The tide of battle in Congress on illegal immigration may be turning.
On his weekly radio show Sunday, Los Angeles-based Terry Anderson gave his listeners a report on participating in Roger Hedgecock's extensive "hold their feet to the fire" series of rallies, lobbying events and radio broadcasts from Washington, D.C., over the past week. He described the lobbying as "a great success," and gave the faithful hope that their efforts for real immigration reform might someday prevail on Capitol Hill.
Anderson made what could prove to be a prophetic observation:
"It's starting to work, folks, it really is."
"And do I think we did any good? . . . YES. You're damn right we did. Do you think Congress heard us? You're damn right they heard us. I know they did. Even if they didn't want to, they had to listen."
"[T]he one thing that we heard over and over and over was that constituents are angry. They are angrier than they have ever been. This is what the Congress people told us. We also found out that constituents are contacting their legislators in record numbers about illegal immigration. This is something that has never happened before.
"It's working to the point where now they [members of Congress] are afraid for their jobs. They are afraid they're not going to get any money and votes from you. And that's what scares the hell out of them.
"Keep 'em on the run—keep their feet to the fire!
"Because without these efforts, America will be lost, and there is no 'practice' America, as I've told you many times."
Anderson's was the first radio talk show among nineteen hosts to broadcast live from Washington, D.C. for the event.
He went on the air to kick-off the week on Sunday, April 25, starting at midnight Eastern Time as usual, but this time along with "a room full of exuberant anti-invasion activists" who had traveled from across the country to lobby Congress.
Anderson explained Sunday:
"I'm proud, very proud, to have been part of this. And I'll tell you why.
"Talk show hosts from around the country were broadcasting [from Washington, D.C.] around the clock, dedicated, and angry that our government has ignored us.
"To get on the radio week after week and complain about something is one thing. But to go to Washington and get in their [representatives'] faces and demand answers is something else. And that's what we did.
Anderson also praised the April 25 rally in Lafayette Park, across from the White House, where he reported that 300 people showed up. The rally was "orchestrated and carefully planned by my buddy, D.A. King from Atlanta, Georgia," he said.
"It was a great success, folks. That rally was perfect, because it got the attention of the whole city. We made the media, a little."
Anderson characterized the radio hosts and the 400 people from around the country who traveled to Capitol Hill for the lobbying as all having the same thing on their minds:
"Stop the invasion—we are not going to put up with this any longer."
"Many lobbyists were put on the air right directly when they came back, to tell what was going on. Talk hosts were guesting on each other's shows. I myself did four shows, and I would have done more, but I was lobbying most of the time I was there.
"But the main guests, those that were most appreciated were the Congressmen themselves. Many a brave Congressmen showed up and brought their passion and concern.
"We had people like Steve King from Iowa, Dana Rohrabacher from California, Tom Tancredo from Colorado, J. D. Hayworth from Arizona, Ed Royce from California, and many, many more who showed up and were on the air.
"Not only did they come on as guests, they went from show to show to show. Wherever they were asked to go they went. Early in the morning, late at night, they were there.
"I bumped into Tom Tancredo at 11 o'clock last Tuesday night, 11 o'clock Eastern, he was there STILL on a radio show. That is amazing.
"It was a great experience for all of us . . . because . . . I've lobbied before in Washington, but I've never been there with a group of, I will even brave to say, peers. They were there doing the same thing I was doing.
Anderson continued Sunday on his show:
"I met great talk hosts who have the same views that I have. Dan Rivers of Ohio, great guy. Mark Williams of Sacramento, CA, and his lovely wife, Holly; Bruce Jacobs of Phoenix, and Lars Larson who's on the radio everywhere—what a great guy, what an experienced guy who really laid it down the whole time he was there.
"It was focus, focus, focus for the three days, folks.
Passion, tenacity, intensity, talent in front of the microphone and in front of a crowd are great, but what really counts for a radio host is credibility. And Anderson's got it.
Keep giving 'em hell, Terry!
Juan Mann [send him email] is a lawyer and the proprietor of DeportAliens.com.
