"America's Voice," which the Washington Post described today as "an umbrella group of immigrant advocate organizations", is as Patrick Cleburne writes tonight, attacking FAIR, telling Congress that they shouldn't meet with FAIR, and attempting to de-legitimatize FAIR in the public eye. It's amusing that the webpage they've put up to do it called http://americasvoiceonline.org/page/content/fightfair/, with the web page title being America's Voice | It's Time to Fight F.A.I.R. Of course, fighting fair is exactly what they're not doing. This is the form of ad hominem attack called "poisoning the well," a term first used by Catholic Convert John Henry Newman in the 19th century. Newman wrote

"I am henceforth in doubt and fear," [Newman's enemy Charles Kingsley had written], "as much as any honest man can be, concerning every word Dr. Newman may write. How can I tell that I shall not be the dupe of some cunning equivocation?" ... Well, I can only say, that, if his taunt is to take effect, I am but wasting my time in saying a word in answer to his calumnies; and this is precisely what he knows and intends to be its fruit. I can hardly get myself to protest against a method of controversy so base and cruel, lest in doing so, I should be violating my self-respect and self-possession; but most base and most cruel it is."

Of course,  Kingsley's attempt to make people believe that whatever Newman said, he might be be lying isn't nearly as bad as what America's Voice wants. They don't just want FAIR not to be believed, they don't want them to be heard at all. And of course, that goes double for VDARE.com.