Sportscaster Heywood Broun coined the well-known phrase, “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” I believe this also applies to the “sport” (or rather blood sport) of politics. I have always supported Assemblyman Don Wagner, and saw him as a noble man of high character. Unfortunately, I’m not seeing that man in his campaign for State Senate, but the opposite. I don’t know if it is his campaign advisers that are goading him into an attempt to destroy the excellent character of his opponent John Moorlach, but even if that is the case, Wagner is accepting that advice and acting on it. He is conducting a vicious, public employee union fueled campaign in a number of ways that I won’t detail here, but what I do want to address is his latest charge (per the clickable graphic to the left) that Moorlach supports amnesty for illegal immigrants based on an Orange County Register article dated February 22, 2013 (note the date on the document is February 24, 2013, but that only reflects the difference between digital vs. print dates). Presumably, Wagner is referring to the following excerpt from the article:

“Moorlach, who emigrated as a child with his parents from the Netherlands to Orange County, said it’s not time yet to discuss his views on issues such as immigration, as that would imply he’s made up his mind to run. However, he said, ‘I prefer some of the proposals that have been proffered by the Lincoln Club and Sen. Marco Rubio.’

Last year, the Lincoln Club adopted a policy statement on immigration reform that would allow undocumented immigrants to transition to guest-worker status and a pathway to legal residency, not citizenship.”

Note that the article clearly states the Lincoln Club policy Moorlach supports promotes a pathway to legal residency, and not citizenship. As a board member of the Lincoln Club and a proud contributor to the Lincoln Club immigration policy statement, I can affirm our position is that illegal immigrants are not entitled to citizenship because they broke the law coming to this country and should not be rewarded for conscious and willful lawbreaking, regardless of the reasons. However, our policy statement does extend some grace to those who have immigrated illegally and have been here for a long period of time, but only after our borders are secured so we won’t have the same problem in the future. The worst part of this subterfuge by Wagner is that a number of members of the Lincoln Club have had extensive conversations with Wagner on the Lincoln Club immigration policy during and after its crafting, which he himself has said he supports. He has told me himself that he supports it and he stated the same when speaking at a recent Lincoln Club meeting. So to use an article against Moorlach that doesn’t even support his baseless charge, and to then say that Moorlach supports amnesty based on the same policy that he supports himself, there is most definitely the smell of desperation in his campaign.

As if it couldn’t get any worse, this communication in favor of Wagner that is purportedly from the Conservative Republicans of California, Orange County, is actually not sanctioned by this group. I have learned conclusively that Wagner’s campaign produced this piece, so Wagner is wholly responsible for sending out a hit piece with false charges under the banner of a conservative political group with the express intent to deceive the public. So personally, I am done with Don Wagner, and believe me it does hurt me to say this. Wagner is the perfect example of what happens to well-intentioned people who go to Sacramento, and once they get a taste of power they begin to lust after it, and will do anything to keep it. All of the conservative principles he says that he espouses, those of character, dignity, and truthfulness, have gone by the wayside because being a State Senator trumps all of the values that he promised to cling to while in public service. It truly is a sad day in Orange County that Wagner has resorted to such tricks over a political seat. As the Bible says, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?