Mad props to the cousin, who's getting hitched today up in Cleveland Park! Although I can't say I'm thrilled that all of the bridesmaids are either married or family. But who said life is perfect.

More mad props on the salmon and pork loin at the rehearsal dinner. It was heavenly.

The day's big event has the whole family in town - including Momma and Poppa Dickie out from God's Country - and it's never a dull moment when you put us all in the same room.

So last night I was sitting next to one of my aunts, who has a penchant for the conservative.

"Are you a liberal media guy?" she asks.

*sigh*

I mean, I know she's just making conversation and all...

(I just gave the standard "of-course-you-do-your-best-to-be-as-objective-as-possible,-lending-balance-but-also-ensuring-truth-and-accuracy-not-just-he-said-she-said" answer.)

Then later, I meet a Southern guy who tells me I "should go work for 'Fox TV.' "

Tumbleweed, followed by me saying "...well, they certainly pay well."

*sigh*

Am I a liberal media guy? You make the call:


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Gallegly, Capps get 'report cards' on illegal immigration

5/14/05
By DICKIE CRONKITE
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT


WASHINGTON -- A conservative group committed to stopping illegal immigration has awarded Rep. Elton Gallegly a perfect score and Rep. Lois Capps a zero based on their 2004 voting records.

U.S. Border Control, a McLean, Va.-based citizen-funded group that promotes sweeping policy reforms to discourage illegal immigration and tighten border security, put Mr. Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, on its Honor Roll, a list of representatives with a perfect score, in their view.

"Report cards" are common among special interest organizations -- whether they be conservative or liberal -- as a means of grading a lawmaker's position compared with the group's own stance. In an attempt to sway public opinion, they are usually distributed to the organization's membership, the media and other groups that have a stake in a particular issue.

U.S. Border Control tallied congressional votes on 10 immigration measures in 2004, ranging from food stamps for illegal immigrants to the authorization of U.S. troop patrols along the border.

The group opposes providing any health care for illegal immigrants except for in life-threatening circumstances. Further, it supports financial penalties against government entities that refuse to release an individual's citizenship status to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as other similar strong measures aimed at reducing illegal immigration.

"Historically I get very favorable ratings (from groups like these)," said Mr. Gallegly, whose votes fell completely in line with the policies promoted by U.S. Border Control.

"If we stop the 'carrots,' the incentives to encourage people to come here illegally, that in itself will have a profound effect for stopping people from crossing the border for economic reasons," Mr. Gallegly said.

Mr. Gallegly joined 51 other representatives across the country with perfect scores according to U.S. Border Control, including five others in California. Mrs. Capps, D-Santa Barbara, was among 146 representatives with a score of zero, including 32 others in California.

All of the group's perfect-scoring representatives in California were Republicans, while the zeroes were all Democrats -- a point not lost on Mrs. Capps.

"Every California Democrat received a zero percent for this group, except one with 10 percent," Mrs. Capps said Friday. "It therefore appears to me that this is simply a partisan organization."


Dickie Cronkite writes for Medill News Service from Washington, D.C. E-mail him at *****&@ newspress.com.