Pete Wilson was protested yesterday by immigration and other liberal activists.
Uhh, just in case you’re wondering if this is a 1994 déjà vu, it wasn’t Pete himself that was protested as much as it was a bronze likeness of him, dedicated yesterday afternoon in downtown San Diego. The much anticipated statue unveiling was attended by some of the usual suspects…and I don’t mean Mayor Jerry Sanders, San Diego councilmembers, and members of the Board of Supervisors, although they were there as well.
The media seemed to be overly focused on the protesters who were decrying the dedication as unbecoming a "diverse, border city" to recognize Wilson.
Pete’s tenure as mayor is widely considered legendary, as he presided as a strong mayor years before the city charter mandated one, fostering a time in San Diego’s history when the city positively grew and prospered in ways unmatched before and — most certainly — since. It’s safe to say that had he not subsequently become both a U.S. Senator and California Governor, a day of permanent statued recognition in San Diego would still have come for him. Quite frankly, it’s somewhat surprising that Tony Gwynn beat him for the bronze, albeit it only by a few weeks. Given Wilson’s mark on the city, the recognition is greatly deserved.
So, it’s important to keep in mind that although San Diego yesterday was commemorating Pete’s mayoral accomplishments, opponents of the statue were protesting the unveiling because of his career in the Governor’s office. Wilson, of course, in their minds will forever be "to blame" for Prop 187, passed handily by California voters in 1994. The measure would have denied health care, education and welfare benefits to illegal immigrants. The courts subsequently ruled the measure unconstitutional based on it not being within the State’s purview to codify a "responsibility" of the federal government.
Pete Wilson continues to this day to be reviled and labeled a racist by illegal immigration apologists because he had the audacity to say, in effect, "Feds, if you’re not going to do your job on immigration, then California is going to do it for you." Nearly 60 percent of the voters agreed. The courts did not.
Thirteen years later, has anything changed as far as the feds doing their job? What of the courts? Perhaps it is 1994 all over again…or still.
In case you’re thinking that I have a long history as a huge Pete Wilson fan, most longer-term politicos might be laughing at the very notion. It’s pretty clear that many conservatives had some significant differences with Gov. Wilson on several issues, usually of the social variety. I still remember then-State GOP Chairman Frank Visco calling and yelling at me in ’89 or ’90 because of California Young Americans for Freedom’s response to the Party’s quasi-anointing of Wilson as the gubernatorial nominee, prior to the primary election even being held (ask Jeff Greene of Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries staff, if you want more details).
However, Governor Wilson’s position on Prop 187 did not make it on to conservatives’ "Proof that Pete is a Liberal" list. In fact, to many, all may have been forgiven by his gutsy position on an issue that scared many other politicians away.
Despite his more liberal views on social issues than the GOP Platform reflected, as well as an occasional penchant for playing against conservatives in primary elections, Wilson was instrumental in saving the GOP’s respective rear ends on the early 90s reapportionment. This led — after a "fumble" or two — to short-lived Republican control of the Assembly. For six months or so, the CTA actually had to deal with Steve Baldwin chairing the Education Committee! (Ironic, considering Wilson and Baldwin were about as politically far apart as possible for two in the same party.)
In the legislation arena, Gov. Wilson turned back many an anti-job bill (yes, the Democrats were writing them then too). His veto pen may have been much larger than his perception as a moderate. The Gray Davis days that followed were a far cry different, "job-killer" bills pretty much signed at will. Dare it be said, compare Wilson’s record on the rejection of bad business legislation to that of the last few years, and one is likely to see Pete in a very positive light.
Many conservatives today say that as a moderate Republican politician, Pete Wilson may not have been their first choice, yet as Governor he was far better for California — and the GOP — than any Democrat could have been, and superior to what was to follow. Whether or not such is the reality of GOP standing in the State is a debate for another day.
Although invited (surprisingly?), I wasn’t actually directly on site at the Wilson statue unveiling. Given my recent increased weekend propensity for having no desire to shave and trade a necktie for cargo shorts, I instead found myself across the street with the family, espying the beginning of the commemoration from the third floor of Horton Plaza mall. Ushered away from a great unobstructed view by duly cautious and dutiful security, I still had a long enough eye-shot to know that the "throng" of protesters was not quite the size implied later by several media reports. A walk thru the mall indicated far more folks caring to shop than to concern themselves with a couple of noisy nearby bullhorns.
It seems that even with the continuing "accounts" of Wilson’s long-term chilling and polarizing effects on ethnic relations in California due to Prop 187, no more than a medium-sized group of protesters could be mustered to oppose such a significant event. I was, however, glad to see Pete refer to those holding up likenesses of him in Nazi garb as "horses asses."
Like his politics or not, agree with him on Prop 187 or not, it’s quite laughable to imagine any rational person thinks Pete Wilson a racist. If he is, then a majority of Californians fit the definition as well.
No, the only race baiters in this conversation are a token contingent of squeaky-wheeled apologists, media darlings who live up to their true character daily by the very nature of personal attacks on anyone who dares to disagree with their skewed view of the world and the law.
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