Posted on 07/20/2005 8:28:43 AM PDT by Happy2BMe
Inquirer Staff Writer
Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean told the National Council of La Raza yesterday that he expected the Republican Party to "scapegoat immigrants" during the 2006 election campaign.
In a speech on the last day of the Hispanic advocacy organization's annual gathering, at the Convention Center, Dean said the GOP had tried to generate resentment against blacks in the 2002 elections through the issue of affirmative action and against gays last year by focusing on marriage.
"In 2006, it's going to be immigration," he said. "You wait and see."
As evidence, Dean cited Rep. Thomas G. Tancredo (R., Colo.), who has called for rounding up illegal immigrants and shipping them back home. He also referred to a bill sponsored by House Judiciary Chairman Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R., Wis.) that would make states verify individuals' immigration status before issuing them driver's licenses.
"I don't think the president is a bigot," Dean told reporters at the Convention Center. "But I wish he'd have the courage to stand up to the bigots in his own party."
Dean's Republican counterpart, Ken Mehlman, followed him to the rostrum and did not respond there. But later, he told reporters that the former Vermont governor's comments were "laughable."
Said Mehlman: "It sounds like a good political sound bite, but it's entirely belied by this president, this administration's record."
Mehlman noted that President Bush has created what the party chairman called "the most diverse administration in history," that Bush got more than 40 percent of the Hispanic vote in 2004, and that the party is striving to get a bigger share in the future.
"Your interests are our interests," he told his Hispanic audience during his speech. "Your cause is our cause."
Last month, when first attacked on the immigration issue by the Democratic chairman, Sensenbrenner called the allegations "outrageous" and Tancredo labeled Dean as being out of the political mainstream.
Mehlman did reply to one of the convention's previous speakers, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D, N.Y.). On Monday, she told the La Raza convention that the Bush administration was not doing enough for Hispanic families.
The Republican chairman pointed out that Bush has raised federal spending on education, a key concern of Hispanics, more than had the previous administration, headed by Clinton's husband.
"I hate seeing things in English AND Spanish and I detest when someone flies a Mexican flag, but what I'm trying to say is that there really isn't a defined line of assimilation, is there?"
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Yes there certainly is. It is called "The United States Border."
I meant to say a defined line that determines whether one is an "assimilated American" or not. As in, what behaviors constitute such?
"Your interests are our interests, "Your cause is our cause."(said Dean's Republican counterpart, Ken Mehlman)
It's a political issue for those who refuse to accept that the United States has merged economically and politically with Mexico.
Especially when the merge was never even been voted on in Congress or legally presented to y the citizens of the United States.
It's about legality and the legitimacy of the United State's government in refusing to confront the crisis head on as requested by the majority of Americans.
"This is disturbing, because, like you, I am against illegal immigration.
* * * *
Bush faces GOP fight over guest workers
* * *
President Bush faces a major rebellion within his own party if he follows through on a promise to push legislation that would offer millions of illegal immigrants a path to U.S. citizenship. Almost no issue divides Republicans as deeply.
May I please ask what your personal impression of LULAC is?
Though I've never had reason to really research LULAC, my first impression is that it's slightly to the right of La Raza, but still too self-segregating and leftist for me. There just aren't many "Hispanic" or "Latino" organizations I believe in, simply because I don't believe in organizations that sort people by ethnicity. That doesn't mean I don't believe in groups that promote some cultural aspects of different nationalities but are open to all nationalities and have nothing to do with members' ethnicities (Celtic music; Hispanic genealogy; Japanese art; Indian weaving; German sausage making). Some FReepers this past weekend did make me aware of a group called LAIR (Latino Americans for Immigration Reform) led by a woman named Lupe Moreno. On first impression, their goals seem to be very similar to the Minutemen. I didn't have a chance to thoroughly research the group this weekend though because I was canning all weekend AND my cat went missing (she's been found).
And I'm very glad you're an American.
Thank you very much.
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