Bloomberg
By John McCormick
November 16, 2015
Representative
Steve King returned Thursday from a week-long trip to the Middle East
and Europe, where he said he saw an "epic migration that's transforming
Western civilization
in Western Europe." He said it's no coincidence that four days later,
he endorsed Senator Ted Cruz for president.
"It
accelerated my conviction to the endorsement of Cruz," the Iowa
Republican said in an interview hours after formally endorsing the Texan
at a Des Moines news conference.
"It
looks to me that Western civilization is capitulating in western
Europe," King said. Referring to Europe's declining birthrate, he
added: "They have refused to reproduce
themselves."
King
is expected to lend his political organization, which is especially
strong in northwest Iowa, to Cruz. The congressman is one of the state's
most influential conservative
voices.
In
the congressman's view, what's happened in Europe is largely the result
of demographic challenges that haven't been addressed, including
immigration from other continents,
not promoting higher birthrates and not stopping abortions.
"The
migration that is coming in is people who are from a completely
different culture, religion and civilization who will never assimilate
into the broader European culture,"
he said. "Europe is so far into decline that if I were a pessimist, I
would say it's over for them. I don’t want to see America go that way."
King
predicts that last week's terror attacks in France, for which the
terror organization known as the Islamic State is taking credit, will
change what issues are most
important to those voting in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, now
just 11 weeks away.
"It
refocuses on the immigration issue and on our borders," said King, who
has made concern about illegal immigration his signature issue. "It
screams at us: secure your
border, build a fence, a wall, and a fence on your southern border."
Then,
King turned more ominous. "This isn't over," he said. "I would lay odds
that there will be another terrorist attack someplace in the western
world between now and
Iowa caucus time. If that happens, you'll see even more votes shift
over."
"It's
time for us to take stock of our culture and civilization and save it
from the people who worship at the altar of multiculturalism, the people
at the left that are
happy to import undocumented Democrats and happy to work to document
them for their own political gain," he said.
On
the issue of immigration, King said he ranks Cruz as the best of the
Republican field. But he also admires the stances taken by former
Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania
and billionaire Donald Trump, who he credits with pushing other
Republican candidates on the topic. "However this turns out, I'm
grateful to Donald Trump for opening up this topic and taking a strong
position on it because that opened things up for other candidates
to walk through that door," he said.
King
also pointed to likely Supreme Court appointments during the term of
the next president. "We don't have any room for error, if we are to save
our Constitution," he
said. "There's no one with whom I have as much confidence in making
appointments to the Supreme Court as I would Ted Cruz."
Every
four years, King becomes a prime object of his colleagues' affection as
Republican presidential candidates come courting in Iowa. His seniority
in the state's congressional
delegation is second only to Senator Chuck Grassley.
In
2012, King didn't endorse anyone. Four years earlier, he placed his
support behind Fred Thompson, who flamed out shortly after the caucuses.
As
fall turns to winter, King said he sees the race in Iowa potentially
coming down to Cruz and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida. "I like Cruz's
chances there and I certainly
like his immigration position a lot better," said King, in a reference
to Rubio's past support of immigration legislation that was unpopular
with conservatives because it would have provided millions of people now
living here illegally with a path to citizenship.
The bill failed and Rubio has since dissociated himself from the
effort.
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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