Anderson@Large

Democrats’ Heart to Heart with Illegals

I don’t get it. How will Democrats appeal to independent voters who are concerned about the influx of illegal immigrants by participating in a presidential forum that is dominated by questions from illegal immigrants or about illegal immigration?

At last week's Iowa forum, both the “real people” who told their stories and the community leaders who asked questions conflated legal and illegal immigrants.

Sen. Chris Dodd and Rep. Dennis Kucinich gave part of their response in Spanish. Hello, this is America. We speak English. I’m sure laid-off autoworkers, homeowners facing foreclosure, and families struggling with college tuition, healthcare costs and mounting credit card debt were duly impressed with their language facility.

I have been accused of writing about illegal immigration “incessantly,” but I was amazed by the amount of time devoted to an issue that "has emerged as the third rail of American politics," according to Rep. Rahm Emanuel, chair of the House Democratic Caucus.

I listened as an illegal alien, Mayte Rodriguez of Somos un Pueblo Unido, thanked her “wonderful mother” for making the decision to bring her to this country. Rodriguez “wants to teach young leaders whose talents are being wasted, who want to give back to their community.”

Someone should teach Rodriguez that her mother’s decision to break U.S. immigration laws has consequences. One of those consequences is her daughter is not be able to “fully integrate into our communities.”

Likewise, Larry Ginter of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement should brush up on immigration law. He said “we have to quit treating immigrants like common criminals.” Well, the very act of sneaking across the border or overstaying one’s visa is a criminal act that's become unacceptably common.

Sen. Hillary Clinton will not win over many undecided voters. She invoked the mantra “comprehensive immigration reform” and repeated her support for an "earned path to legalization.”

Clinton was asked whether she would “demonstrate the courage of leadership by making a priority in your first 100 days to give undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship.” Her response:

And as president, comprehensive immigration reform will be my top priority for me. Until Congress passes it, the president can only do as much as possible without a bill.”

Clinton's commitment to legalize lawbreakers did not satisfy the amnesty crowd. She was booed.

If Democrats want to win in November, they should have a heart-to-heart talk with illegals and say: Look, you are in this country illegally. Your sob stories about being “born elsewhere but now totally woven to the fabric of America” ain’t cutting it with American citizens.

So, cut it with the amnesty nonsense. It won’t happen in the first 100 days of a Democratic administration. And if we listen to the voices of the American people, it won’t happen in another 100 years.

Voices of the Electorate

Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.
-- Thomas Jefferson

Our vote is our voice. Seven years after the Florida election debacle and more than five years since President Bush signed into law the Help America Vote Act, Electionline.org reports:

But the public's lingering concerns over electronic voting, partisan disputes over voter ID and other issues continue to plague America's election system.

For more than 30 years, the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation has fought to ensure our voices are heard in the democratic process. On Wednesday, it will hold its 6th annual Voices of the Electorate Democracy Symposium, "Engaging Minorities and New Americans in the Democracy Reform Movement and the 2008 Election Cycle."

The symposium will feature opening remarks by Melanie Campbell, the National Coalition's CEO and Executive Director. Rep. Artur Davis will update election reform and voting rights legislation in the 110th Congress.

I will moderate a roundtable discussion on the changing face of American democracy and strategies for increasing minorities' and new American citizens' civic engagement.

The symposium will be held tomorrow from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at the U.S. Capitol in Room HC-7. The event is free and open to the public but reservations are required.

To reserve a seat, send an email to Kevin Parker or call 202/659-4929.

A live webcast of the symposium will be available here, starting at 10:00 am ET.

Driver's Ed

New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer reportedly is wising up to the reality that his reckless plan to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants has run out of gas.

Spitzer’s reported lane change comes in the wake of overwhelming opposition in the polls and from pols.  And yes, Lou Dobbs is gloating:

It’s good the Governor (“Prince Elliot”) is listening. Now he just needs to listen a little more.

In the coming months, Congressional Republicans will relish their role as backseat drivers as they try to force up-or-down votes on licenses for illegals. Already, Republicans have introduced resolutions in the House and Senate.

This week, Rep. Peter King is expected to drop a bill that will likely bring Spitzer’s idiotic plan to a screeching halt.

American Voters in Driver's Seat

Save it. That's the subtext to the SAVE (Secure America through Verification and Enforcement) Act introduced by a bipartisan group of House members yesterday. The cosponsors include Congressional Black Caucus members, Reps. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. and Artur Davis.

Unlike the "grand bargainers" who tried to ram amnesty through the Senate, the cosponsors of the SAVE Act have listened to the American people, who through their calls, emails and faxes have sent a clear message: Secure the borders. Now!

Rep. Brian Bilbray, chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus, said:

The issue of illegal immigration is one that elicits a lot of emotion and debate both in Congress and throughout the country. Congress has a responsibility to take action and respect the mandate given by the American people to enforce our laws, secure our borders and address illegal employment. The SAVE Act is the best chance this Congress will have to move the ball forward on illegal immigration.

A new poll found 77 percent oppose giving illegal immigrants a driver’s license. Opponents include 75 percent of independents, 68 percent of Democrats and 71 percent of blacks.

Americans know it makes no sense to give "undocumented workers" a nationally recognized legal document. Rep. Davis said:

Most people in this country get that a driver's license is a form of legal status. You might as well be a legal citizen if you can get a driver's license.

And former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge told the New York Post:

Granting to people who could sneak across the border the most common means of identification used around the country to get on airplanes, to get bank accounts, to purchase guns, I think is a mistake.

Given the intensity of the opposition to licenses for illegals, voters are not likely to ride along with a presidential candidate who thinks national security should turn on the whim of an individual governor.

DREAM Act Defeated (Again)

For the fifth time, the Senate has rejected the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, the DREAM Act, which would grant amnesty to more than one million "children."

In the parallel universe of amnesty supporters, 29-year-old illegal aliens are minors. Indeed, some of Sen. Richard Durbin's "kids" may have kids of their own.

Sen. Jeff Sessions has his finger on the pulse of America:

I am pleased that the Senate today opposed moving to consideration of the DREAM Act, an unprincipled piece of legislation that would have sent the message to the world that, despite all we may say or do, the United States is not serious about creating a lawful system of immigration.

I was disappointed that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tried to bring this bill up again, before we have made any real progress towards establishing a lawful system.

The DREAM Act would have made 1.3 million illegal aliens and 1.8 million family members eligible for full citizenship. The last thing we should do if we want to curtail illegal immigration is to give financial benefits such as in-state tuition, subsidized loans, and access to work study programs to those who entered illegally. I do not believe that we should reward illegal activity with every right and benefit of American citizenship. We ought not fall into the trap of focusing on the individual needs and wants of people here illegally, but rather we should focus on the long term interests of our country by committing ourselves to restoring the rule of law to our immigration system. 

If Democrats keep mucking around with amnesty for illegal immigrants (here and here), Republicans may just snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in next year's elections.

Jena 6: Race and Juvenile Injustice

The House Judiciary Committee's hearing on Jena 6 marks a turning point in the federal government's response to hate crimes and race-related school violence. The witnesses included:

• Richard Cohen, president and CEO, Southern Poverty Law Center
• Rev. Brian Moran, pastor, Jena Antioch Baptist Church, and president, NAACP Jena Chapter
• Charles J. Ogletree Jr., executive director, Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School
• Rev. Al Sharpton, president, National Action Network
• Donald Washington, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana

The hearing was a study in contrasts. On one side, Democrats, led by Chairman John Conyers Jr., voiced outrage at the double standard of juvenile justice and the Justice Department's cavalier response to allegations of hate crimes.

The other side was largely no-shows. A few Republicans showed up long enough to express their concern for Justin Barker, the white teen whose beating led to the arrest of the Jena 6.

It's important to note that no one condones the beatdown. Instead, the issue is the "two-tier justice system." The black teens were "dramatically overcharged" – attempted second degree murder – for a school fight that should have been handled by the school system.

Rep. Dan Lungren asserted a relationship between "family structure" and juvenile delinquency. Lungren used "single parent family" as a proxy for race.

Prof. Ogletree flatly rejected Lungren's claim:

It's not the structure of the family. It's the structure of the criminal justice system. It's too easy to say "family structure" is the cause and consequence of the problem. It's bigger than that. You must also look at disparities in punishment and charges.

Later on National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation, Ogletree said:

A noose is a hate crime. The government chose not to prosecute them…That's what makes people so upset. Why is it that one set of conduct which violates the law was prosecuted. And another set was handled within the school system. It's a disparity. It's based on race and it's hard to justify under these circumstances.

To read the witnesses' prepared testimony, click here.

DREAM On

Sen. Richard Durbin should wake up and smell the coffee. Americans won't accept amnesty whether it's served super-sized or bite-sized.

Durbin was forced to pull his DREAM Act, amnesty for young illegal immigrants, from the Department of Defense authorization bill. Though Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promises a vote on this nightmare legislation mañana, amnesty supporters can dream on.

As outlined in a comment in the Immigration Daily, the DREAM Act was just the beginning:

DREAM may become reality soon. After the CIR [comprehensive immigration reform] debacle, no one thought serious immigration benefits legislation had any chance in 2007. It appears that we might be in for a very pleasant surprise… Here's why everyone who wants immigration benefits, of whatever kind, should care about DREAM. If DREAM succeeds on the Senate floor, there is a whole slew of benefit bills lined up right behind it – SKIL, AgJOBS, you name it. We believe that once the benefits dam breaks in Congress, a flood of benefits will follow (emphasis added). Our best read of the House at this time is that the House Democratic leadership will permit a vote on any immigration benefits to come from the Senate, and we believe that there are plenty of votes on the House floor for targeted benefits like DREAM, SKIL and AgJOBS, etc. That is why DREAM is worth pushing for, even apart from its intrinsic merit, since a veritable cornucopia of benefits may well result in the wake of its success.

In the wake of its failure, Josh Bernstein, federal policy director for the National Immigration Law Center, told the Associated Press:

The politics is right and the commitment is there. We're not giving up.

Hey Josh, neither are we.