Feinstein Calls Illegals Good 'Citizens', Lou Lets Loose

Today Show/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

by Mark Finkelstein

March 28, 2006

In all its cacophony and moments of absurdity, this morning's Today show segment on immigration was a supremely edifying example of the confusion, high emotion and complexity of the immigration debate. Matters reached their Alice-in-Wonderland apotheosis when Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California was shown in a Senate committee arguing that illegal immigrants are good . . . 'citizens.' Said Feinstein:

"They pay taxes, their children are Americans, they go to schools, they're good citizens and they're needed."

This was in line with the fait accompli argument advanced by La Raza representative Janet Murguia. She referred to what she estimated as the 11-12 million illegal aliens in the country as "people are working in backbreaking work that nobody else wants to do in this country. We need to . . . understand that they are already part of this country."

[N. Beaujon]

Excellent reporting, Mark, as usual. Sometimes I wish I didnt know.

[Nathan Zachary]

The problem is, you don't understand what free trade is. It brings revenue IN to the country, by making the raw materials WE use cheaper to import. It also makes our exports cheaper, they can't put levee's on them either. It works both ways.

It's protectionism that doesn't work. If you think we should be able to put levee on foriegn products, but be able to send our stuff everywhere without the same retaliation, you are living in dreamland. Getting foriegn levees removed from American products is what free trade agrements acomplish. It's up to American businesses to be competitive. You can't protect poorly managed businesses with levee's to protect union jobs.

The 'cheap labor' excuse doesn't wash either. We do have temporary levee to allow Businesses to upgrade and automate. If the unions block this time period- to damn bad.
Free trade has created much more wealth in this country.

[P-40]

Not all those who hire illegals are doing it just to make an extra buck.

That is certainly true of the construction trades. If you can't get companies that hire illegals busted...then your bank account will be bust if you don't hire illegals.

[maggief]

Wrong parade.

[Publius6961]

Alice-in-Wonderland apotheosis when Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California was shown in a Senate committee arguing that illegal immigrants are good . . . 'citizens.' Said Feinstein: "They pay taxes, their children are Americans, they go to schools, they're good citizens and they're needed." This was in line with the fait accompli argument advanced by La Raza representative Janet Murguia. She referred to what she estimated as the 11-12 million illegal aliens in the country as "people are working in backbreaking work that nobody else wants to do in this country. We need to . . . understand that they are already part of this country."

Only in your sick mind, lady.
This is the same crap Medved and Hewett keep hammering us with daily. "There are too many of them". "If it was a crime initially, they have gotten away with it for so long that it is no longer a crime" (!).
There is no morality that trumps reality!: Hewitt.

We are in the Twilight zone.
Treason and sedition no longer exist. Breaking the immigration laws is no longer a crime. Anchor babies are a good thing. Overloading the welfare and school systems is harmless."

Excuse me?
Repeal the damned laws, then, and see where the next election finds you!

[bella1]

I agree. If I have to watch CNN then so be it.

[blueberry12]

Mexicans are hard-working people who make lots of money in this country just like the Chinese. The Chinese keep together and work very hard. What about black people? They sit on their porch all day smoking something.

There's a rule which will eventually turn things around:

"The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labor." (Proverbs 12:24)

Eventually, Chinese, Mexicans, and the Arabs are going to rule America. It is just a matter of time before people start realizing this...

[ohioman]

"Look, you have a problem.

The real enemy is not Mexico. It's the muslim religion. The Mexicans didn't cause 9/11. The muslims did it. You seem to have something mixed up. The Mexicans are simple hard-working people who just want to have a life."

The real enemy is folks like you. A country can only survive a growing 5th column for so long.

[P-40]

The real enemy is not Mexico

I don't think many would say Mexico is an enemy. It is just a country with a very screwed up political and economic system that relies in part on mooching off a neighbor for its existence, or rather the existence of the monied class...which is a small class indeed; you could say they'd ride the short bus.

[maggief]

[adam_az]

FANTASTIC POST, this one makes it to my freep homepage!

[arasina]

"They pay taxes, their children are Americans, they go to schools, they're good citizens and they're needed."

Well, well. Senator Feinstein agrees with President Bush.

[P-40]

"They pay taxes, their children are Americans, they go to schools

The 911 hijackers paid taxes...and some of them even went to schools...flight schools.

[brownsfan]

"Free trade has created much more wealth in this country."

Free trade has led to offshore outsourcing, which has the net effect of lowering the standard of living. You want to tell me that's a good thing? For who?

Tarriffs do work. Hondas, Toyotas and Hyundais are manufactured in this country. Why? Because it's fun? Because the Japanese felt sorry for Americans? No, because it was more cost effective to avoid import tarriffs by manufacturing the vehicles here. Now, as far as I know, those Japanese factories employ Americans, and pay in dollars. And the Japanese companies seem to have not suffered any loss in quality or sales.

[brownsfan]

"Not all those who hire illegals are doing it just to make an extra buck. Many are doing it just to survive in business."

I understand, and that takes it into the what comes first the chicken or the egg scenario. Someone had to START using illegals. And the motive? Greed, or poor business skills and using a shortcut to survive.

If illegals are illegal, (what a concept), then things begin to tip the other way. Put in place fines to businesses using illegals and you begin a risk/reward evaluation for the practice of using illegals.

If you're on drugs, (illegals), and drugs are bad for you, you have two choices... continue to use them, and accept the result, or kick the habit. I say we should kick the habit.

I welcome legal immigrants. Illegals are criminals by definition.

[Publius6961]

Another scary thread...

Nation building-by-demostration and shouting very loudly.

I still do not want the ultimate corrupt Mexican culture to take over my country.

Legal immigrants are welcome.
Illegal ones are not.

It's not racket science!

[RoseofTexas]

Because the pubs didn't act before this madness on immigration, the RATS, unfortunately are setting pretty good here...It's a win, win situation for them either way you slice it! This is only the beginning of what the DIRTY rats have in store! Watch for the ACLU and the rest of the liberal whores to get grinding! It ain't gonna be pretty site! By our senators losing nerve, the RATS have just been embolden!

[arasina]

FANTASTIC POST, this one makes it to my freep homepage!

You may want to give credit to the actual source (Mac Johnson, HumanEventsOnline)instead of the FReeper who posted a portion of it without doing so (robowombat). :o)

It's Not Xenophobia, It's Xenonausea

[trubluolyguy]

Lou Dobbs. Great day.

[Nathan Zachary]

We have a system for legal immigration in this country. Those that by-pass it are breaking the law, undermining already low paid legal immigrants. They pay little if any tax as it is. The illegals pay none at all, yet tax our school system, tax our welfare system, tax our hospital system, and as others point out companies hire them so they don't have to pay things like standard wages, compensation premiums, UIC premiums and other business taxes.

Legal immigrants move onward and generally upward as legal citizens, and certainly their children do. The Illegals undermine their efforts, and cause many of them to end up on welfare as well.

The border should be better guarded, and illegals rounded up and booted out, regardless of the cost. It will still be cheaper than supporting them. As for them eventually taking over the country, hardly. they do not work any harder than anyone else if they have the same rights. They only reason they do as illegals work harder is because of the crappy pay. They need to survive.