Pro-Trade, Pro-Immigration
Tuesday night was not a good one for Republican opponents of immigration reform and free trade. Primary races in South Carolina and Utah, respectively, saw protectionism defeated and the forces of rational immigration policy prevail. And by wide margins.</br></br>Incumbent Congressman Chris Cannon of Utah, a vocal supporter of President Bush's guest-worker proposals for aliens, coasted to a 16- point victory over former state legislator Matt Throckmorton, who made immigration the central issue of the campaign.</br></br>The Throckmorton thumping is noteworthy because national anti- immigrant activists -- a motley band of population-control zealots and nativists -- were hoping to make an example of Mr. Cannon and spent tens of thousands of dollars (in a very small media market) trying to unseat him. So divisive has the immigration issue become within the GOP (see Tamar Jacoby's op-ed nearby) that the Congressman even had to ward off direct attacks from a member of his own House caucus. Tom Tancredo of Colorado set up a political action committee and Web site to bash Mr. Cannon and other Republicans trying to fix our broken immigration system.</br></br>Back in South Carolina, Representative Jim DeMint just as easily defeated former Governor David Beasley to win the Republican nomination for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democrat Fritz Hollings. Mr. DeMint is a free-trader in a state that not only is trailing the national economic recovery but has lost textile industry jobs to foreign competition. Nevertheless, Mr. DeMint stuck to his pro-growth principles and refuted his protectionist opponent's "fair-trade agreements" sophistry. He was rewarded with 59% of the vote.</br></br>The results in Utah and South Carolina should convince Republican candidates that immigration reform and free trade can be political winners -- even in the least likely places. Moreover, these ideals help to define the GOP as a inclusive, pro-growth, forward-looking party.