Sen. Scott Brown Lashes Out At Harvard For Supporting DREAM, Opposing DADT

[cal04]

Sen. Scott Brown Lashes Out At Harvard For Supporting DREAM, Opposing DADT
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/09/23/scott-dadt-dream/

The Boston Globe is reporting that Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), who on Tuesday voted to filibuster a measure to gradually repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, is now lashing out against Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust for saying that the University would “continue barring ROTC from campus” unless the the ban against gays and lesbians is repealed. Brown also criticized Gilpin for supporting the DREAM Act and suggested that she would rather open the school to undocumented immigrants than military recruiters:

“Harvard President Faust has been lobbying on Capitol Hill in support of the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants attending college. Harvard has its priorities upside down,” the Massachusetts Republican said in a statement. “They should embrace young people who want to serve their country, rather than promoting a plan that provides amnesty to students who are in this country illegally.”

“I am extremely disappointed to learn of Harvard University’s decision to continue to ban ROTC from its campus,” he added. “It is incomprehensible to me that Harvard does not allow ROTC to use its facilities, but welcomes students who are in this country illegally.”

The obvious point to make is that the DREAM Act itself would allow “young people who want to serve their country” enlist in the service. The Act permits immigrants who meet all eligibility requirements and serve in the U.S. armed forces or attend college for at least two years to obtain regular lawful permanent resident status after six years. As Andrea Nill points out, many Military experts have come out in support of the DREAM Act because it would significantly increase the pool of qualified recruits in the Latino population, which comprises the majority of undocumented immigrants and which research indicates are more likely to enlist and serve in the military than any other group.

Brown posits false choice — he’s saying that given the option of allowing Harvard students access to ROTC recruiters on campus or providing young undocumented immigrants with legal status, Faust ignored the the needs of military. That’s a hard argument to make when the Defense Department supports the Act and if Brown had allowed the Senate to proceed with debate, we could be on the brink of ending DADT (which would allow recruiters back on campus) and opening up the ranks to those who want to serve their country.


Brown blasts Harvard president for barring ROTC because of 'don't ask, don't tell'
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2010/09/brown_blasts_ha.html

[Deep13]

1. Most prestigious school in USA vs. guy with a truck.

Don't get too used to Washington, Brown.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. +1

Right on.

[racaulk]

4. OK, that made me laugh.

Spot on!

:rofl:

[EFerrari]

10. It's the new normal. n/t

[monmouth]

3. He definitely should rent, not buy...n/t

[Carnage251]

5. "R-MA "looks terrible

[Deep13]

13. +1

[dmr]

6. This just proves what a small mind he has. n/t

:hi:

[krabigirl]

7. I hope people there come to their senses next time and vote him out. Nt

[applegrove]

8. We don't speak of Brown often enough and how he has to go down in this election.

[karynnj]

14. He's not up until 2012, when Kennedy's term would have ended

I hope the recent set of awful obstructionist votes really hurts him. From comments on recent articles in the Boston Globe - they might have. I have read (and posted) BG comments for the last several years - and there usually have been a huge number of right wing posters - driven from who knows where, but here, there have been many who claimed to have voted for him who are disillusioned. (In contrast the obnoxious plentiful anti-Kerry posts over the year often pride themselves on "never having voted for him" or suggesting that "MA voters" will come to their senses - which implies that they are not among the MA voters who have repeatedly re-elected him and possibly not from the state.)

[Unvanguard]

9. Good for Harvard. Piss off Scott Brown more! n/t

[David Zephyr]

11. This wad of shit might as well enjoy his term as Senator because he won't be re-elected.

He's history.

[pampango]

12. "His parents brought him here from Mexico when he was 4 years old."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/09/16/harvard_president_student_team_up_for_the_dream_act/?page=1

Advocates of the DREAM Act — who include college presidents such as Faust, business leaders, and the College Board — like Balderas. His parents brought him here from Mexico when he was 4 years old. He was his high school’s valedictorian in San Antonio, Texas, and he won a scholarship to Harvard, where he hopes to become a cancer researcher.

The Dream Act would create a path to legal residency for youths who arrived before they turned 16, have lived here for five consecutive years, and are of good moral character, meaning that they have no criminal records. To qualify, the youths must graduate from high school or obtain a GED, complete two years in college or in the military, and be under 35 years old.

Despite the jump-start this week, the Dream Act faces multiple hurdles and will require some hard-to-get support from Republicans. Opponents of the Dream Act say the measure would reward immigrant families who broke the law by coming to the country illegally. Brown declined to comment yesterday through a spokeswoman.

Eva A. Millona, the executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, was also in Washington yesterday. She acknowledged that advocates changed strategy by pushing first for the Dream Act but said they will still pursue broader immigration reform. She was cheered by news that Senator Bob Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, said yesterday that he would file a comprehensive immigration-reform bill by the end of the month, a spokeswoman said. “We haven’t given up on comprehensive immigration reform,’’ she said.