Nov 13 2007
Tancredo’s Hypocritical Exaggerations And Crass Opportunism
Addendum: After listening to this dumb ad again I realize one more thing that really bothers me about it. Not only does it reference “20 million illegals taking our jobs” (which is a crock, no illegal is after his job or my job and I don’t go after theirs), but it equates immigrants to terrorists. It doesn’t even attempt to differentiate the misdemeanor crime of being an undocumented worker with the heinous act of terrorism. Tancredo is trying to stain the immigrants with the stench of Islamic terrorism. Sorry, but those of us with two brain cells left to rub together KNOW illegal immigrants are not terrorists. Tancredo really is a foolish, bitter loser. – end addendum
When Bush and moderate Republicans put forth a multi-faceted plan to address illegal immigration this year he was attacked by the amnesty hypochondriacs using a myriad of lies. The end result is we did not get any new legislation to fix our borders. And this was the second year in a row these hyper ventilators, like Tom Tancredo, destroyed any chance to make progress.
The two most infamous lies regarding the immigration issues where: (1) we don’t need knew laws and (2) Bush and his supporters are soft on national security. It was a vapid joke then and even more of one now. What everyone agreed to was (1) stronger borders through technology, fences and increased border agents, (2) an ID system to clearly denote who was an immigrant worker, (3) a federal system to track immigrant worker status so employers could easily and clearly determine if a worker’s permissions to work here had run out (there is no way to do that now), (4) stronger penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants, (5) background checks (as are possible) on new immigrants, (6) enforced 3 year time limit with the option for 1 (and only 1) renewal for a second 3 years, (7) no path to citizenship due simply to being an immigrant worker, (8) immigrant workers would now have to pay taxes and be monitored on location (critical), (9) one violent crime and the person is deported (hard to do right now), etc.
There were a myriad of things positive about the bill Bush and many Senators brought forward. The only problem was the one item on a path to citizenship for long term immigrants who had folded themselves peacefully into our communities. Bush and others proposed background checks to make sure they did not have a violent criminal record (or out they go), fines, payment of back taxes, and minimal demonstration of or effort towards being part of our culture (speaking English, etc. It was by treating the undocumented worker as someone who violated a misdemeanor statute (which is all the crime of illegal immigration is) that the far right went ballistic. They wanted punishments more on the level of a felony (though there is no legal basis for this and you’d think they would be able to grasp this). Taking away a house, a job or the family bread winner is the kind of punishment that goes with felonies.
It was this one issue, the dealing with the long term illegal immigrant population, which was the sticking point. All claims to other universally agreed aspects of the Bill is simply an attempt at denial by those who destroyed any chance to fix the problem in the foreseeable future. It was “amnesty” for these long term immigrants that put the far right over the edge and pushed the Hispanic community and moderates away from the GOP and gave the Democrats election wins.
Now one of the bigger exaggerators is out there doing it again. Tom Tancredo has put his ridiculous fantasies into a TV ad about a terrorist blowing up a mall. The fact is we are under threat from terrorists, don’t get me wrong. But Tancredo is confused or lying about the source of that risk and who is at fault for not protecting our borders.
It is highly unlikely the long term immigrants, who were the source of division and collapse of the immigration and border security bill last spring will be the source of a terrorist attack. It is possible, but a more likely terrorist source is from legal visitors who come to this country each year, just like the 9-11 highjackers did.
But even if the long term immigrant community WAS the source for a terrorist, the fact is the bill last spring was the best opportunity to ferret a terrorist out. The background checks might not be perfect, but they would be good enough to notice an Arab pretending to be a Mexican. And it might spook terror cells to try and dodge the checks, raising a clear red flag in a population of 10-12 million people.
In addition to background checks, the bill Tancredo gleefully torpedoed last spring HAD all sorts of security measures built in. So I find his finger pointing just more denial about the self destructive nature of the far right on this issue. I said it when the bill finally failed this spring and I will say it now – all those who cheered its demise now OWN the current broken situation and are now the ones at fault for our vulnerabilities. The lie we did not need knew laws was flagrant and unforgivable.
But I am also disgusted at Tancredo’s crass opportunism. Less than a week after the news broke about possible shopping mall attacks in the US over Christmas Tancredo puts this ad out. We know we are under threat Tom – no need to act like we are no aware of the situation. And we know malls and other public areas with large crowds are optimal targets. So this cannot be informative. It can be insulting to the intelligence (like Tom’s the only one who read the news recently?).
What really bothers me is it could be a pre-emptive attempt to lay blame if an attack does occur. With this ad Tancredo has sowed the seeds of guilt upon illegal immigrants even before any attack has happened. He is playing with mob-think and it is a terrible thing to do. A sitting Congressman (which thankfully be ending soon) he is privy to details on this threat through FBI and intelligence briefings. Therefore Tancredo may think this is unavoidable and he might as well exploit it. I would hate to think this is what a congressional leader is doing – but sadly it is well within the realm of possibility. If terrorists attack, and they could have possibly been detained and stopped under the laws proposed in this year’s comprehensive bill, then it is Tancredo and his self destructive allies who left America undefended this time. Not the liberal dems on their own misguided jihad against the NSA, but elements of the far right. Tancredo better pray nothing happens.
OK, Let’s get real. I want to see the Canadian Border and the
Mexican Border 100% sealed. Shame about the Boundary Waters
Canoe Area. I want to see no American port operator in Kuwaiti
or UAE’s or any arab state’s hands. I want a 100% inspection
of every ship coming into our country. I want the entire personal
histories of any airline passenger coming into the USA or even
flying into it’s airspace known to us well before hands.
And, on the lighter side, it does appear finally that the artist
formerly known as cat stevens, and who was denied permission
to fly into the USA because of connectios to terrorism, did indeed
write a bunch of overly pretentious songs.
Now, after that, anybody and everybody can have a debate
about the level of legal immigration, visitors’ visas, and so on.
But nobody gets to sneak in here.
Period.
Anybody who finds grounds to argue that unknown people
should be allowed to sneak in, must have a dog in the race.
Dave M,
What you want is decades away from happening.
There is no need to wait on other issues as the borders and ports are made more secure – none.
Your bias against Arabs is why al-Qaeda keeps finding recruits. Arabs and Muslims are not al-Qaeda. And ANYONE can become a traitor for the right price.
Your concepts are simply the demands of someone wanting their way, not someone working with others.
Failure is all you will see as long as you are a inflexible.
AJ,
I have been reading your blog for a long time. On this one you are simply, yet boldly, wrong. I admit that mass deportations are onerous – but without new-found amnesty, we are compelled to enforce existing laws.
Tom Tancredo should be thanked for not allowing more half-assed measures to be adopted Congress or the Executive wing out of political expediency. As Tancredo has noted on numerous occasions, we are awash in laws that are unenforced.
AJ, if you want to sound off about immigration, perhaps you could align yourself with those of us who simply want existing laws enforced; there is enough case law to justify sending bad people home, and allowing good people an opportunity to live in America.
Good luck,
Sorry Jim,
Mass deportations for what is legally the same as a speeding ticket ain’t going to happen. What is funny is how badly the GOP is failing on this issue! And you know what, I found the progress made over the last two decades on conservative principles is more than enough to let those who just don’t get it on immigration to wander in the wasteland of the minority until they figure it out.
Tancredo is NOT getting any wave of support and I would guess he is as popular as Kucinich and other fringe pols. Tancredo’s abysmal presidential run is proof positive he and his followers, which I assume includes you, are a tiny minority. He is the most infamous of the amnesty hypochondriacs and faces a field full of moderates in immigration. Yet he is going nowhere. That’s a sign my friend. A clear and unambiguous sign. Tancredo is not selling America on his views.
My bias against Arabs is not why Al-Qaeda finds recruits.
My bias against Arabs, the rational conclusions of an observant
person, may be an excuse Al_qaeda uses in indoctrination
sessions, but if wasn’t that excuse it would be some other excuse,
like Palestianians.
The reason Al-Qaeda gets recruits is because of the religion.
That is the truth. Their holy book instructs them to do what they
do. What you said is just obfuscation. Sure some arabs aren’t
as enthused about their religion. Some catholics eat meat on
Friday. That doesn’t change the source of a religious war.
And if they ever have a reformation, then great, let them own
the NYSE, as they already own the LSE. Until then,
I’ll just do my best to urge people to keep them out of our
sensitive corporations.
And that isn’t bias, that is rationality.
Rush just had a great commentary on the idiocy of taking Dubai out of the ports deal. Idiocy is being nice, imho.
Rush understood from the beginning how this world operates and what Dubai, rich as hell, has in mind. And it is not terroism. As Rush said, they would have spent their OWN money to upgrade our ports and would have been meticulous in keeping them safe.
Great ideas are shot down by small minds with small ideas, no offense intended.
A.J. – talk about an emotional issue. You have struck a nerve with this one. This is a very complex issue from a legal as well as emotional side. But let me put a little simplicity into the arguement. The open borders amnesty position is not a big vote loser because it is easier from an emotional standpoint. From an election standpoint it is a stalemate. The deportation position is an election loser because emotionally nobody likes to vote for a big meanie. Deportation would be a huge humanitarian black eye. To round up millions like cattle and march them to the southern border!!! Plus, it creates fear in the illegal population which creates anger in the legal latino population which translates into votes.
The driver’s license issue is where the open borders crowd goes off the deep end. The last poll I saw was that 77% against giving licneses to illegals. Rudy is playing the middle pretty well on this with his it is not a crime to be an illegal immigrant. Technically, from a legal standpoint, Rudy was wrong but politically the message sent is that I will not favor mass deportation. While at the same time Rudy can push hard on border control (the great wall of America) as a terror issue. From my reading of the polls it seems that American want a long term solution to illegal immigration, i.e stop it (fence) or slow it down and once that is complete then they will entertain an earned amnesty. But they are fearful of a continuous 20 year amnesty cycle that runs into the millions of people each cycle.
One point where you are correct is that the current immigration code is unworkable. One of the problems with the failed reform bills was that they were additions to current law and not a fresh start. Any new bill will have to repeal all existing immigration code and replace it with the new bill. For example tax law is now called the Tax Code of 1986 because that a real reform bill in that it repealed all previous tax laws i.e. the Tax Code of 1954. Then a whole new immigration policy can start with a clean slate. That is something a presidential campaign can generate.
I agree with you on this, that the candidate who can credibly navigate the middle on this issue will win at the ballot box.
MarkN,
Yeah, this one is a lightening rod. You can get burned on it. For example, I am 100% opposed to licenses for immigrants until they have been background checked and in a system like the one proposed in the Bill this spring. Under current laws the license is to much a free pass and opens us up to terrorism.
God bless Tom for he is telling like it is!
Even if he will not be “the one” he will have brought the illegal immigration issue to the forefront.
Go Tom, go!
dboston,
Tancredo just exposed the part of the GOP nobody wants to see or supports? And you cheer this!
OK – that is taking self destruction to a whole new level. And folks wonder how the far right lost support? Trust me, if you want Tancredo over me I am happy to support some moderate dems! And you and Tommy can sit and watch from the sidelines of power.
go tom go – far far away for a long, long time. He’s not all that different from the moveon.org/George Soros crowd – different issues, same tired act. “tell it like it is!” except all that type can ever tell are lies piled on top of lies, with a healthy dose of scaremongering tossed in.
Tancredo is not only not telling it like it is, he is a demagogue. Thus far he and his friends have accomplished nothing, but using this issue for their own political purposes, in fact I think that is all he wants.
Tancredo can not get any traction in his own party for his presidential bid and most of the country just thinks the man is a loon.
For one thing, we do not know how many people are here illegally, some say 9 million, some say 20 million.
I understand that there were things about the immigration bill that people did not like, but there was not even a good faith effort made to fix the bill or compromise. There should have been efforts made in the House to come up with a better bill and then the conference bill to follow. But no, people like Tancredo just killed it, sent us back to the status quo and now here he is bitching about the status quo.
We went through the Cold War without wondering whether or not the Red Army was going to march across that border, but now all of a sudden this is the big threat.
Remember the bomber that was stopped at the Canadian border back in 2000? He was not trying to enter illegally. The 9/11 hijackers came here openly.
And here we have Tancredo assuming that every nanny and yard man is a terrorist, while at the same time he refuses to compromise to get increased security.
He must not be too worried.
And Tancredo did not bring illegal immigration to the forefront, what he did was use it the same way Sharpton uses race and it has backfired.
it’s such a pointless effort that one wonders what he’s really up to with this ad, given that he’s retiring from Congress and his presidential hopes are dead. Is he simply angling to build up a bankroll of contributions from the gullible in order to finance a cushy retirement?
OK. So none of the 9-11 terrorists came here illegally. But just how many of the drunk driver killers, murderers, rapists , child molesters, and other heinous criminals who in the news daily are here illegally? The number is stagering. And every last one of them has been deported time and again and they keep coming back, and keep on doing their thing until they are locked up permanently. Or until the Mexican govt. intervenes and gets them released to collect damages from the people they have harmed. If the government was doing it’s job we wouldnt’ have to be dealing with any of these illegal criminals.
In addition to having to cope with the illegal alien criminals, and violent murdering gangs, we are being taxed out of our homes to provide schools and services for them. I live in a rural, non industrail area where there are no jobs for local people, yet, as our children have to leave the area to find employment, we are beeing told that we are going to have to fund, via doubling our real estate taxes, the construction of over $100 million worth of new class rooms to educate the immigrant children who have flooded into our area. I don’t think we are alone. The whole country is inundated with them.
There comes a time when we have to say, “enough is enough.” and put a stop to this steady stream of illegals who are suffocating us and draining the lifeblood out of our communities. Doubling our property taxes is going to put a real strain on most of our budgets. When this problem gets so bad that it starts straining your budget, You are going to feel the same way we do about them as the majority of the people in this country do. Frankly, I dont’ care how they get rid of them. or what they do with them. I want them out of here. I want them out of my face and I don’t care how they are removed or where they are sent, just so the problems they have brought with them go away with them. .
“Frankly, I dont’ care how they get rid of them. or what they do with them. I want them out of here.”
you sound just like a “good german” discussing the Jewish Problem circa 1938.
Aj Wrote-Your bias against Arabs is why al-Qaeda keeps finding recruits. Arabs and Muslims are not al-Qaeda. And ANYONE can become a traitor for the right price.
Ignorence of Islam can get you killed. His “Bias” isn’t the problem. Islam is. They use the Qur’an, the Haddiths and Sura as Justification for their violence. It’s all in there, and those “Peaceful Verses have been ABROGATED.
Like immigration, your desire not to learn this issue shows. 99% of Al Quada members ARE ARABS and MUSLIMS!
There is an article at Jihad watch.org, american thinker.com (Clarice Feldman)and debbie schlussel.com on an ILLEGAL ALIEN from Lebanon who was hired by the FBI and the CIA who was funneling information to TERRORISTS! And Your Favorite Administration HIRED HER!
GWB is currently trying to go to the World Court over his home state of Texas, to save the life of an ILLEGAL ALIEN MURDERER! He’s just not satisfied with the determination of a Jury in Texas, nor the courts findings.
You also have “missed” his SPP doings. Judicial Watch and World Net Daily have got the goods on this, via the Freedom of Information Act. He wants a NORTH AMERICAN UNION.
In Fact, the first proposed COINS have been stamped. I’ve seen the pictures. So much for Sovereignty.
He wants to sign the U.N. Law Of The Sea Treaty, a very bad idea!
It’s time to take off the blinders.
Tancredo isn’t the enemy. And Bush certainly needs to be paid attention to, regretably.
I wont bother to reply to any more of your post. Been there, done that.
Time to hit the hay. Take care everyone!
“we are being taxed out of our homes to provide schools and services for them” This is an argument to bring an end to the welfare state not illegal immigration! Hell yes, let’s end incentives for them to come illegally. If them busting the bank is what it takes to convince people to end the welfare state, then thank goodness for illegal immigration.
I won’t join the anti-illegal immigration crowd unless they agree the legal immigration policy needs to change too. Unless we start using a first come first serve immigration system regardless of skill and family affiliation and without nationality quotas (the whole spirit of the words on the Statue of Liberty), I’m not going to support harsh enforcement of something I think is stupid to begin with. (Yes I am in favor of background checks)
I’d feel a lot better about supporting the anti-illegal immigration side if I could hear some talk about say stopping the coast guard from returning Cuban refugees or giving asylum to Chinese mothers trying to have a second baby. But all I ever hear is the “terrorists are coming” talk when border hopping isn’t even the terrorist MO.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Hunter supporter b/c Conservatism is my #1 concern. Unfortunately I’ve seen nearly every conservative blog I use to go to go over the deep end on this one favoring anything that is anti-illegal-immigration and breathes.
mom:
Yeah sure, and how do you think people are going to react to high food prices?
A lot of these people are here because Americans will not do all this work. Americans do not want to work the fields, clean motel rooms, clean up New Orleans, bus tables in NYC or a lot of other things unless and until they have to. The problem with the Tancredo people is they never take certain economic realities into account.
And you know something else? This is America, we have due process and some of these people talking about just enforcing the laws need to realize that. The laws say we can not have mass roundups. The courts and the lawyers would be all over that.
And steve, the hardliners went out of their way to kill a bill that would have had more provisions for dealing with criminals. They do not need to waste their time complaining about the way things are.
Just saw that Spitzer is withdrawing his plan to issue NY
drivering licenses to illegal aliens, so yea on that one.
Now I read the transcript of “the ad”. I agree with AJ that
Tancredo makes an unsustainable charge about “aliens taking
our jobs” but I do not find contained in the ad any suggestion
that the Hispanics are responsable for terrorism. Tancredo says
that it is the lazy open borders policy that will eventually allow
terrorists to bring in something terrible. That needs saying,
again and again. Tancredo isn’t going to win, neither is Gingrich,
but sometimes they say useful things.
I do hope that AJ is wrong when he said the border problem
won’t be fixed for decades. Most Americans want the borders
sealed first, including the seas. That is just common sense.
If an American city is destroyed by a nuclear weapon,
(and with Bhutto making deals with Islamist parties in Pakistan
as she now refuses to align with Musharraf that possibility
looms distinctly closer), the aftermath, politically, socially, and
militarily inside our country will change in ways so drastic that
it is not useful for pundits to speculate about it. It needs to be
prevented. The borders need sealing this week, not in 20 years.