Once again, the Democrats have gone dirty rather than try to win on the issues. Meg Whitman’s housekeeper “scandal” breaks days after she receives an endorsement from comedian and actor Paul Rodriguez, the day after a solid debate performance and the week before Whitman and Brown are due to participate in a debate that will be televised in Spanish around the state. 

 

What’s her big sin? Her husband forgot to mention a letter to her that notified them that their "legal" housekeeper might have an issue with her Social Security number. Her critics say that from that day on, Whitman knew that her housekeeper was illegal. From everything I know about these letters, they explicitly tell employers that they cannot take any action against an employee because of the letter. They are simply to give the letter to the employee—which is what Whitman’s husband did.

 

Should Whitman’s husband have told her? Maybe, maybe not. As the one in our marriage who deals with all of the details of our finances, household maintenance, etc, do I tell my husband every time I take care of some administrative task? Absolutely not. Our communication is far more often centered on family issues and major financial issues.   I don’t think the voters will buy this as a big issue—no matter how much the Dems and the press want to make it one.

 

I think regular folk are focusing on other issues—such as why is this illegal housekeeper still in the country? Meg Whitman and her husband took the appropriate action when they needed household help—they went to an agency and hired what they were told was a legal resident of the United States. They paid a decent wage ($23/hr) and paid the appropriate taxes. 

 

The housekeeper, on the other hand, passed herself off as a legal resident by using a fraudulent Social Security number. First of all, where is the outrage on behalf of the legal resident that was denied a job because of this liar? And where is the federal government in all of this? They apparently knew that she was here illegal. 

 

Left-wing Latino activists may try to make hay with this issue, but they should be very careful. This could backfire on anyone with a Hispanic accent. For how can any of us be sure that we are safe from legal action if we hire what we are told is a legal resident, we pay taxes and when we find out that the person actually lied and is illegal, we terminate their employment. We follow the rules but the one who broke laws and then lied about it gets to call a press conference and file a lawsuit. That’s the kind of stuff that pisses off the silent majority in the nation. 

 

The news media is also playing a role in this “scandal.” It is clearly an orchestrated smear campaign by the Democrats. Brown’s campaign slyly mentioned that Whitman may have a housekeeper "problem" to KTVU two weeks ago. The day after Gloria Allred’s news conference, the SEIU already has a television spot produced and ready to air. And let’s not forget that Allred pulled this stunt with Schwarzenegger’s first campaign (of course, that suit was thrown out of court AFTER the campaign was over).  

 

In the end, this is the stuff that makes the public weary of politics. Brown, who considered himself California royalty, is running neck and neck with Whitman. The Democratic base is not energized by Brown or Boxer. And Brown was on the verge of losing the Latino vote—something his party takes for granted—to Whitman. What better time to pull this kind of dirty trick.

 

We’ll know on Election Day if the voters will respond to this as Brown and the Democrats hope. I think it will backfire. People will recognize that Whitman and her husband tried to do that right thing. And the final question the voters will have is, “Why isn’t the housekeeper being deported for coming into this country illegally and then using a false Social Security number to get a job?”