What we hear over and over from Republicans and Democrats in our communities is that people are tired of the bickering and divisiveness in government, whether in Springfield or Washington. Oberweis’ relentless attacks on state Sen. Chris Lauzen in the Republican primary election hint that he is not the right candidate to end government gridlock.
Foster isn’t as “extreme” as his opponent has branded him. On Oberweis’ signature issue of illegal immigration, the two men actually agree on much — both support better border security, a worker-visa program and workplace enforcement that includes some form of a national ID card. Foster, however, takes a more realistic and compassionate approach to dealing with the millions of undocumented workers already here.
Make no mistake, immigration reform is a Fox Valley issue as much as a national one. Foster supports a path to citizenship and points out that if absolute workplace enforcement were to be put in place today, some local businesses would be shut down. Oberweis has taken a harder line, saying stronger employer sanctions will lead to 12 million to 20 million illegal immigrants going home. That’s wishful thinking at best.
