Harry Reid's change of heart on immigration reform

Townhall.com ^ | 6 April 2006 | Tim Chapman

[serendipity_kate]

In September of 1993 an ambitious young senator, fresh off his first reelection to that seat, took the Senate floor to discuss a contentious issue: immigration reform. With clarity and purpose the senator took a hard line on the issue. It appeared that no amount of political correctness or external political calculations could sway him.

“In 1986, we granted amnesty--and I voted against that provision in law--we granted amnesty to 3.2 million illegal immigrants,” said the upstart. “After being in this country for 10 years, the average amnesty recipient had a sixth-grade education, earned less than $6 an hour, and presently qualifies for the earned-income tax credit.”

Further disillusioning to this senator were the incentives the nation offered illegal immigrants to break the law. “If making it easy to be an illegal alien is not enough, how about offering a reward for being an illegal immigrant?” he asked. “No sane country would do that, right? Guess again. If you break our laws by entering this country without permission and give birth to a child, we reward that child with U.S. citizenship and guarantee full access to all public and social services this society provides.”

“That is a lot of services,” he pointed out. Frustrated, he could only come to one sad conclusion in a later floor speech, “Under our immigration laws, cheaters tend to prosper.”

Fast forward thirteen years.

That ambitious young senator has now risen to the top post in his party: Senate Democratic Minority Leader. And now the Senate again is debating the immigration issue. But this time, Harry Reid (D-NV) is marching to a different drummer.

[serendipity_kate]

This is a great analysis of then and now. Tim Chapman outlines Harry Reid's statements and holds Reid accountable for this drastic switch from immigration concern to free-for-all.

The only remaining question is--why the change of heart?

[mnehring]

Let's make sure the proper credit is given..

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_040506/content/see_i_told_you_so.guest.html

• But nevertheless, I got an e-mail from a friend who said somebody on the Free Republic website has a great idea. I'm not surprised that a Freeper would have a good idea. What ought to happen is the Republicans in the Senate ought to go get a copy of Harry Reid's release announcing his bill, August 5th of 1993. Go out and get his bill and make it their own, because Harry Reid's bill from August 5th, 1993, is exactly the position that you hear me articulating on this issue all the past week or two. It's identical! Some of the things that Reid -- I'm not going to go through it again because I already spent valuable programming time doing this. You can check with the website later, or you can go to Drudge right now and read it. He still has the link up to, "Flashback: Dem Senator Harry Reid: 'Our federal wallet stretched to limit by illegal aliens getting welfare.'"

[dson7_ck1249]

BUMP

[Vaquero]

Dingy Harry's lovely flip flop.

[dynachrome]

I have emailed copies of Reid's statement to the 'pub leadership asking that they introduce the "Reid" amendments to any immigration reform bill.

[BMC1]

Lying and hypocrisy are the mainstay of the left. They say the Republicans are corrupt. I guess they never look in the mirror.

[tumblindice]

Dems like Reid and Carter must figure if Elton John got to
be a duchess, mebbe the English will give them titles too.
http://snltranscripts.jt.org/79/79tdouchebag.phtml