Transcript: Tom McClintock Debates Gil Cedillo, author of illegal licenses bill

CNN Lou Dobbs Tonight ^ | 12/15/2003 | Tom McClintock/Gil Cedillo

[go_tom]

McClintock hit this one out of the ballpark.

[gubamyster]

ping

[Andyman]

The nation's poorest borders . . .

Perchance it should be porous?

[go_tom]

Yeah. I guess CNN's computer transcribers haven't learned the difference between porous and poorest. What do you expect from CNN.

[Sabertooth]

DOBBS: Senator Cedillo, this law has been overturned. What is the next step? Is there a deal in the works between you and your supporters and Governor Schwarzenegger?

STATE SEN. GIL CEDILLO (D), CALIFORNIA: Yes. We're working very constructively with the governor, looking forward to craft a bill that will ensure that we have safe highways for all of California.

Oh.

Governor Schwarzeneggar and company say there's no deal.

If, however, the Governor is "working very constructively" with Cedillo and the Illegal Alien CDL lobby "to craft a bill that will ensure that we have safe highways for all of California," what's the difference?

[whinecountry]

Saw this last night. Funny to watch Cedillo, who seemed oblivious to the fact that Tom clocked him.

[skeeter]

I'm glad there's at least one politician in this state to offer the morally correct argument in this debate. Thanks, Tom.

[Prime Choice]

MCCLINTOCK: Well, with all due respect, that's a specious argument. California already accepts a valid foreign driver's license as proof of competence to operate a motor vehicle in California. So this is not a safety issue.

It's not an insurance issue either. A foreign national can obtain insurance in their own country with extend coverage into the United States.

There's one purpose of this measure and only one purpose. It's to place valid state identification documents in the hands of illegal immigrants. And the only reason for doing that is to undermine the enforcement of our immigration laws.

*WHACK* And it's goinggg...goinggggg....GONE! He knocked that one right outta the ballpark, Marv! (And the crowd is on its feet! *yahhhhhhhh!*)

[gaspar]

I believe there was a recent post on FR which used quotes from a speech that Cedillo gave in Spanish to a group of his supporters. Instead of being interested in compromise with Arnold he promised a fight to the death over the drivers license issue and other issues important to illegal immigrants.

[gubamyster]

MCCLINTOCK: I don't understand how that's going to work. You're going to do a background check on people. The background check's going to determine one of two things. Either they're here in the country legally, in which case they don't need this bill; they're already entitled to a driver's license, or they're in this country illegally and the law requires they be deported.

I don't see how you compromise on that issue.

That about sums it up.

[Sabertooth]

MCCLINTOCK: You talk about compliance with our laws. Illegal immigrants are here in direct defiance of the most fundamental of our laws, our immigration laws.

The United States has the most open immigration policy of any nation in the world. There are millions of people who are waiting in line to legally become American citizens and are willing to abide by our immigration laws to do so.

Illegal immigration is the process of people cutting in front of these folks in line. I don't believe that kind of behavior should be rewarded. And when you talk about people who ought to comply with our laws, you're talking about people who are deliberately violating our laws to be here in the first place.

CEDILLO: I understand that, Senator. But you also -- and that's probably an argument you're going to have to take up with the head of homeland security, Mr. Ridge, who has argued that perhaps there is eight to 12 million people we should legalize.

Who does Ridge work for?

[Sabertooth]

DOBBS: Gentlemen -- Gentlemen, if I may just interject with one thing. Seventy percent of the people of California, gentlemen, in the most recent polls, just about 70 percent, almost 70 percent, said they don't want this, period. Driver's licenses for illegal aliens.

How do you respond to them? And it was one of the principle issues in Governor Schwarzenegger's campaign. How do you respond to them?

CEDILLO: Well, we respond to them like we did, Lou, is we went -- And I personally was one of the co-authors of the recall in a bipartisan effort, working with the governor, we repealed SB-60. I was the author of that bill and worked with on it for five years.

We've listened to the people. We've listened to what their concerns are. And with the governor, and I imagine in a bipartisan manner, we are going to propose new legislation that will address the concerns that were raised during the debates and during the floor debates and come back with legislation shortly in January that will address those concerns. And also address the concerns of 22 million motorists to make sure that our highways are safe and secure.

It's too bad Governor Schwarzenegger won't put this to rest.

[spodefly]

If California was not already completely infested with idiots, this would have been an interview with Sen. Cedillo and GOVERNOR McClintock ... but I digress.

[elbucko]

..."to make sure that our highways are safe and secure."

Gil Cedillo is a good little socialist. He repeated this lie five different times during this interview in order for it to be perceived as truth. However..

McClintock nails the real reason for Cedillo's position:"By giving these licenses to people who are in this country illegally, you have just destroyed the value of the driver's license as authentic proof of legal residency for every one of the millions of California drivers who currently hold one."

And, I might add, the next step will be for illegal immigrants to vote (for Democrats) in state elections. Habla Espanol?

[ought-six]

Cedillo is a La Raza enabler of the worst sort. He would be dead set against giving illegals driver's licenses if the illegals were from Southeast Asia. Cedillo's proposal is all for Mexicans, pure and simple. His allegiance is to Mexicans, not to Americans.

[elbucko]

..and GOVERNOR McClintock ... but I digress.

That's OK. So do I.

[mvpel]

I can tell he took Cedillo out behind the woodshed on this one just from reading the transcript, which is not always the case in discussions like this. I'm glad I voted for that man, it's a shame he's not now California's governor.

[elbucko]

..His allegiance is to Mexicans, not to Americans.

It's worse than that. All of the Hispanic Democratic politicians in California are Marxists. Richard Alarcon's sister is the head of the CA Communist Party. These guy's aren't just harmless, "Tio Pepe's", they're Pancho Villa's with Mao's, "Little Red Book".

[Weimdog]

What would "Governor McClintock" have done differently than Governor Schwarzenegger?

SB60 is gone, it's dead.

[Pa' fuera]

It's too bad Governor Schwarzenegger won't put this to rest.

he can't be trusted on this issue. The fact that he was able to get Cedillo to vote to repeal his own bill shows that he made certain promises to him and the cadre of Mexican legislators. Schwarzenneger says he heard the people, but he didn't, really. We're going to have to tell him again.