Word - Whipping post

Now that the election is over, what group will become the next whipping boy for politicos? Every candidate seeking public office this year seemed to have a comment on illegal immigration. Of course, it wasn’t really about offering tangible proposals to solve the perceived problem — it was more of a race to see who could offer the best sound bite. Here are a few of the contenders.

“He’s been totally disengaged on this issue. He’s chosen to check out and be AWOL. As Americans, it gets under our skin a bit when people don’t live by the rules ... it is with illegals that we have to draw the line.”

-- Republican attorney general candidate Perry McGuire on state attorney general Thurbert Baker’s supposed lack of a stance on illegal immigration

“If Americans don’t wake up now, they’ll wake up one day soon to find their nation has been stolen by La Raza and pals.”

-- U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood, R-GA, in a September news release commenting on the National Council of La Raza, the nation’s largest Latino advocacy group

“Muchas gracias, Señor Jim Marshall.”

-- Republican challenger Mac Collins in an ad lampooning the vote cast by U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, D-GA, in favor of Spanish-language ballots in districts with high populations of Hispanics