Republican blasts Dem 'war on whites'

Republican blasts Dem 'war on whites'
By Rebecca Shabad - 08-04-14 13:32 PM EDT

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) on Monday accused Democrats of engaging in a “war on whites” in the current immigration debate. 

On conservative radio host Laura Ingraham’s show, Brooks dismissed the idea that the more conservative GOP bloc's position on immigration is hurting his own party. 

“This is a part of the war on whites that’s being launched by the Democratic Party. And the way in which they’re launching this war is by claiming that whites hate everybody else,” he said during the interview. "It's a part of the strategy that Barack Obama implemented in 2008, continued in 2012, where he divides us all on race, on sex, greed, envy, class warfare, all those kinds of things. Well that’s not true.”

On “Fox News Sunday,” National Journal’s editorial director, Ron Fournier, suggested the Hispanic community is becoming increasingly disenchanted with Republicans. 

“This party, your party, cannot be the party of the future beyond November if you’re seen as the party of white people,” said Fournier, whom Ingraham described as being part of the “lame-stream media.” 

Brooks said recent polls indicate every demographic group agrees that the rule of law should be enforced and border security must be improved.  

“It doesn't make any difference if you're a white American, a black American, a Hispanic-American, an Asian-American or if you're a woman or a man. Every single demographic group is hurt by falling wages and lost jobs,” Brooks said.

“Democrats, they have to demagogue on this and try and turn it into a racial issue, which is an emotional issue, rather than a thoughtful issue," he added. "If it becomes a thoughtful issue, then we win and we win big. And they lose and they lose big. ”

Brooks accused Democrats of playing a “political game” and Ingraham said they’re “playing the race card.” 

The congressman said he gives “credit” to Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who influenced the more conservative wing of the House GOP caucus to back away from the first Republican-sponsored border bill on Thursday. The House went on to approve a different version of the border bill Friday night.