Posted on 11/27/2006 5:55:59 PM PST by NormsRevenge
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Sen. Joe Biden, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's incoming chairman, wants to get tough with Mexico, calling it an "erstwhile democracy" with a "corrupt system" responsible for illegal immigration and drug problems in the U.S.
Biden, D-Del., was in Columbia on Monday in his first postelection trip to this first-in-the-South presidential primary state as he continues to line up support for his presidential bid.
During a question-and-answer session before more than 230 Columbia Rotary Club members, Biden was asked about immigration problems.
Biden, who favors tightening the U.S.-Mexico border with fences, said immigration is driven by money in low-wage Mexico.
"Mexico is a country that is an erstwhile democracy where they have the greatest disparity of wealth," Biden said. "It is one of the wealthiest countries in the hemisphere and because of a corrupt system that exists in Mexico, there is the 1 percent of the population at the top, a very small middle class and the rest is abject poverty."
Unless the political dynamics change in Mexico and U.S. employers who hire illegal immigrants are punished, illegal immigration won't stop. "All the rest is window dressing," he said.
An even bigger problem are illegal drugs "coming up through corrupt Mexico," he said. "People are driving across that border with tons, tons — hear me — tons of everything from byproducts for methamphetamines, to cocaine, to heroine."
Covering a variety of topics, Biden kept most of the crowd in their seats for an hour — twice as long as scheduled.
"I warn all of you, all of you making more than a million bucks — I hope you all are — I'm taking away your tax cut," Biden said. "I'm not joking."
The extra revenue would generate $75 billion a year and pay for a backlog in national security and local law enforcement programs, Biden said.
Biden's appeal for bipartisanship captured Bruce Rippeteau, a former Rotary president who says he's in the Genghis Khan wing of the Republican Party.
He "was saying some important things in a nonpolitical way," Rippeteau said.
"I want to compliment him about what he didn't say," Wilson said. "He never one time mentioned weapons of mass destruction."
Biden will lead the Foreign Relations panel because Republicans around the nation lost seats in the Nov. 7 elections. That tide didn't reach Republican-dominated South Carolina, where the GOP maintained its four U.S. House seats and Democrats kept their two.
Democratic presidential hopeful Sen., Joe Biden, center, D-Mass., gets advise from New Hampshire state Sen. Sylvia Larson in this July 22, 2006, file photo. Presidential hopefuls are setting the ground game seeking political activist to help them win the nation's first presidential primary and boost their political campaign. . (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File)
This is a surprise.
Doesn't sound like the "comprehensive" plan is on the table any more..
Yeah! Keep the women down! No female role models smuggled into the US, you sexist ba$tard!
/h
You've never said anything intentionally funny in your life, Joe.
Biden is from Deleware, not Taxachusetts
Man... it's almost like they're trying to woo the conservative vote.
;->
You know what? Between illegals and a bit of a tax increase, I'll take the tax increase. It can always be cancelled later and the illegals are much more damaging in both the short and he long run
The border is rapidly becoming my #1 issue.
No kidding. What's in the water he's been drinking?
For those of you keeping score at home, "Mass." is the abbreviation for "Delaware", and "advise" is the AP word for "advice".
Even a broken watch is right twice a day. Reid is now going to make him stay after school as punishment.
Shocking. A Democrat making good sense. Yes, Mexico is at fault here, for having a crony economy and refusing to reform. It is more convenient to the ruling elite to send millions of your poorest workers over the border rather than actually do the hard work of finding them jobs.
Somehow, I doubt that the choice is really that simple.
I'm sure it's the AP dumba$$ that typed it wrong.
Mark this date, everyone, as it's surely the first time in years that a Democrat has blamed any country but the U.S. (and maybe Israel) for anything.
No KIDDING that he's posturing himself for a run at the White House.
Well said!!!!!!!!!
The word priorities comes to mind.
The border impacts national security and the economy in a big way. And, as I said, any tax inceases can be eliminated in 4 years.
All joking about Biden aside, I'm sincerely curious as to what Biden meant by calling Mexico an "erstwhile" democracy. Erstwhile of course means "former." Surely Biden doesn't think that Mexico was ever a democracy. For that matter, as corrupt as it is now, it is at least marginally more democratic today than it was 20 years ago, when the PRI ruled as a one-party dictatorship. Elections might be deeply corrupt, but at least there is some semblance of a multi-party system.
So, to repeat, what do people think Biden had in mind in calling Mexico an "erstwhile" democracy? Might he think erstwhile means "supposed," perhaps?
If it postures like a buffoon and bellows like a buffoon, and there are many air plugs between it's ears..
it's still a BUFFOON.
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