We warned House Republicans: following Steve King’s latest outrageous comments about most DREAMers being drug runners with “calves the size of cantaloupes,” there would be growing consequences for the Republican Party if House GOPers failed to disassociate themselves from Steve king (in terms of actions, not just w0rds). Today, PPP released polling, which “found that 59% of voters nationally think that Rep. King’s immigration comments hurt the Republican Party’s image” and “58% of voters say that the House should do more to pass immigration reform.”
There’s also been a huge firestorm of activism around the country. Some of the resulting consequences:
- Groups like America’s Voice, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Presente, Credo, and United Farm Workers are petitioning Speaker John Boehner to kick King off the House Judiciary Committee. The petitions have gathered more than 100,000 signatures.
- Numerous commentators have encouraged Republicans to support immigration reform as the only way to neuter the influence that die-hards like Steve King have on the issue, every time the issue comes up
- Fact checkers are beginning to weigh in on King’s “cantaloupes” quote: the Washington Post gave King’s allegation four out of four Pinocchios, while Wall Street Journal called it not just “politically incorrect. It’s simply incorrect.”
- SEIU is now running Spanish-language ads containing Steve King’s remarks in battleground Republican districts with substantial Latino populations. The ad is running in the districts of Reps. Cory Miller (R-CA), Howard McKeon (R-CA), Scott Tiptop (R-CO), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Joe Heck (R-NV), Mark Amodei (R-NV), and Randy Weber (R-FL).
- The bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City–known to be a serious conservative–has come out against Steve King’s remarks, joining a number of Catholic leaders who have condemned King’s rhetoric.
- American Bridge has found that since first came to Congress in 2003, a majority of the House GOP caucus has voted with him almost 90% of the time when it comes to the topic of immigration. The report backs up what Benjy Sarlin wrote last week: that the “Congressman whipping the [House GOP] caucus on immigration votes isn’t Boehner–it’s Steve King.”
- Polling has found that even voters in Steve King’s Iowa district don’t agree with him–68% support legal status for immigrants, and 65% support a pathway to citizenship; the numbers are 70% and 51% for Republicans voters in his district. Such numbers are a pretty good indication why Steve King decided earlier this year to not run for Senate–even in his own district, his views are way out of the mainstream.
- The controversy is bound to see more fireworks this week, when Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) will travel to Iowa to hold a rally with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) for immigration reform and against Steve King’s comments.
And August recess for Congress hasn’t even started yet.
