Mexican Invasion
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Title: The Top 5 Republican Hypocrites On Immigration
Source:
RAWSTORY
URL Source: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/09/ ... can-hypocrites-on-immigration/
Published: Sep 16, 2011
Author: Stephen C. Webster
Post Date: 2011-09-16 19:01:32 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 9642
Comments: 16
With the 2012 election on the horizon and Republicans scrambling to prove their conservative credentials, it can't be long until at least one of them jumps on immigration as the hot, new issue to capture right-wing voters. But for some top Republicans, tackling immigration has a downside: their own hypocrisy. From sitting governors to rising stars and even presidential aspirants, there are more than a few undocumented skeletons in Republican closets. Here are the top five Republican hypocrites on immigration. ##### 5. Former Colo. Rep. Tom Tancredo For a time, Tom Tancredo was one of the nation's leading anti-immigrant politicians. He founded the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, ran multiple political action committees (PACs) solely focused on opposing illegal immigration and called for a three-year freeze on all immigration, legal or not. As a Republican presidential candidate in 2008, he also made cracking down on immigrants his top issue, but his candidacy was largely overlooked. Tancredo opted against running for reelection a year later, but has since returned to the immigrant-bashing business with a new super PAC devoted to supporting candidates who want to make it tougher to come to the U.S. Those concerns didn't occur to him in 2001, however, when Tancredo hired a company to renovate his Colorado mansion. Only two members of the crew spoke English, but he didn't bother to ask about their immigration status. He'd previously bragged about reporting a 14-year-old honors student to immigration authorities after reading a profile that mentioned his undocumented status. When the construction workers found out about his views, two of them went to the press with the intent of exposing his hypocrisy. Mission accomplished. GA_googleFillSlot("Raw_Embedded_300"); 4. Former Calif. Gov. candidate Meg Whitman Meg Whitman, the former CEO of online auction site eBay, had a hard-line stance against immigration in 2009, when she called for every illegal immigrant in California to be prosecuted. Throughout the campaign she held fast to her vow to crack down on illegal immigration and emphasized penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants. Unfortunately for Whitman, reporters soon learned that she had kept an illegal immigrant as a housekeeper for nine years. While the woman did have falsified documents, one of Whitman's former campaign staffers claimed that she had known exactly who she was hiring, noting that the Social Security administration had continually hounded her for more information about the woman but never received a reply. Whitman claimed she did not receive the letters, and her longtime housekeeper was fired. 3. Fla. State Sen. JD Alexander JD Alexander, one of Florida's most powerful lawmakers, has tended to be more moderate on immigration reform than his Republican colleagues, but a lawsuit filed in late August may just reveal what's behind that. Alexander, whose family grows citrus, is being accused of firing U.S. citizens and legal immigrants working on his farm, and hiring guest workers instead. Guest workers get their green cards after their employer vouches for them, and face deportation if they get fired or quit. For employers, that means a guest worker is more likely to work even harder than others because they could easily be returned to abject poverty on the mere whim of a manager. In the Florida Senate earlier this year, Alexander also helped block a Republican amendment to an immigration reform bill that would have required employers to check the immigration status of all potential new workers. Speaking to members of the press, he waffled on the issue and said, "I should have probably voted for it. ... I think it's good policy that we put forward; I hope the House will take it." 2. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez As the nation's first Latina governor, Martinez's very presence gave hope to immigrant communities in New Mexico. Unfortunately, that was short-lived, as she quickly launched into anti-immigrant campaign rhetoric, promising policies that would prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining driver's licenses -- a state policy that helps boost the number of insured drivers on the roads. When her first attempt to use the state's taxation mechanism to ensnare immigrant and foreign national drivers in New Mexico was blocked by a district judge, she ordered the legislature to take up a bill to accomplish the same ends during their ongoing special session, which was originally meant to determine the state's redistricting plans. The New Mexico Senate has previously rejected her plan. Surprisingly enough, Martinez is herself a product of illegal immigration. She would not have been born in the United States if it were not for her grandparents, who came to the country illegally -- a detail she revealed just last month. Martinez has insisted that detail is "irrelevant" to her position, but immigration activists remain determined to not let her forget it. 1. Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney The former Republican governor of liberal Massachusetts, Romney has been dogged by accusations that he is willing to change his positions based on polling alone -- and on immigration, this has proven particularly true. In 2005 he favored a plan by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that would have let immigrants stay in the country after paying a fine. Just one year later, when Republicans began whipping up an anti-immigrant frenzy to support their 2006 mid-term reelection efforts, Romney changed his position, blocked his state's version of the DREAM Act and ordered troopers to begin cracking down on immigrants. Two years later, facing McCain in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries, Romney assaulted the plan he once supported, calling it an "amnesty" proposal. Yet, despite his seemingly hard-line stance, Romney has a little open-secret about his dealings with illegal immigrants. The Boston Globe reported in 2006 that a landscaping company Romney hired to tend his mansion's lawn was employing illegal immigrants. In spite of that report, Romney did not fire them. Over one year later, a Globe photographer snapped photos of illegal immigrants raking Romney's lawn. He tried to explain that he wasn't aware of the situation, and his aides later said he'd fired the landscapers. Still, a year is a long time to keep illegal immigrants working on one's lawn -- especially considering that as governor, Romney called for the deportation process to take place in 90 days or less. Now that he's planning on quadrupling the size of his $12 million mansion in Calif., it leaves one to wonder how many of those construction workers will be U.S. citizens.
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#1. To: Brian S, *Ron Paul for President*, *Border Invasion* (#0)
(Edited)
Tom Tancredo is a fine American, but Romney and the rest are reconquista traitors. Obama's watch stopped on 24 May 2008, but he's been too busy smoking crack to notice.
Can we inject a little reality here? It is not feasible to eject 12 to 15 million people from the country without turning the country into Nazi Germany, with a secret police who have authority to kick people's doors down and demand your "papers". It's just not feasible. People who actually promote liberty understand this, including Ron Paul. The question is what do we do? The left's approach (Amnesty) is not right either. There are other options. There are always more than two options to any challenge, but we've been fooled by the media into believing that it's amnesty versus police state and there is nothing else. That is incorrect.
Shirley, you can't be serious... Baghdad Brian isn't interested in reality, he's interested in pushing his SOCIALIST agenda, and screw reality. He's another butt-boy for the leftists, no more, no less.
To :Skippy, toe-jam, old man Fred Alzheimers Mertz, _jim, loonymom/ming, e-type-jackoff, goober56, Wrek, calcon, dummy DwarF, continental op, Biff, gobsheit and meguro Correct.
Proxy IP's are amusing.....lmao
Correct. You're both wrong. Every day thousands of illegal alien invaders come into contact with government funded agencies... DMV, IRS, Medical care, Food Stamps, Welfare, Schools, Police/Courts, etc... just tag and bag. Most of their families will follow them home to avoid the same fate. Very few will need to be actually rounded up. Within a few years the number of illegal aliens would be reduced dramatically.
Obama's watch stopped on 24 May 2008, but he's been too busy smoking crack to notice.
It's right-wing mythology that illegals are flooding across the border to get government hand outs. Most come here to work and very few have any dealings with the government, especially the federal government which is responsible for immigration.
Ok,that's a stretch. How the hell is it Tancredo's fault that the contractor hired subcontractors with illegal aliens to work on his house? Chances are that like most people having homes built,he showed up on the construction site maybe 3 times,and was there then to meet with the contractor to check on construction progress and pay out a draw. Unfortunately for Whitman, reporters soon learned that she had kept an illegal immigrant as a housekeeper for nine years. While the woman did have falsified documents,... Once again,this is being taken too far. The housekeeper had documents stating she was here legally. Just how far was Whitman supposed to have gone with this? ...one of Whitman's former campaign staffers claimed Can you say "Disgruntled former employee looking for payback!"? In the Florida Senate earlier this year, Alexander also helped block a Republican amendment to an immigration reform bill that would have required employers to check the immigration status of all potential new workers. MORE BullBush! Just how far are employers supposed to take this? If someone shows up with papers identifying him or her as legal,just what the hell are employers supposed to do? WHY is the burden on the back of the employers,when the SS Administration can EASILY determine who is working under illegal papers/false identity by merely comparing the records of payments to that SS number each month? For example,if "Joe Smith" seems to be paying into the SS system each paycheck from both San Diego and Boston,one of them is obviously working under false papers,and the SSA has his address and his employers address. They could notify ICE,and have that cleared up in 1 day. No employer can do this. New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez Ok,so what is wrong with her? Her actions have matched her rhetoric,so where is the problem? Seems to me this is a hit piece on candidates who are against illegal immigrants in order to make the mainstream RINO candidates look better and more electable. With the exception of Romney,of course. That SOB is a weasel.
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
I'm glad Tancredo knows the difference,because I sure don't. I,in my innocence,was thinking that by virtual of being here illegally that made them criminals. Maybe you or Tancredo can explain this to me?
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
It's just not feasible. Maybe not,but we CAN deport them as we find them,and we can find them by simply having the SSA report multiple payments from the same SS number to ICE. Furthermore,we can reduce the problem by making it official policy to seize ALL the US assets including bank accounts and clothes of any illegal found in the US before deporting them. Starting an official policy of billing their native countries AND Mexico or Canada for allowing the illegals to cross to the US (Canada and Mexico)and to reimburse US taxpayers for the costs of the arrest and deportation (Mexico and other countries)will surely slow it down,too. Any country that refuses to pay the arrest and deportation charges will have their property in the US seized and converted to cash to reimburse the treasury. Those three things alone will practically dry up the flood of new illegals,and the ones who are already here will be cashing out on their US assets and heading for home with the money once they discover they will lose it all if arrested. We could even initiate a policy of rewarding informers by giving them a percentage of the assets we seize from the illegals they tell us about. This ain't rocket science,folks.
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
Within a few years the number of illegal aliens would be reduced dramatically. Yup! In addition to having the SSA inform ICE of multiple pay-ins to accounts,hospitals and schools can demand ID and report suspicious applicants to ICE. We also HAVE to eliminate the Anchor Baby law.
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
Bullshit. Most come here to work and have a anchor baby. Once the baby is born they are hooked up to the welfare system like a leech to a fat man.
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
Unless the border is secure they will just come right back.
I definitely agree with that. The law should be that if one of your parents is a U.S. citizen then you are a U.S. citizen. The notion that two non-citizens can come here, have a baby, and the baby is automatically a U.S. citizen is crazy. That clause in 14th amendment was specifically enacted to ensure that black slaves who were born and raised in the U.S. were defined as citizens. Like almost everything else in the Constitution, the 14th amendment as been corrupted beyond recognition.
Unless the border is secure they will just come right back. True,but the discussion was about getting rid of the ones we already have. Plus,it should go without saying that the borders need to be tightened up.
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
I definitely agree with that. If you stop and think about it,the Anchor Baby law is already nullified by the laws that state it is illegal to profit from a crime. Since the Anchor Baby by definition has illegal alien parents,the baby and his family profit from his or her "instant citizenship". Given the weasel appointed feral judges sitting on the bench today,we need a more specific law targeted directly at Anchor Babies because they will just ignore the "can't profit from a crime" law.
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
Sorry, the logistics alone debunk your view here in my opinion.
Proxy IP's are amusing.....lmao
Max Blumenthal lies about Tom Tancredo
Max Blumenthal offers "Tom Tancredo Hired Illegal Laborers to Renovate His McMansion" (alternet.org/story/69391). It's so full of misleading statements and lies it's difficult to know where to begin. However, the title itself contains a lie: Tancredo contracted with Creative Drywall Design of Denver; he didn't hire illegal aliens directly as the title states, the president of that company claims he thought they were legal workers, and lawyers advised of the case stated he didn't break any laws [1].
Then, we move on to the subhead: Anti-immigration zealot and GOP presidential candidate Tom Tancredo hired what he often refers to as "criminal aliens" to renovate his Colorado house.
There's a difference between illegal aliens and criminal aliens, and I strongly suspect that the workers were just the former and not the latter. And, of course, he's not "anti-immigration".
Then, from the article: When Tancredo hired a construction crew to transform his drab basement into a high-tech pleasure den in October 2001, however, he did not express concern that only two of its members spoke English. Nor did he bother to check the workers' documentation to see if they were legal residents of the United States. Had Tancredo done so, he would have learned that most of the crew consisted of undocumented immigrants, or "criminal aliens" as he likes to call them. Instead, Tancredo paid the crew $60,000 for its labor and waited innocently for the completion of his elaborate entertainment complex.
1. As stated above, he contracted with a contractor [1].
2. He probably would have violated several state and federal laws if he had inquired about their status; in that case (as with Mitt Romney), the far-left would be accusing him of racial profiling and discrimination.
3. As stated above, Tancredo knows the difference between those who are just illegal aliens and those who are criminal aliens. He doesn't call the former with the latter term unless it applies. During the renovation process, two illegal workers hired by Tancredo were alerted to his reputation for immigrant bashing. They went straight to the Denver Post to complain. Tancredo "doesn't want us here, but he'll take advantage of our sweat and our labor," one of the workers complained to the Post on September 19, 2002. "It's just not right."
1. Once again, Tancredo didn't "hired" them directly [1].
2. An interesting question is who exactly "alerted" the workers; was it a setup?
3. The Post article followed and coincided with the Jesus Apodaca incident, in which the Denver Post collaborated with the Mexican consulate to push giving college discounts to illegal aliens. See the September 29, 2002 letter Tancredo wrote to the Post (link). They apparently wrote 24 stories about the issue... over nine days. More response here. ...Then defiance gave way to vitriol as the congressman dubbed undocumented immigrants, "the face of murder."
Blumenthal is being extremely misleading; Tancredo wasn't refering to all "undocumented immigrants", but to coyotes, drug smugglers, and terrorists [2].
It continues, this time with mere smears (I didn't bother clicking to the second page to see if there are more lies): Down on the border, Tancredo announced his support for the Minutemen, providing the anti-immigrant militia with a veneer of respectability while its pistol-packing members hunt for brown-skinned evildoers.
Obviously, the use of the word "militia" is meant to convey an incorrect portrayal of their actions, as is the word "hunt", and of course, they're interested in evildoers of all skin colors.
UPDATE: Howie Klein linked to the Blumenthal article (downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/2007/12/heath-shuler-joins-tom-tancredo-know.html), and I left a one-sentence comment linking to this post; the comment appeared and was then deleted. He's really afraid that his readers will learn the truth, isn't he.
UPDATE 2: I'm not going to bother registering to comment, but Pam Spaulding links to the article in the falsely-titled post "Tom Tancredo hired 'criminal aliens' to build his family's rec room" (pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3807). She reposted that at Pandagon; let's see if they approve the comment I left: pandagon.blogsome.com/2007/12/02/ tom-tancredo-hired-criminal-aliens-to-build-his-familys-rec-room/
Footnotes in the extended entry.
[1] The article Blumenthal refers to is "Illegal labor aided Tancredo Workers say they redid basement for immigration critic" by Michael Riley, September 19, 2002. A copy is here. Undocumented immigrants helped remodel U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo's Littleton basement, two of the workers told The Denver Post. The workers said they were among a crew of five or six people who labored for contractor Creative Drywall Design of Denver, creating a home theater with terraced seating, a billiards table and game area, and a bedroom for Tancredo, a Republican and one of the nation's most vocal immigration critics.
[2] From a September 18, 2002 House floor speech (link):
All but one of the crew were undocumented immigrants from Latin America, according to two of the workers. The Denver Post is not naming the employees because of the possibility that identification might lead to legal proceedings against them.
Tancredo didn't break any laws, according to immigration lawyers briefed on the case. He never asked whether the workers - only two of whom spoke English - were in the country legally, said Eric Givan, project manager for the company.
The company's president said he believed all of his workers were in the country legally and that he had documentation from them on file. The two workers said their documentation was false...
As the contractor's client, Tancredo had no legal obligation to ask if all the workers were documented. In his floor speech Wednesday night, he said he couldn't legally ask that question.
"You can be sued under the Civil Rights Act if you go out and ask people who have been hired by someone else if they are here illegally or not," he said.
But a Justice Department lawyer disagreed. "If a person wants to feel more comfortable by asking a contractor to sign something assuring them that everyone who works for them is legal, they can do that because (the contractor) has that obligation in the first place," said the lawyer, who declined to be identified.
Creative Drywall owner J.J. Fukunaga said he has documents on file showing that each of the company's 15 employees is legally entitled to work in the U.S. The documents vary by employee but in some cases include copies of Social Security cards and driver's licenses, he said. When asked to show copies of those documents, he declined...
..."Tom Tancredo is no more breaking the law by having his basement refinished by a company that employs undocumented workers than anybody who goes into a McDonald's and gets served a Big Mac" by an undocumented immigrant, said Laura Lichter, a Boulder immigration attorney......What is the most discouraging or disconcerting aspect of this whole thing is that when trying to characterize and personify the illegal immigration issue by using the Apodacas, what you do is ignore another face of illegal immigration that is much, much uglier, much nastier. That is the face of illegal immigration that you confront on the borders of this country, both the Canadian border and the Mexican border. It is the face of murder, it is the face of infiltration into the country of people who are coming to do us great harm, it is the face of drug smuggling. It is the face of rape and robbery, because coyotes who often bring these people, in this case from Mexico, into the United States, they charge them sometimes $1,000 or $1,500 to bring them into the United States illegally, and when they get to the borders they rape the women, they steal the money, they force the people into the United States into some of the most inhospitable parts of the country in terms of the desert, and they die out there. This is an ugly thing...
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
#2. To: Brian S (#0)
(Edited)
If you build a 30-foot wall from El Paso to Brownsville, the 35-foot ladder business gets real good -- Rick Perry
#3. To: jwpegler (#2)
Can we inject a little reality here?
From: Capitalist Eric Message:
You're SOCIALIST morons. ESAD.
#4. To: jwpegler (#2)
It is not feasible to eject 12 to 15 million people from the country without turning the country into Nazi Germany, with a secret police who have authority to kick people's doors down and demand your "papers".
#5. To: Badeye, jwpegler, Capitalist Eric, *The Two Parties ARE the Same* (#4)
It is not feasible to eject 12 to 15 million people from the country
"We (government) need to do a lot less, a lot sooner" ~Ron Paul
#6. To: hondo68 (#5)
If you build a 30-foot wall from El Paso to Brownsville, the 35-foot ladder business gets real good -- Rick Perry
#7. To: Brian S (#0)
Tancredo hired a company to renovate his Colorado mansion. Only two members of the crew spoke English, but he didn't bother to ask about their immigration status.
#8. To: hondo68 (#1)
Tancredo knows the difference between those who are just illegal aliens and those who are criminal aliens.
#9. To: jwpegler (#2)
It is not feasible to eject 12 to 15 million people from the country without turning the country into Nazi Germany, with a secret police who have authority to kick people's doors down and demand your "papers".
#10. To: hondo68, Badeye, jwpegler, Capitalist Eric, ALL, *Border Invasion* (#5)
You're both wrong. Every day thousands of illegal alien invaders come into contact with government funded agencies... DMV, IRS, Medical care, Food Stamps, Welfare, Schools, Police/Courts, etc... just tag and bag. Most of their families will follow them home to avoid the same fate. Very few will need to be actually rounded up.
#11. To: jwpegler (#6)
It's right-wing mythology that illegals are flooding across the border to get government hand outs. Most come here to work and very few have any dealings with the government, especially the federal government which is responsible for immigration.
#12. To: sneakypete (#9)
Maybe not,but we CAN deport them as we find them
If you build a 30-foot wall from El Paso to Brownsville, the 35-foot ladder business gets real good -- Rick Perry
#13. To: sneakypete (#10)
(Edited)
We also HAVE to eliminate the Anchor Baby law.
If you build a 30-foot wall from El Paso to Brownsville, the 35-foot ladder business gets real good -- Rick Perry
#14. To: jwpegler (#12)
Maybe not,but we CAN deport them as we find them
#15. To: jwpegler (#13)
We also HAVE to eliminate the Anchor Baby law.
#16. To: hondo68 (#5)
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