and committee member John Kerry (D-MA) shared their experiences from their recent trip to Pakistan during the election and the mood was one of agreement on the general direction of support for Pakistani democracy, praise for the skill and devotion of our troops in both military and non-military capacities, and focus on the Afghanistan / Pakistan border as a key front in combating regional and global threats. (more…)

At a USIP panel discussion, Ms. al-Rahim describes the complex partisan situation in Iraq and forecasts “a good deal of violence” heading into the provincial elections. (1:06)

 

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Njoki N’Dungu shares her opinion on the best way forward for the United States in its relations with Kenya, specifically in terms of the United Kingdom, the former colonial power in the region. (0:45)

 

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Maina Kiai, Chairman of KNCHR, tells the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health that the true test of a democracy is its behavior between elections rather than during, a fact that the world sometimes forgets in relation to countries like Kenya. (0:42)

 

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