Senator Huppenthal Has A Racial Profiling Problem

I have a feeling that Arizona State Senator John Huppenthal won’t be going on MSNBC’s Hardball ever again. Here’s the segment where he and former AZ Senate Majority Leader Alfredo Gutierrez debate Arizona’s March to Extremism: SB1070.

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At the 6:50′ish mark, the following – amazing – exchange occurs:

Chris Matthews: Can a police officer who spots a car with 5 or 6 people in it, who he thinks because of instinct, experience/whatever, evidence whatever he uses. Can he stop that car and say, “I think these people are here illegally. I’m gonna stop and check them.” Can he, under the law, do that, without any crime involved. Can he do that?

John Huppenthal: No, he cannot. That would be. That would just be simply racially profiling and that would not be permitted under the law.

There are two possibilities here. 1) Senator Huppenthal didn’t bother to read the bill he voted for and cosponsored – which proves that he’s unfit for governance; or 2) he’s lying about what’s in the bill.

From Article 8, Section B of SB1070:

B. FOR ANY LAWFUL CONTACT MADE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OR AGENCY OF THIS STATE OR A COUNTY, CITY, TOWN OR OTHER POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OF THIS STATE WHERE REASONABLE SUSPICION EXISTS THAT THE PERSON IS AN ALIEN WHO IS UNLAWFULLY PRESENT IN THE UNITED STATES, A REASONABLE ATTEMPT SHALL BE MADE, WHEN PRACTICABLE, TO DETERMINE THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE PERSON. THE PERSON’S IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL BE VERIFIED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PURSUANT TO 8 UNITED STATES CODE SECTION 1373(c).

“Lawful contact” is the ten-thousand pound chupacabra that John Huppenthal is ignoring. God help us all, but this monster was even too big for Tomás Tancredo to ignore. There is no detailed definition of “lawful contact” – it vaguely means any contact between the public and a law enforcement officer, as I understand it. The fact that the bill’s language is so wide-open is why many of us are confident that it won’t stand the scrutiny of the courts.

A final note on John Huppenthal. He’s running for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in November. We don’t need another anti-Latino nativist heading up our state’s school system – especially one who flunked the lesson in kindergarten about lying.

Vote for Jason Williams in November

 

Nativism in the Congress

Tom Tancredo, who is already well-known around here, continues his dangerous rhetoric. This time the target of his ire are border communities who have the audacity to exert their influence on what happens within their jurisdiction (and he calls himself a conservative. pffft)

“These mayors are jeopardizing national security with their not-in-my-backyard attitude,” Tancredo said. “Congress approved the border fence with the overwhelming support of the American people to protect our nation from terrorists and illegal aliens and it will not be thwarted by a handful of rogue mayors.”

The outspoken Tancredo, who is polling in the low single digits in national polls, also offered his solution to the problem, which is to “build the border fence north of these communities.”

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Belly rubs to any corporate media journalists who ask Tom if he supports the death threats that are being aimed at the El Paso mayor since he has no trouble calling Mayor Cook and other border community officials traitors.

And since the congressman and Republican presidential candidate is presumably mentally fit for the highest office in the land, despite the precedent of the dim bulb that currently presides in the White House, it should be pointed out that if the supporters of the Great Wall of America™ have their way, much of the wall will, in fact, be north of many locales in the United States.

The border isn’t exactly an east-west line. Residents in every border state, south of the Yumans in Yuma, could presumably travel north to get to Mexico.

Just some food for thought as the ignorance of the nativist wing of the United States continues unchallenged by the mainstream media.

 

Tancredo Should Be Mocked Repeatedly

You know, at some point, all I can do is point and laugh at the idiocy.

Tancredo, a Colorado congressman, announced his “Save America Campaign” hours before he and nine other candidates were to participate in a Republican debate in New Hampshire.

“This bill grants amnesty to over 15 million illegal aliens,” Tancredo said. “It will cost the American taxpayers trillions, bankrupt our Social Security system and speed the day that America becomes a bilingual nation. It does nothing to secure our borders: This bill must be stopped and it must be stopped now.”

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Where to begin…

1. Apparently 15 million is the new arbitrary number, since the estimated 12 million doesn’t sound scary enough to him. The truth is, we don’t know because the system is broken.
2. “Will cost the taxpayers trillions” – really? Why doesn’t he just cite a googolplex and be done with it? A tray of cookies to any reporters that ask him why he feels justification for money being spent on wall construction despite countless examples across centuries of history that show their ineffectiveness.
3. Bankrupting Social Security, eh? Yep, that’s exactly what happens when you bring untold legions of workers into the legal system – where they start to pay their 6.2% contributions. Get real, Tom
4. Quick! Grab your guns! The invaders are coming! They’re going to tie you and your family up and force you to learn *gasp* another language besides the language of Jeebus! I mean, seriously, any United States Representative should be mocked and laughed into oblivion for openly advocating the ongoing ignorance of the masses. Learning more than one language is a Good Thing™ and will become more widespread in the future as the global community becomes more inter-connected. Meanwhile, nativists like Tancredo will be left stumbling around the nursing home with a translator to ask for a diaper change.
5. This bill does nothing to secure the borders? More lies. If the current “compromise” stands as it is, there will be a significant addition to Border Patrol agents, more walls and “virtual barriers” and the workplace raids will continue unabated. Nothing? Pfffft. If that were true, I might actually like the thing, but alas, it adds significantly to the destruction of the fronteralands.

Tonight, the GOP candidates for President will be debating. Tancredo is already gearing up to have a cat fight with St. McCain over immigration. Time to pop the Kettle Korn and enjoy the sideshow.

 

Minuteman For President? Bring It On

I hope this happens. Lets have a real discussion on a national level about the many ways this country has demonized the immigrant community, and by extension, Latinos.

Colorado Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo, an outspoken opponent of illegal immigration, said Tuesday he will form an exploratory committee this week for a possible presidential campaign.

After making a weekend trip to Iowa, home to the first nominating caucus in January 2008, Tancredo said voters there told him other presidential candidates don’t share their views.

“They believe that there is a void in this race that none of the other candidates are willing or able to fill,” said Tancredo, who plans to remain in the House.

Tancredo has said immigration would be a central issue if he does run. Campaign spokesman Tim Haley said on Tuesday that Tancredo would also push opposition to abortion and other conservative themes as well.

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Looks like 2008 is going to be another interesting campaign. If Tancredo runs, he will be battling head-on with St. John McCain on the immigration issue.