Protests provide boost to Democrats

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | April 11, 2006 | Charles Hurt

[presidio9]

Democrats on Capitol Hill favoring citizenship for illegal aliens say they have been buoyed by the massive rallies across the country, but opponents of amnesty warn that they will ultimately backfire. The gatherings have given backing to lawmakers who want to give a direct path to citizenship for aliens even though polls show most American voters strongly oppose what many call "amnesty." Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Massachusetts Democrat and a leading backer of such legalization bills, invoked civil rights icon Martin Luther King when he spoke at yesterday's rally on the Mall. "They say you should report to deport," Mr. Kennedy said of conservatives and a growing number of union-backed liberals who oppose granting citizenship to illegals. "I say report to become American citizens." These rallies also have turned into Democratic recruitment centers for reaching new voters. They often feature posters and fliers for Democratic candidates, and many include voter-registration booths. At a press conference last month, House Republicans expressed deep anger at the images of demonstrators waving Mexican flags in the streets of Los Angeles and Houston. "I say if you are here illegally and want to fly the Mexican flag, go to Mexico and wave the American flag," said Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., Virginia Republican. "All these folks who are here illegally know they can protest brazenly," said Rep. Tom Tancredo, Colorado Republican and longtime proponent of stricter immigration controls. "It's really a mockery of our immigration system." Yesterday, Mr. Tancredo said the protests reveal how powerful illegal aliens have become in the U.S. "Today's rallies show how entrenched the illegal alien lobby has become over the last several years," he said. "The iron triangle of illegal employers, foreign governments and groups like La Raza puts tremendous pressure on our elected officials to

[walford]

I oppose illegal immigration and amnesty. I also oppose the unrealistic notion or rounding up 20mm people and sending them home. If we simply increased security at the borders and stiffened the penalties for employing undocumented workers the problem would correct itself and the protestors wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

I concur, but I certainly am in favor of summarily deporting anyone found here illegally. As it is, the constituency for illegal immigration grows as the numbers of illegal aliens grows. This in turn makes it politically more difficult to do even what you advocate -- indeed, it's politically difficult now to deny them taxpayer-funded benes or even driver's licenses.

Unless something nearly impossible happens, Pat Buchanan's prediction that the US becomes a part of the Third World within the next two generations will prove overly modest.

And as I've said in other threads on this subject, this is not a racial issue for me, my mother's maiden name is Maldonado. The flow of immigration must be controlled to allow for assimilation as was the case for mis antepasados.

[jmaroneps37]

They were a "boost" for the rat,eh? Does anyone thing that a single American citizen who was at one of these illegal alien rallies was not already a rat voter?
All over the country the conversations at the water cooler are about this and I'll bet my ash that NONE of these conversations ( except at the dnc and ratmedia shops ) is about surrendering to these swine.

[lone star annie]

Don't forget cut off the benefits for them and their wives and bambinos.

[lone star annie]

Don't forget cut off the benefits for them and their wives and bambinos.

[trebb]

I don't see why they would turn violent unless it would be to someone's benefit if they do. Seems it's usually the cops who cause a situation to turn violent and from what I've seen so far, the cops are keeping a distance. So far - so good.

Yep, nothing like having Law Enforcement types around a huge throng of Law Breakers to cause problems.

Give me a break - rioters cause riots, not the other way around - that's like agreeing with folks that it's our fault that 9-11 happened.

[mlc9852]

I remember the 60s and often times it was the police/national guard who caused violence. But no matter, I am just thankful there have not been any problems with violence with these protests.

[ZULU]

Why not/

If they can register dead Civil War soldiers in cemetaries, why can't they register live illegal aliens?

[trebb]

I was caught in some of the rioting that happened in Rochester, NY during the 60s - it was the rioters then too. They were hell-bent on rioting and looting whether cops were there or not - the cops added to the tension because they were a sign of unwanted authority and an impediment to what the rioters wanted to do.

[mlc9852]

I was in Miami and I think the most problems were caused by the cops. But that was Miami.

[Gator101]

Unions support the suppression of member wages caused by undocumented, unskilled (and non-union) laborers.

You're right, of course. Union leadership has a vested interest in seeing their members under siege and worried. You'd think they would at least make a show of trying to act on their behalf though?

[Tzimisce]

...yeah, we're supposed to pay their F@#KING TAXES while these officials lick up to the non paying lawbreakers.

We should refuse to pay our taxes in mass and see what the Kennedies/Clintons of the world say. I'm guess that 12 million of us refused they'd CALL IN THE TROOPS and make us.

Good to know that I'm a second class citizen to a bunch of non citizens...

[IamConservative]

If we simply increased security at the borders and stiffened the penalties for employing undocumented workers the problem would correct itself and the protestors wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

My thoughts exactly. Economics drives this behavior. Presently, with zero enforcement, there is no risk to breaking the law so the illegal and prospective employer both engage in the illegal activity because THERE IS an economic advantage. Step 1, build a fence. Then increase the risk and decrease the economic advantage of the behavior and the unskilled illegals will self deport.

Both legislative bodies are looking this and trying to create an electoral advantage for themselves, which is quite despicable. However, if the Dems think promoting rallies where illegals wave foreign flags is a winning strategy, I think and hope they are gravely mistaken.

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

Those of us old enough to remember the 1960's remember that the Watts riots, the Detroit riots, and the anti-war demonstrations put a law-and-order candidate in office: his name was Richard Nixon.

I graduated from college 27 Sep 1967, the day Milwaukee was locked down with a 24 hour curfew. It was spooky driving downtown when the only traffic was Nat Guard jeep patrols (they were nice enough to let me through). If I remember right the 24 hr curfew lasted for three days then shifted to nighttime only but during the whole exercise all liquor stores and gas stations were closed. I drove to Racine to buy my "party supplies".

Gotta love the city fathers (Mayor Meier & Chief Brier), they had big hairy ones back then, nothing like the wussy bunch that runs the city now! Detroit and LA burned for days, Milwaukee had one firebomb, when the firemen showed up a guy took a shot at them. That was his last mistake. We had a week of piece and quiet and no problem finding a parking space.

Regards,
GtG

[Milhous]

As Democratic Socialists move on to tout a progressive illegal alien civil rights movement they increasingly alienate their traditional black and union worker constituencies.

Senate’s Upside-Logic Cake

...

This immigrant competition has hit black Americans especially hard. A recent New York Times report pointed out, "In 2000, 65 percent of black male high school dropouts in their 20s were jobless — that is, unable to find work, not seeking it or incarcerated. By 2004, the share had grown to 72 percent, compared with 34 percent of white and 19 percent of Hispanic dropouts."

Old civil-rights groups avoid debate on immigration

...

Yet, many blacks soft-target illegal immigrants for the crisis and loudly claim that they take jobs from unskilled and marginally skilled blacks. Black fury over immigration has cemented an odd alliance between black anti-immigrant activists and GOP conservatives, fringe anti-illegal immigration groups and racially tinged America-first groups.

Guest worker proposals divide America's unions

...

"Guest worker programs are a bad idea and harm all workers," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said in a written statement. "They cast workers into a perennial second-class status."

Sweeney said guest worker programs encourage employers to convert good jobs into temporary ones that exploit foreigners willing to accept low wages and bad working conditions.

[expatguy]

Will America cave into the protesters as Thailand did?

An American Expat in Southeast Asia