Dean Calls Proposed Immigration Bill 'Insane'

[madfloridian]

He'd better put on his armored suit, don't you think? Gonna flip heads again.

http://www.local10.com/news/13234485/detail.html

MIAMI -- One-time presidential candidate and national Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean called the immigration bill currently before Congress "insane" because it would require many of the nation's 12 million illegal immigrants to return home before applying for citizenship.

Dean, speaking to a group of more than 100 party supporters at a luncheon at Miami's Parrot Jungle Island on Tuesday, criticized the proposal as unworkable.

This is a government that can't find a 6-foot-4 terrorist. How is it going to find 12 million people?" Dean said. "And if all those individuals decided to go home on their own, imagine what will happen to our economy?"


Howard Dean speaks to Democrats at a luncheon in Miami.

Lou Dobbs is going to have a conniption fit.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Lou will soil his sheets. And, I don't mean the ones on his bed.

[madfloridian]

2. I heard the woman anchor on CNN say that Dobbs view is not the station's view.

I don't guess there will be a transcript. She was talking to another woman about immigration, and she said something about Dobbs and his not speaking for CNN on the issue.

It was interesting. Would like to get the exact words.

[madfloridian]

3. More about it from a blogger there.

Howard Dean wows Miami Dems

Who would have thought that Tuesday noon was a great time to draw Democrats out of their dens? Just bring Howard Dean to Miami, announce a $20 lunch on Tuesday May 1 to meet him, and presto – 200 people turn out to clap and yell.

....."Gov. Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, told the crowd he’d come to Miami partly to draw Cuban-Americans back home to the Democratic Party, though his main message was related to the day’s demonstrations for comprehensive immigration reform.

Republicans scapegoat immigrants and blame them for all sorts of problems, he said, while the Democratic program stresses secure borders and enforcing the law. It’s impossible to round up 12 million people, he said, so Democrats favor giving honest immigrants a chance to get in line, pay a fine and earn citizenship – the kind of deal that 78 percent of Americans back in polls. Law-breakers would be deported.

“It’s not amnesty,” he said, but rather “earned legalization.”

[madfloridian]

4. Statement from the DNC about Bush's plan.

I am glad someone is speaking out on this issue. I have seen such changes in attitude since Lou Dobbs mission against immigrants began. He has taken an issue about real people and turned it into something ugly and fearful.

I am glad Gov. Dean has the courage to speak out on this.

http://www.dnc.org/a/2007/05/dean_democrats_5.php

"As people march and rally in support of comprehensive immigration reform around the country today, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean voiced Democrats’ strong support for comprehensive immigration reform. While Democrats are working for tough and smart reform, Republicans are only offering more of the same failed leadership, including the GOP presidential candidates who according to the New York Times are “falling over themselves to convince voters where they stand is not where they stood” as they pander to the right-wing of their Party.

Mitt Romney’s “contortions” include calling the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill “sensible” and then “dissing it as amnesty in this year’s campaign.” Rudolph Giuliani has “sharply changed his tone.” And once a champion for documenting undocumented workers and providing them a path to citizenship as the author of the McCain-Kennedy bill, McCain has turned his back on reform in an effort to please conservatives on the campaign trail.

“Democrats strongly support tough, smart and practical reform, but Republicans, including the presidential candidates, continue to play politics with this important issue,” said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. “America needs comprehensive immigration reform that strengthens our borders, protects U.S. workers and their wages, and allows immigrants who pay taxes and obey the law to earn the opportunity to apply for the responsibilities of citizenship. President Bush and Republicans should abandon their plan to call for self-deportation and work in a bipartisan manner with Democrats towards a workable and practical solution. The American people expect nothing less.”

[Manifestor_of_Light]

5. And there are idiots who want to repeal part of the 14th amendment.

The part about everyone who is born in the US is a citizen, and they want to get rid of the anchor babies (wonder how many generations back they're talking about? All the way to 1607?). Grrr......

On mom's side, the parents of her ancestral anchor baby were here in 1756.

On dad's side, one of them came over after 1853.

[Thothmes]

6. 14th Amendment

They can only go back as far as July 9, 1868. Any further and they run into ex post facto problems.