Heritage official resigns amid controversy

Associated Press ^ | May 10, 2013 | ERICA WERNER

[reaganaut1]

A co-author of a disputed Heritage Foundation report on a new immigration bill has resigned amid controversy over claims he made about immigrants having low IQs. A spokesman for the conservative think tank confirmed Jason Richwine's resignation Friday without offering details.

Richwine was one of two authors of a report released Monday that said immigration legislation pending in the Senate would cost $6.3 trillion over 50 years as immigrants consumed federal benefits without making up for it in taxes. The report quickly came under attack as critics from the left and right said it didn't account for economic benefits from immigration.

Attention turned to Richwine when his 2009 Ph.D. dissertation from Harvard University came to light in which he asserted that: "The average IQ of immigrants in the United States is substantially lower than that of the white native population, and the difference is likely to persist over several generations." He argued that the result is low socioeconomic assimilation and other problems and argued that allowing in immigrants with high IQs would help solve the problems.

Richwine's comments got attention from immigrant activist groups, on left-leaning blogs and elsewhere, and helped muddy Heritage's attempt to refocus the immigration debate on what it says are unsustainable costs from the new legislation.

[rebooted]

To me, the Heritage Foundation just moved to the Dark Side. So many in Washington show no backbone or principle. How quickly this organization distanced itself. De Mint not looking like a strong leader of integrity. How many more will leave when they see how their boss throws his employees under the bus.

[jimjohn]

I agree completely. Its the number two thing that bothers me the most about our side. We don’t defend our own when under attack. Why should we expect anyone to stand on priciple, when fellow soliders run for the tall grass after the first shots are fired.

Oh, the number one thing? When conservatives refer to any media they disagree with as “mainstream media”

[Digger]

The truth runs up against political correctness and Truth loses. Welcome to the USSA.

What a bunch of wimps. Yes we sure are the old USSR.

[Plain Old American]

2009 Ph.D. dissertation comments - did he get his Doctorate or did he have to rewrite?

[LSAggie]

I think it was a case of resign or be fired.

So what? As much noise is this is making, it wouldn't have mattered if they had fired him. Everyone knows he was shown the door.

I was given that choice, and I took Door Number 2. I was hurt and humiliated for number of years, but, the way the organization has devolved, I now consider it a badge of honor. Sad to see The Heritage Foundation going in the same direction.

[ilovesarah2012]

All immigrants? I work at a nursing home and today the administrator had several doctors in for lunch. Two appeared to be Indian and one maybe Chinese, and one I’m not sure, but none were “American”. The future of medicine in America. I doubt they have low IQs.

[EDINVA]

I wouldn’t be surprised if he did choose to leave on his own. If he is principled and believes what he’s written (which I’m sure he does) he also realizes that the controversy is nothing but a distraction to benefit the left and he wouldn’t want to be part of that distraction any more than he already is.

[YouGoTexasGirl]

Exactly...and I just rejoined!!!

We’re falling for everything!

[EDINVA]

This excerpt from the posted article should answer your question:

“’The average IQ of immigrants in the United States is substantially lower than that of the white native population, ... .’ He argued that ... allowing in immigrants with high IQs would help solve the problems.”

[SeminoleCounty]

Does anyone in the GOP have a backbone

Whether he left on his own, or was pushed out...it just helps the Hispanic Ku Klux Klan and like groups pass Illegal Alien Amnesty

And they can kiss my underside if they don’t like the term Hispanic Ku Klux Klan

[leaning conservative]

Bingo! You win!

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Mmm, yes, but there are ways of telling it that can be twisted and used against you, and ways of telling it that cut off the knees of the enemy.

Well, why aren't you doing it then?

Evidently you could save us if you tried.

[PieterCasparzen]

Richwine’s thesis was written well before he joined Heritage. If they thought it would be a liability, they should not have hired him in the first place.

Very important point...

[vox_freedom]

Is the assertion about immigrants having lower IQs factually incorrect, or do people just not want to hear it because it’s politically incorrect?

That is the question, isn't it?

[kabumpo]

I am not an employee of the Heritage Foundation, which is their loss. They tend to hire starchy Ivy Leaguers.

[Timber Rattler]

So DeMint threw Richwine under the bus?

[SharpRightTurn]

Truth and politics do not mix.

Richwine spoke an “inconvenient truth”, therefore he must pay the penalty.

[Zhang Fei]

Liberals like to talk about speaking truth to power. Richwine’s defenestration was an example of the establishment’s speaking power to truth.

[SunkenCiv]

.

...amid controversy over claims he made about immigrants having low IQs.

• ---

  Latinos, should be a natural constituency for the party, Paul argued, but "Republicans have pushed them away with harsh rhetoric over immigration." ...he would create a bipartisan panel to determine how many visas should be granted for workers already in the United States and those who might follow... [and the buried lead] "Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers... [Rand Paul calls on conservatives to embrace immigration reform]

  ---

• ...by softening its edge on some volatile social issues and altering its image as the party always seemingly "eager to go to war... We do need to expand the party and grow the party and that does mean that we don't always all agree on every issue" ... the party needs to become more welcoming to individuals who disagree with basic Republican doctrine on emotional social issues such as gay marriage... "We're going to have to be a little hands off on some of these issues ... and get people into the party," Paul said. [Rand Paul: Time for GOP to soften war stance]

• ---

  One day after announcing on his radio show that he is "truly considering" running in 2014 for the U.S. Senate seat now held by New Jersey's Frank Lautenberg, Rivera amped up his message today in a television interview and a column on the Fox News Latino website... a moderate Republican who is fiscally conservative but also supports gay marriage and Roe v. Wade... [Geraldo Rivera declares himself a 'moderate Republican' as he eyes U.S. Senate run]

  ---

[RginTN]

I wouldn’t be surprised if he did choose to leave on his own. If he is principled and believes what he’s written (which I’m sure he does) he also realizes that the controversy is nothing but a distraction to benefit the left and he wouldn’t want to be part of that distraction any more than he already is.

With that logic, Heritage might as well give up as the Amnesty forces demonizes anyone who disagrees with them. Sen Lindsay Graham made a promise to La Raza to "shut those bigots up" and bigots are anyone who oppose amnesty.