Bob Corker firm used illegal aliens as workers

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) has released a new television commercial hitting Bob Corker for hypocritically talking tough on illegal immigration even though his construction firm was cited for having illegal workers on its worksite. Harold Ford Jr. wants to control the borders and get tough on employers who break the law on hiring undocumented workers.

“Bob Corker wants us to believe he can be tough on immigration even though his company employed illegal workers who were then deported,” DSCC spokesman Phil Singer said. “How can he be trusted to make the law when his own company broke the law?”

Corker’s Company Was Investigated By INS For Hiring Undocumented Workers, Some of Whom Were Deported. According to official documents, the INS opened an investigation into Corker’s construction company, Bencor, after a February 1988 complaint that 30-50 Mexicans were working at Bencor’s Riverset Apartments project on Memphis’ Mud Island. By the time the investigation was closed in 1989, after the INS held two meetings with Bencor, four illegal workers were deported.

Corker Responsible For Illegal Hirings, Broke The Law. According to the 1986 immigration law, Corker’s Bencor was legally responsible for have illegal workers at the worksite, even if the subcontractors had been at fault. Bencor could have faced fines of up to $10,000.
Corker’s Firm Ignored Warnings. Corker’s Bencor had plenty of warning that illegal workers were working on their site. According to INS documents, INS held “two meetings with Bencor, Inc” prior to their 1988 raid. Corker’s Bencor also ignored press reports about the illegal workers.

Click Here to Watch the Ad.
Click Here for Ad Backup (PDF)

* ELLSWORTH GETS "A" RATING FROM NRA

EVANSVILLE,IN – Democratic nomineee for Congress Brad Ellsworth (Indiana-D8) received a perfect “A” rating from the National Rifle Association (“NRA”), according to the November 2006 issue of American Rifleman, the official journal of the NRA.

“I believe in the Second Amendment, and I am pleased that the NRA has recognized my support for it,” said Ellsworth.

Ellsworth is a long-time gun owner and an avid sportsman.

Ellsworth is currently serving his second four-year term as Vanderburgh County Sheriff, a post to which he was first elected in 1998. Ellsworth has served Vanderburgh County law enforcement continuously since 1982.

http://www.ellsworthforcongress.com

* FAITH AND FAMILY VALUES by Heath Shuler D-NC
HENDERSONVILLE,NC - America is only as good as the families that comprise it. Strong families, blessed with hope and opportunity, filled with ambition and dreams and guided by faith and principle are the heart of America. Growing up in the close knit community of Swain County, I learned from my parents and my church to love God, respect life, and to help those less fortunate than myself. Those fundamental principles have shaped who I am today.

I am a pro-life Democrat and I believe that all life is sacred. I also believe that a commitment to life extends beyond the womb and means ensuring that all people have adequate health care, receive a strong education, and be given proper care in their later years.

I have never shied away from openly discussing my faith. Throughout my high school, college, and professional career, I have been an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a spokesman for Character Counts. I have spoken to thousands of students across the country, sharing my testimony and trying to be a positive role model for them. With the help of my wonderful wife, Nikol, we are raising our two children in the mountains of North Carolina working to instill the same values with which we were raised.

* Heath Shuler is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in North Carolina's 11th District.
http://www.heathshuler.com

* JACK DAVIS MAKES THE CASE AGAINST "FREE TRADE"

Jack Davis, our Democratic and Working Families Party nominee for Congress in New York's 26th Congressional District, makes a compelling case against free trade. A strong advocate for fair trade to save American jobs, here is Davis' argument for a change in direction regarding trade policies.

After 30 years of free trade, look at the facts;

Total trade deficits of 3.8 trillion dollars.
Trade deficit of 435 billion dollars last year and increasing each year.
Trade deficit of 125 billion dollars with China, mostly manufactured products and increasing.
The total national debt is 7 trillion dollars; a new all-time record high and increasing.
Over one trillion dollars is owed to our Asian suppliers.
Federal budget deficit of $477 billion last year. Why? Workers without jobs don't pay taxes nor do companies that are not profitable.
Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany, Binghamton, New York City and State of New York are all operating on deficits.
Family debt is also at record highs.
When companies lose business to foreign competitors, families lose jobs, health benefits and pensions.
An increasing gross domestic product is not a measurement of a good economy. GDP can be increased by borrowing, over spending and going into destructive debt.
An increasing value of the Dow averages is not a measurement of a good economy. Fifty percent of Americans own some stock. This increases their assets and retirement funds but is not what they live on.

A good economy for the majority of Americans is employment, a living wage, a possibility for advancement, affordable housing, affordable medical care, funded retirement, and a stable currency.

Looking at all these facts, free trade has definitely not improved our standard of living. In Engineering 101, we were taught, "If the facts don't support the theory, the theory must be wrong." I don't think they teach this theory in the University's economics or political science departments.

http://www.jackdavis.org

* THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FACING AMERICA
Jim Webb, D-VA Senate candidate

"There are many challenges facing Americans today: an unpopular war, skyrocketing health care costs, a shrinking job market and rising inequality in society. I believe in the strength of American character and the ingenuity of the American people. With the right leaders we can overcome all of these obstacles. America doesn't lack ideas, it lacks leaders willing to stand up and make courageous decisions.""I have fought — and continue to fight — to protect American values. I fought in Vietnam with the hope that the Vietnamese might share the same freedoms we enjoy. I fought as a congressional committee counselor to guarantee our veterans the treatment they deserve. I fought as Secretary of the Navy to maintain the excellence of our military. I fought, pro bono, on behalf of countless veterans and refugees, in order that they might have their voices heard in the vast government bureaucracy. And I will fight in the Senate to give all Americans the chance to achieve their dreams."

http://www.webbforsenate.com

A Little Help From Your Friends

http://www.bobcasey.com/blog/

Newspaper headlines this week confirmed what many of us have known for a long time: special interests have done very well with their buddy Rick Santorum in the Senate leadership, and they stand to lose a lot come Election Day.

Last year, Santorum voted for the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that gave oil and gas companies $2.6 billion in tax breaks. Something tells me that the only people celebrating this bill one year later are the execs at ExxonMobil who raked in the second-largest quarterly profit ever recorded by a publicly traded U.S. company.(ExxonMobil also set the record for the largest quarterly profit last year).

The execs returned the favor. Only two other congressmen have received more money from Big Oil than Rick Santorum -- out of 535, he is virtually tied for 2nd.

Pennsylvania Republican Rick Santorum is a big beneficiary of the industry's push. He was a leading proponent of the 2003 law that gave seniors Medicare coverage for prescription drugs, and helped shape the law in ways that benefited the industry. Battling to keep his seat in a crucial Senate race, Mr. Santorum's campaign has received almost $500,000 from pharmaceutical interests and their employees, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research group. The industry has also helped fund television advertisements and aided get-out-the-vote efforts.

The Republican-controlled Congress has been kind to drug makers. As the prescription-drugs benefit was crafted, Republicans battled not just Democratic critics but also fiscal conservatives in their own party who opposed creating the expensive government program.

Congressional Republican leaders prevented Medicare from negotiating prices with the industry. They also killed a proposal that would have allowed the government to offer its own coverage in competition with those sold by private companies.
[Wall Street Journal, 10-25-2006]

Big Pharma has rewarded Santorum handsomely for his efforts. He has received more money from the pharmaceutical industry than any other member of Congress.

Voters are fed up with the special interests' stranglehold on Rick Santorum. We need a Senator for Pennsylvania, not ExxonMobil.

* ALERT FROM THE WORKING FAMILIES NETWORK ON PA SENATE RACE

Get the Facts: Bob Casey and Rick SantorumBefore you vote Nov. 7 for U.S. senator, check the record and get the facts.

BOB CASEY WILL FIGHT FOR WORKING FAMILIES. RICK SANTORUM HAS FAILED US.
JOBS AND WAGES

Bob Casey Will Protect Good Jobs and Wages. Casey supports raising the minimum wage and prevailing wage laws that guarantee we are paid a fair wage. He opposes unfair trade agreements like CAFTA that send our jobs overseas. (AP State and Local Wire, 7/25/06; www.bobcaseyforpa.com)

Rick Santorum Attacked Jobs, Wages, Benefits. Santorum voted for unfair trade deals like CAFTA that send our jobs overseas. He tried to eliminate the 40-hour workweek and cut our overtime pay, and opposed creating new jobs protected by prevailing wages. (S.1307, Vote #170, 7/1/05; S.AMDT. 128 introduced 3/7/05; Vote #68, 5/15/97; #93, 6/4/97; S.1072, #14, 2/12/04)

HEALTH CARE

Bob Casey Will Fight for Our Health Care. "No issue hits closer to home for me than health care." Casey advocated expanding CHIP, secured millions for our hospitals through his HELP program and supports the Family and Medical Leave Act. (The Hill, 4/26/06; Hospital & Nursing Home Week, 1/12/06)

Rick Santorum Undercut Our Health Care. Santorum supported $14 billion in cuts to Medicaid and voted against the Family and Medical Leave Act as well as the Patients' Bill of Rights, which ensures doctors answer to patients rather than to HMOs. (S.C.R. 18, 3/17/05, Vote #58; #393, 11/13/91; #22. 2/3/93; #443, 9/30/92; S.1052, 6/29/01, #220; S.2549, #121, 6/8/00)

RETIREMENT SECURITY

Bob Casey Will Strengthen Our Retirement Security. Bob Casey opposes privatizing Social Security and calls it a "scheme" that would jeopardize our guaranteed benefits. (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 5/17/06; The York Dispatch, 5/10/06)

Rick Santorum Tried to Privatize Social Security. One of the most vocal supporters of President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security, Santorum co-sponsored a bill to create private accounts and voted against protecting our Social Security benefits. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 12/6/05; The Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/27/05; S. 1302, 2005; S.Con.Res. 18, Vote #49, 3/15/05)

How you vote is a personal decision. Working America has carefully researched all the candidates' records and believes Bob Casey is the best choice for working families. Whatever you decide, please vote.Click here to learn more about the 2006 elections in Pennsylvania.