Sometimes you have to scratch your head and ask, "WTF?"
Why would New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, the state's former top prosecutor, propose to hand out driver's licenses to illegal aliens so that they can "lead a normal life?"
Last week, Spitzer unilaterally announced the Department of Motor Vehicles will issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens. While he notes "up to 1 million undocumented immigrants live in New York," there's nothing to prevent illegal aliens living in, say, the 49 other states from claiming residency in New York. Talk about a New York state of mind.
By virtue of their illegal status, their true identity is unknown and unknowable. Yet, DMV clerks are supposed to verify the validity of passports, foreign birth certificates and other foreign documents.
Spitzer dismisses opposition to his proposal as partisan. Never mind that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, has raised concerns. Ditto Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand and former NYC mayor Ed Koch. All Democrats.
Tellingly, Democratic Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer have avoided taking a stand.
In a speech at Fordham University, Spitzer said:
We don't have the luxury of ignoring reality. We can't ignore the reality that when hundreds of thousands of people don't have a driver’s license, it puts everyone in danger. We can't ignore the reality that when hundreds of thousands of people live in the shadows, it makes the public less safe and law enforcement's job much harder. And finally, we can't ignore the reality that when hundreds of thousands of people don't have a driver's license, they suffer and we as a society suffer.
Spitzer is losing his grasp on reality. Illegals are not "in the shadows." They're hiding in plain sight of fed-up Americans. As for their “suffering,” please. Illegals have no legal right to be in the country, no legal right to work, no legal right to drive. They have the right to go home.
A new Zogby poll found 58 percent of likely New York State voters oppose giving licenses to illegals. In New York City, 52 percent want to put the brakes on this wrong-turn in upholding the rule of law.
New Yorkers will give Spitzer a reality check when they realize his licensing scheme will render their driver's license unacceptable to board airplanes or enter federal buildings once the REAL ID Act is implemented.
Passed in 2005 with the support of Clinton and Schumer, the REAL ID Act sets national standards for driver's licenses, including proof of a Social Security number and verification of an applicant's lawful presence in the U.S.
New York Assembly Republican Leader James Tedisco wants the governor to get real. Tedisco convened a public hearing on Spitzer's "wrong, misguided, dangerous, reckless" proposal. Tedisco said:
We're not only dealing with an illegal alien problem, we're dealing with an illegal Eliot problem.
Then-Attorney General Spitzer fancied himself the "Sheriff of Wall Street." He regularly rolled over financial miscreants. But earlier this year, the self-styled "steamroller" got rolled by 78-year-old Senate Republican Leader Joseph Bruno.
Spitzer is cruising for another bruising.
