On the April 10 broadcast of American Family Radio's AFA Report, American Family Association founder and CEO Don Wildmon, AFR news director Fred Jackson, and AFA Journal news editor Ed Vitagliano claimed the “mainstream media” have a “vested interest” in promoting recent nationwide immigrant rights rallies: to swell Democratic voter rolls and, ultimately, “to weaken the Red States.”
JACKSON: You talk about confusion that's out there many times. You look at how the mainstream media's covering these protests today. Over and over and over again, I have seen the mainstream media calling these “pro-immigration” rallies. And I look at those headlines and I say, “Wait a minute, this is not about immigration -- it's about illegal immigration.” That's what's going on here, but the mainstream media is trying to color this.
WILDMON: Tell me why ABC, NBC, and all the others -- tell me why they are pro-illegal immigration. Tell me why they are putting the illegal immigration front and center as being, basically, the right thing to do is to accept these people who have come in illegally -- I'm not talking about the legal, now -- tell me why. Because they've got some vested interest. The mainstream media doesn't give promotion to something they don't agree with. Are they saying these people will come in and vote liberal? That's the only thing I can figure out.
JACKSON: I think there are a couple things. They are making the immediate assumption that all of these 12 to 20 million people who are living in the country illegally came in here because they are oppressed -- every one of them are oppressed. And they had to get out of that country or they would die. That's one thing. But number two, number two: And I have heard a number of stories on this on the weekend, some of these illegal immigrants being quoted on radio as saying, “Whatever party gives me my legal status here, I will vote for them forever.” So, yes. Because we know the vast majority of mainstream journalists are liberal in their theology and in their politics, they see these people as helping to vote Democrat in the coming elections.
WILDMON: So they could carry Florida and Texas.
JACKSON: California.
WILDMON: California.
JACKSON: New York. All of those places.
WILDMON: What you're saying -- this is a way to weaken -- which state is the Repuplican party in? Is that the red or the blue?
VITAGLIANO: Republican is red, I believe it is.
WILDMON: This is a way to weaken the Red States.
