November 11, 2009
Dobbs Explains Decision to Leave CNN
By BRIAN STELTER
The text of Mr. Dobbs’ announcement about leaving CNN:
This will be my last broadcast here on CNN, where I’ve worked for most of the past 30 years, and where I have many friends and colleagues whom I admire deeply and respect greatly.
I’m the last of the original anchors here on CNN and I’m proud to have had the privilege to helping to build the world’s first news network.
I’m grateful for the many opportunities that CNN has given me over these many years. I’ve tried to reciprocate with a full measure of my ability and my energy.
Over the past six months it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us, and some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem solving as well as to contribute positively to the great understanding of the issues of our day. And to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible.
I’ve talked extensively with Jonathan Klein — Jon’s the president of CNN — and as a result of those talks, Jon and i have agreed to a release from my contract that will enable me to pursue new opportunities.
At this point, I’m considering a number of options and directions, and I assure you, I will let you know when I set my course. I truly believe that the major issues of our time include the growth of our middle class, the creation of more jobs, health care, immigration policy, the environment, climate change, and our military involvement, of course, in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But each of those issues is, in my opinion, informed by our capacity to demonstrate strong resilience of our now weakened capitalist economy and demonstrate the political will to overcome the lack of true representation in Washington, D.C.
I believe these to be profoundly, critically important issues, and I will continue to strive to deal honestly and straightforwardly with those issues in the future.
Unfortunately, these issues are now defined in the public arena by partisanship and ideology rather than by rigorous, empirical thought and forthright analysis and discussion. I’ll be working diligently to change that as best i can. And as for the important work of restoring inspiration to our great free society and our market economy, I will strive as well to be a leader in that national conversation.
It’s been my great honor to work with each and every person at this wonderful network. I will be eternally grateful to CNN, to Ted Turner, and to all of my colleagues and friends, and of course to you at home. I thank you, and may God bless you.
Mr. Dobbs then went to a commercial break.
HE WILL BE MISSED - NOBODY CAN TELL THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH LIKE LOU CAN!!!
LET'S PRAY HE NOW RUNS FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
THE YEAR WAS 1909....
THE YEAR WAS 1909 ...
This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
The year is 1909.
One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1909 :
************ ********* *********
The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Fuel for this car was sold in drug stores only.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles Of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year ...
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which Were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from Entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea Hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school..
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind,regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health'
Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A.!
Plus one more sad thought; 95 percent of the taxes we have now did not exist in 1909.
This will boggle your mind, I know it did mine!
The year is 1909.
One hundred years ago. What a difference a century makes! Here are some statistics for the Year 1909 :
************ ********* *********
The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Fuel for this car was sold in drug stores only.
Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles Of paved roads.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!
The average wage in 1909 was 22 cents per hour.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year ...
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, A dentist $2,500 per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .
Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which Were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from Entering into their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45 stars.
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea Hadn't been invented yet.
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write and Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school..
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind,regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health'
Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE ! U.S.A.!
Plus one more sad thought; 95 percent of the taxes we have now did not exist in 1909.
ITALIANS, NOT TEXANS, BUIDLING SIGNATURE DALLAS BRIDGE
The news report I have attached below appeared on a Texas television station, WFAA this past Thursday (November 5th)
I was told about this deplorable situation by an old friend and a current special agent at ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) who as a member of management at ICE was infuriated by the insanity that passes for the enforcement of our nation's immigration laws.
I have often taken DHS to task for its many failings to effectively address missions that are the responsibility of that agency, at time referring to DHS as the "Department of Homeland Surrender." But let me make this as clear as I can- I often speak to the employees of ICE and CBP and just about everyone I speak with are extremely unhappy with the lack of resources that hamper the work that their agencies are supposed to be doing on behalf of our nation and our citizens.
There is a wonderful Yiddish expression I have quoted (having translated it to English) in the past and feel it is appropriate to quote now: "When a fish goes bad, it smells from the head!"
The bottom line: if there is a problem see who is charge. President Harry S. Truman certainly understood that concept and he acknowledged it by placing a plaque bearing a simple, yet eloquent four word phrase on his desk in the Oval Office:
"The Buck Stops Here!"
As you will see when you read the news article, a decision was made to hire an Italian company to construct a bridge in Dallas, Texas. Furthermore, the company was permitted to bring their own welders to the United States to assemble that bridge, depriving American construction workers the opportunity to get jobs they desperately want and need.
The last sentence of the news report sums it up succinctly:
"And the jobless Texas welders trying to find a way to put dinner on the table tonight don't have anyone to plead their case."
I have made the point that immigration has an impact on so many areas of concern for our nation and certainly the impact that failures to secure our borders against the unlawful entry of the millions of illegal aliens who are currently living and working in our country is an area of great concern. The Italian workers who are doing the work Americans want to do, did not run our nation's borders but were, in fact, granted business visas in order to enter our country and supplant American welders.
The B-1 visas that they were granted are supposed to be used by business people who come to the United States to attend conferences, make purchases of equipment and conduct other functions relating to their businesses. Foreign workers can used Bi1 visas to repair equipment but B-1 visas were never intended to be used by foreign workers coming to our country to replace American workers on construction jobs.
Workers who possess skills that are unavailable to an employer in the United States in a particular city are supposed to apply for visas such as H-1B and H-2B visas. As it now stands, the H1-B Visa Program for skilled workers is loaded with fraud and there are nearly no investigations being routinely conducted about these egregious examples of crimes that harm American workers. H-2B visas are supposed to be used for construction workers but this time an employer has apparently found a way to circumvent the H-2B process altogether by getting the United States Department of State to issue the welders discussed in this article, with B-1 visas and somehow the inspectors at a port of entry simple admitted them into the United States and on to the payroll of a company that, by all right, should have hired American workers!
As I read the article I was compelled to recall how when the administration and the "bobble heads" in the Congress passed the "Economic Stimulus Package" and touted the many "Shovel Ready" jobs that were set to get underway if only the money was made available. I guess I was mistaken as to who was supposed to be doing those jobs!
As you many know, if you have been reading my commentaries for awhile, my dad was a construction worker- he was a plumber. He died more than 40 years ago, in his mid 50's of lung cancer I believe was attributable to his pack a day cigarette habit exacerbated by his exposure to asbestos as a construction worker and as a worker on Navy warships during the Second World War- a job he did because the military refused to accept his offers to enlist.
He was determined to contribute to the effort to enable our country to win that war, but I can recall as though it was yesterday, how many times he would come through the door with a dejected look on his face because he had been laid off from work. My mom's eyes would well up with tears and we resorted to eating tuna fish sandwiches for dinner and put off buying new coats and setting the thermostat at a lower setting- doing whatever we could to cut expenses.
My mom, who could not drive, would often walk to supermarkets that were far from our house because she could save a little money because those stores charged less for bread or milk than the stores that were closer to home.
My dad and his buddies in the construction trades were (and always will be my heroes!) Blue collar Americans personify the "Can do" spirit that built this great nation- doing dangerous, filthy and backbreaking jobs.
Today the government reported that the national unemployment rate had risen to 10.2%, the highest it has been since 1983. This report did not note how many more Americans had given up looking for work. This report did not discuss how many Americans are now being "under employed."
The GAO has recently reported that one in six Americans are now living below the poverty line!
While there are economists who are predicting that the economy is turning around- I disagree! No country can be said to be doing well when its average citizens are not doing well!
Today other men and women, just like my dad, are facing a bleak economic reality. They are unemployed. They don't know how they will pay their bills or feed their kids. They fear they will lose their houses to foreclosure.
When I read about their plight, I am reminded of my early years and my parents' valiant struggle to keep their heads above water!
As more Americans lose their jobs they have less money to spend. Their failure to make purchases threatens the jobs of other Americans creating a vicious circle in which more Americans become unemployed, spending less money, causing still more Americans to lose their jobs! Not addressing the impact of foreign workers on the American worker is insane!
As I have stated before, the enforcement and administration of the immigration laws had been the responsibility of the United States Department of Labor prior to the Second World War because back then the concern was that foreign workers would undercut American workers. It would appear that our government does not really give a damn about the average American today!
So much for "Government of the people, by the people and for the people!
According to the article, eleven Italian welders are assembling the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas, Texas. But the article notes that "tens of thousands of man hours of labor" is being done by foreign workers that should be done by Americans.
You may not think that 11 workers are a big deal when you consider that there are millions of illegal aliens in our country. The point is that I believe that this is the tip of a huge iceberg. As I have noted when I have testified before Congress and when I have testified before legislative hearings conducted on the state level, and at other venues, I have made the point that our nation's entire immigration system is utterly dysfunctional.
The biggest thing that is wrong with the immigration system is not that the immigration laws are bad, it is that those laws are not being enforced!
A job freed up by removing an illegal foreign worker creates a job for an American worker. This is the principle behind worksite enforcement. It is entirely appropriate to penalize employers who intentionally hire illegal aliens but ICE needs to address the other side of the equation- alien workers found to be working illegally need to be arrested, detained and removed from the United States. The stated policy of the current administration of only going after the employers and not the illegal alien employees does not deter illegal immigration.
Furthermore, statements made by the President, members of his administration and members of Congress who speak about their intentions to legalize all of the millions of illegal aliens who are in our country creates a huge incentive for many more aliens to seek to enter our country in violation of law in the hope that they will be able to participate in Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
In 1986, when the first amnesty was enacted, its proponents claimed that no more than 1.5 million illegal aliens would participate in that program that was supposed to be a "one time" program to finally get all of the illegal aliens "out of the shadows." By the time the bureaucratic dust settled, between 3.5 and 4 million illegal aliens availed themselves of that opportunity to be granted lawful status.
Fraud was rampant in that program because the INS lacked the resources to conduct field investigations and we were dealing with aliens who had no way of proving their true identities. There was no way of substantiating their identities or when, where or how they entered the United States.
If the INS was overwhelmed by "only" 3.5 million illegal aliens in 1986 to effectively administer the amnesty of 1986, what will the beleaguered and inept USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) do when 20 million or 30 million applications land on its adjudicators' desks?
I fear that any massive Comprehensive Immigration Reform program would entice many millions of additional illegal aliens to run our nation's borders and claim that they were present in our country for whatever the requisite period of time would be required in order to participate in this duplicitous program.
Here is something else to consider: an issue that further exacerbated the issue of fraud was a provision that prohibited INS agents from sharing information contained in the amnesty files with other law enforcement agencies regardless of what crimes these aliens might have been suspected of committing!
Even if an alien who had acquired lawful status through that amnesty program was wanted for drug trafficking, murder, rape, child molestation, etc., etc, INS agents were ordered to not provide that information to any other law enforcement agency! The purported rationale was that our "leaders" did not want illegal aliens who violated our borders, violated our laws and violated their victims to be intimidated and not come forward to get their green cards and, ultimately, United States citizenship!
Two years ago, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation contained the same provision!
On September 1, 2006 I testified at a field hearing conducted by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives at Dubuque, Iowa on the topic:
"IS THE REID-KENNEDY BILL A REPEAT OF THE FAILED AMNESTY OF 1986?"Here is the link to the complete transcript of that hearing:
http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/judiciary/hju29745.000/hju29745_0.htm
Here is a segment of my prepared testimony at that hearing:
That piece of legislation (the 1986 Amnesty) led to the greatest influx of illegal aliens in the history of our Nation. Fraud and a lack of integrity of the immigration system not only flooded our Nation with illegal aliens who ran our borders, hoping that what had been billed as a one-time amnesty would be repeated, but it also enabled a number of terrorists and many criminals to enter the United States and then embed themselves in our country.
A notable example of such a terrorist can be found in a review of the facts concerning Mahmud Abouhalima, a citizen of Egypt who entered the United States on a tourist visa, overstayed his authorized period of admission and then applied for amnesty under the agricultural worker provisions of IRCA. He succeeded in obtaining resident alien status through this process.
During the 5 year period he drove a cab and had his license suspended numerous times for various violations of law and he ultimately demonstrated his appreciation for our Nation's generosity by participating in the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 that left six people dead, hundreds of people injured and an estimated one-half billion dollars in damages inflicted on that iconic, ill-fated complex.
America had opened his doors to him so that he might participate in the American dream and he turned that dream into our worst nightmare. The other terrorists who attacked our Nation on subsequent attacks, including the attacks of September 11, 2001, similarly exploited our generosity, seeing in our Nation's kindness, weakness, gaming the immigration system to enter our country and then hide in plain sight among us.
As I recall, when IRCA was proposed, one of the selling points was that along with the amnesty for what was believed to have been a population of some 1.5 million illegal aliens would be a new approach to turn off what has been described as the magnet that draws the majority of illegal aliens into the United States in the first place, the prospect of securing employment.
In order to accomplish this important goal, IRCA imposed penalties against those unscrupulous employers who knowingly hired illegal aliens. My former colleagues and I were pleased to see that under the employer sanctions of IRCA, the unscrupulous employers of illegal aliens would finally be made accountable, or so we thought.
Of course, we now know that the relative handful of special agents who were assigned to conduct investigations of employers who hired illegal aliens made it unlikely that employers would face a significant risk of being caught for violating those laws and they would face an even smaller chance of being seriously fined. Furthermore, the way that the amnesty provisions of the law were enacted simply created a cottage industry for fraud document vendors who provided illegal aliens with counterfeit or altered identity documents and supporting documents to enable the illegal alien population to circumvent the immigration laws of the United States.
Ultimately, approximately 3.5 million illegal aliens emerged from the infamous shadows to participate in the amnesty program of 1986.
Our nation's leaders have mortgaged our children's and our grandchildren's futures by siphoning an incredible sum of money out of our economy to supposedly create new jobs to jump start our economy.
The unemployment rate continues to climb and yet there are those "leaders" who still want more foreign workers to come to our country and undercut Americans whose only goal is to pay their bills and support and feed their families!
Those who are pushing for Comprehensive Immigration Reform know that the law, the facts, commonsense and morality are all against their position so they play the only card they have left.
They engage in lying and engaging in name-calling. They claim that anyone who wants to secure our nation's borders are "nativists." They use the term "racist" to describe anyone who calls for securing our borders against unlawful entry of illegal aliens and the creation of an immigration system that has real integrity.
Hear is the reality they don't want to hear (and that they don't want you to hear): America is not a "white" country. Our nation is arguably the most ethnically diverse nation on the face of this planet. As a New Yorker, I can tell you that my home town is home to people of all races, religions, ethnicities and cultures.
Enforcing our nation's borders against illegal entry is not about racism but it is about security and commonsense.
Many of the workers who have become unemployed are members of various minority groups. In fact, it is the minorities who are getting hammered the most by our nation's continuing failures to secure its borders and create an immigration system that has real integrity.
The most likely victim of ethnic organized crime groups and pernicious gangs is a member of the immigrant community. This is true for immigrants from every country and of every ethnicity.
Any politician who refuses to work to secure our borders and create an immigration system that has integrity is either corrupt or too dumb to keep his (her) job.
Any politician, irrespective of party affiliation who favors Comprehensive Immigration Reform should be shown the door at the next election!
If you find yourself to be in agreement with this commentary, I ask that you forward to as many of your friends and family members as possible and encourage them to do the same.
Next year each and every member of the House of Representatives is up for reelection. Next year more than one third of the members of the United States Senate will have to face their constituents.
They need to be reminded that they work for us, We the People!
However, the practice of good citizenship does not end in the voting booth, it only begins there.
The large scale apathy demonstrated by citizens of this nation has emboldened elected representatives to all but ignore the needs of the average American citizen in a quest for massive campaign funds and the promises of votes to be ostensibly delivered by special interest groups.
There is much that we cannot do but there is one thing that We the People absolutely must do- we must stop sitting on the sidelines!
The collective failure of We the People to get involved in make our concerns known to our politicians have nearly made the concerns of the great majority of the citizens of this nation all but irrelevant to the politicians.
I implore you to get involved!
Any American who has lost his job certainly has enough time on his (her) hands to get involved!
Any American who fears the loss of his job must make effective use of his spare time to make certain he keeps his job!
If this situation concerns you or especially if it angers you, I ask you to call your Senators and Congressional "Representative. This is not only your right- it is your obligation! You need to politely but pointedly, demand to know what they are doing to protect our nation. You need to ask them how they are protecting you and your families. You can also forward this commentary to them.
All I ask is that you make it clear to our politicians that we are not as dumb as they hope we are!
We live in a perilous world and in a perilous era. The survival of our nation and the lives of our citizens hang in the balance.
This is neither a Conservative issue, nor is it a Liberal issue- simply stated, this is most certainly an AMERICAN issue!
You are either part of the solution or you are a part of the problem!
Democracy is not a spectator sport!
Lead, follow or get out of the way!
-Michael Cutler-
I was told about this deplorable situation by an old friend and a current special agent at ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) who as a member of management at ICE was infuriated by the insanity that passes for the enforcement of our nation's immigration laws.
I have often taken DHS to task for its many failings to effectively address missions that are the responsibility of that agency, at time referring to DHS as the "Department of Homeland Surrender." But let me make this as clear as I can- I often speak to the employees of ICE and CBP and just about everyone I speak with are extremely unhappy with the lack of resources that hamper the work that their agencies are supposed to be doing on behalf of our nation and our citizens.
There is a wonderful Yiddish expression I have quoted (having translated it to English) in the past and feel it is appropriate to quote now: "When a fish goes bad, it smells from the head!"
The bottom line: if there is a problem see who is charge. President Harry S. Truman certainly understood that concept and he acknowledged it by placing a plaque bearing a simple, yet eloquent four word phrase on his desk in the Oval Office:
"The Buck Stops Here!"
As you will see when you read the news article, a decision was made to hire an Italian company to construct a bridge in Dallas, Texas. Furthermore, the company was permitted to bring their own welders to the United States to assemble that bridge, depriving American construction workers the opportunity to get jobs they desperately want and need.
The last sentence of the news report sums it up succinctly:
"And the jobless Texas welders trying to find a way to put dinner on the table tonight don't have anyone to plead their case."
I have made the point that immigration has an impact on so many areas of concern for our nation and certainly the impact that failures to secure our borders against the unlawful entry of the millions of illegal aliens who are currently living and working in our country is an area of great concern. The Italian workers who are doing the work Americans want to do, did not run our nation's borders but were, in fact, granted business visas in order to enter our country and supplant American welders.
The B-1 visas that they were granted are supposed to be used by business people who come to the United States to attend conferences, make purchases of equipment and conduct other functions relating to their businesses. Foreign workers can used Bi1 visas to repair equipment but B-1 visas were never intended to be used by foreign workers coming to our country to replace American workers on construction jobs.
Workers who possess skills that are unavailable to an employer in the United States in a particular city are supposed to apply for visas such as H-1B and H-2B visas. As it now stands, the H1-B Visa Program for skilled workers is loaded with fraud and there are nearly no investigations being routinely conducted about these egregious examples of crimes that harm American workers. H-2B visas are supposed to be used for construction workers but this time an employer has apparently found a way to circumvent the H-2B process altogether by getting the United States Department of State to issue the welders discussed in this article, with B-1 visas and somehow the inspectors at a port of entry simple admitted them into the United States and on to the payroll of a company that, by all right, should have hired American workers!
As I read the article I was compelled to recall how when the administration and the "bobble heads" in the Congress passed the "Economic Stimulus Package" and touted the many "Shovel Ready" jobs that were set to get underway if only the money was made available. I guess I was mistaken as to who was supposed to be doing those jobs!
As you many know, if you have been reading my commentaries for awhile, my dad was a construction worker- he was a plumber. He died more than 40 years ago, in his mid 50's of lung cancer I believe was attributable to his pack a day cigarette habit exacerbated by his exposure to asbestos as a construction worker and as a worker on Navy warships during the Second World War- a job he did because the military refused to accept his offers to enlist.
He was determined to contribute to the effort to enable our country to win that war, but I can recall as though it was yesterday, how many times he would come through the door with a dejected look on his face because he had been laid off from work. My mom's eyes would well up with tears and we resorted to eating tuna fish sandwiches for dinner and put off buying new coats and setting the thermostat at a lower setting- doing whatever we could to cut expenses.
My mom, who could not drive, would often walk to supermarkets that were far from our house because she could save a little money because those stores charged less for bread or milk than the stores that were closer to home.
My dad and his buddies in the construction trades were (and always will be my heroes!) Blue collar Americans personify the "Can do" spirit that built this great nation- doing dangerous, filthy and backbreaking jobs.
Today the government reported that the national unemployment rate had risen to 10.2%, the highest it has been since 1983. This report did not note how many more Americans had given up looking for work. This report did not discuss how many Americans are now being "under employed."
The GAO has recently reported that one in six Americans are now living below the poverty line!
While there are economists who are predicting that the economy is turning around- I disagree! No country can be said to be doing well when its average citizens are not doing well!
Today other men and women, just like my dad, are facing a bleak economic reality. They are unemployed. They don't know how they will pay their bills or feed their kids. They fear they will lose their houses to foreclosure.
When I read about their plight, I am reminded of my early years and my parents' valiant struggle to keep their heads above water!
As more Americans lose their jobs they have less money to spend. Their failure to make purchases threatens the jobs of other Americans creating a vicious circle in which more Americans become unemployed, spending less money, causing still more Americans to lose their jobs! Not addressing the impact of foreign workers on the American worker is insane!
As I have stated before, the enforcement and administration of the immigration laws had been the responsibility of the United States Department of Labor prior to the Second World War because back then the concern was that foreign workers would undercut American workers. It would appear that our government does not really give a damn about the average American today!
So much for "Government of the people, by the people and for the people!
According to the article, eleven Italian welders are assembling the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge in Dallas, Texas. But the article notes that "tens of thousands of man hours of labor" is being done by foreign workers that should be done by Americans.
You may not think that 11 workers are a big deal when you consider that there are millions of illegal aliens in our country. The point is that I believe that this is the tip of a huge iceberg. As I have noted when I have testified before Congress and when I have testified before legislative hearings conducted on the state level, and at other venues, I have made the point that our nation's entire immigration system is utterly dysfunctional.
The biggest thing that is wrong with the immigration system is not that the immigration laws are bad, it is that those laws are not being enforced!
A job freed up by removing an illegal foreign worker creates a job for an American worker. This is the principle behind worksite enforcement. It is entirely appropriate to penalize employers who intentionally hire illegal aliens but ICE needs to address the other side of the equation- alien workers found to be working illegally need to be arrested, detained and removed from the United States. The stated policy of the current administration of only going after the employers and not the illegal alien employees does not deter illegal immigration.
Furthermore, statements made by the President, members of his administration and members of Congress who speak about their intentions to legalize all of the millions of illegal aliens who are in our country creates a huge incentive for many more aliens to seek to enter our country in violation of law in the hope that they will be able to participate in Comprehensive Immigration Reform.
In 1986, when the first amnesty was enacted, its proponents claimed that no more than 1.5 million illegal aliens would participate in that program that was supposed to be a "one time" program to finally get all of the illegal aliens "out of the shadows." By the time the bureaucratic dust settled, between 3.5 and 4 million illegal aliens availed themselves of that opportunity to be granted lawful status.
Fraud was rampant in that program because the INS lacked the resources to conduct field investigations and we were dealing with aliens who had no way of proving their true identities. There was no way of substantiating their identities or when, where or how they entered the United States.
If the INS was overwhelmed by "only" 3.5 million illegal aliens in 1986 to effectively administer the amnesty of 1986, what will the beleaguered and inept USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) do when 20 million or 30 million applications land on its adjudicators' desks?
I fear that any massive Comprehensive Immigration Reform program would entice many millions of additional illegal aliens to run our nation's borders and claim that they were present in our country for whatever the requisite period of time would be required in order to participate in this duplicitous program.
Here is something else to consider: an issue that further exacerbated the issue of fraud was a provision that prohibited INS agents from sharing information contained in the amnesty files with other law enforcement agencies regardless of what crimes these aliens might have been suspected of committing!
Even if an alien who had acquired lawful status through that amnesty program was wanted for drug trafficking, murder, rape, child molestation, etc., etc, INS agents were ordered to not provide that information to any other law enforcement agency! The purported rationale was that our "leaders" did not want illegal aliens who violated our borders, violated our laws and violated their victims to be intimidated and not come forward to get their green cards and, ultimately, United States citizenship!
Two years ago, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation contained the same provision!
On September 1, 2006 I testified at a field hearing conducted by the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives at Dubuque, Iowa on the topic:
"IS THE REID-KENNEDY BILL A REPEAT OF THE FAILED AMNESTY OF 1986?"Here is the link to the complete transcript of that hearing:
http://commdocs.house.gov/committees/judiciary/hju29745.000/hju29745_0.htm
Here is a segment of my prepared testimony at that hearing:
That piece of legislation (the 1986 Amnesty) led to the greatest influx of illegal aliens in the history of our Nation. Fraud and a lack of integrity of the immigration system not only flooded our Nation with illegal aliens who ran our borders, hoping that what had been billed as a one-time amnesty would be repeated, but it also enabled a number of terrorists and many criminals to enter the United States and then embed themselves in our country.
A notable example of such a terrorist can be found in a review of the facts concerning Mahmud Abouhalima, a citizen of Egypt who entered the United States on a tourist visa, overstayed his authorized period of admission and then applied for amnesty under the agricultural worker provisions of IRCA. He succeeded in obtaining resident alien status through this process.
During the 5 year period he drove a cab and had his license suspended numerous times for various violations of law and he ultimately demonstrated his appreciation for our Nation's generosity by participating in the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993 that left six people dead, hundreds of people injured and an estimated one-half billion dollars in damages inflicted on that iconic, ill-fated complex.
America had opened his doors to him so that he might participate in the American dream and he turned that dream into our worst nightmare. The other terrorists who attacked our Nation on subsequent attacks, including the attacks of September 11, 2001, similarly exploited our generosity, seeing in our Nation's kindness, weakness, gaming the immigration system to enter our country and then hide in plain sight among us.
As I recall, when IRCA was proposed, one of the selling points was that along with the amnesty for what was believed to have been a population of some 1.5 million illegal aliens would be a new approach to turn off what has been described as the magnet that draws the majority of illegal aliens into the United States in the first place, the prospect of securing employment.
In order to accomplish this important goal, IRCA imposed penalties against those unscrupulous employers who knowingly hired illegal aliens. My former colleagues and I were pleased to see that under the employer sanctions of IRCA, the unscrupulous employers of illegal aliens would finally be made accountable, or so we thought.
Of course, we now know that the relative handful of special agents who were assigned to conduct investigations of employers who hired illegal aliens made it unlikely that employers would face a significant risk of being caught for violating those laws and they would face an even smaller chance of being seriously fined. Furthermore, the way that the amnesty provisions of the law were enacted simply created a cottage industry for fraud document vendors who provided illegal aliens with counterfeit or altered identity documents and supporting documents to enable the illegal alien population to circumvent the immigration laws of the United States.
Ultimately, approximately 3.5 million illegal aliens emerged from the infamous shadows to participate in the amnesty program of 1986.
Our nation's leaders have mortgaged our children's and our grandchildren's futures by siphoning an incredible sum of money out of our economy to supposedly create new jobs to jump start our economy.
The unemployment rate continues to climb and yet there are those "leaders" who still want more foreign workers to come to our country and undercut Americans whose only goal is to pay their bills and support and feed their families!
Those who are pushing for Comprehensive Immigration Reform know that the law, the facts, commonsense and morality are all against their position so they play the only card they have left.
They engage in lying and engaging in name-calling. They claim that anyone who wants to secure our nation's borders are "nativists." They use the term "racist" to describe anyone who calls for securing our borders against unlawful entry of illegal aliens and the creation of an immigration system that has real integrity.
Hear is the reality they don't want to hear (and that they don't want you to hear): America is not a "white" country. Our nation is arguably the most ethnically diverse nation on the face of this planet. As a New Yorker, I can tell you that my home town is home to people of all races, religions, ethnicities and cultures.
Enforcing our nation's borders against illegal entry is not about racism but it is about security and commonsense.
Many of the workers who have become unemployed are members of various minority groups. In fact, it is the minorities who are getting hammered the most by our nation's continuing failures to secure its borders and create an immigration system that has real integrity.
The most likely victim of ethnic organized crime groups and pernicious gangs is a member of the immigrant community. This is true for immigrants from every country and of every ethnicity.
Any politician who refuses to work to secure our borders and create an immigration system that has integrity is either corrupt or too dumb to keep his (her) job.
Any politician, irrespective of party affiliation who favors Comprehensive Immigration Reform should be shown the door at the next election!
If you find yourself to be in agreement with this commentary, I ask that you forward to as many of your friends and family members as possible and encourage them to do the same.
Next year each and every member of the House of Representatives is up for reelection. Next year more than one third of the members of the United States Senate will have to face their constituents.
They need to be reminded that they work for us, We the People!
However, the practice of good citizenship does not end in the voting booth, it only begins there.
The large scale apathy demonstrated by citizens of this nation has emboldened elected representatives to all but ignore the needs of the average American citizen in a quest for massive campaign funds and the promises of votes to be ostensibly delivered by special interest groups.
There is much that we cannot do but there is one thing that We the People absolutely must do- we must stop sitting on the sidelines!
The collective failure of We the People to get involved in make our concerns known to our politicians have nearly made the concerns of the great majority of the citizens of this nation all but irrelevant to the politicians.
I implore you to get involved!
Any American who has lost his job certainly has enough time on his (her) hands to get involved!
Any American who fears the loss of his job must make effective use of his spare time to make certain he keeps his job!
If this situation concerns you or especially if it angers you, I ask you to call your Senators and Congressional "Representative. This is not only your right- it is your obligation! You need to politely but pointedly, demand to know what they are doing to protect our nation. You need to ask them how they are protecting you and your families. You can also forward this commentary to them.
All I ask is that you make it clear to our politicians that we are not as dumb as they hope we are!
We live in a perilous world and in a perilous era. The survival of our nation and the lives of our citizens hang in the balance.
This is neither a Conservative issue, nor is it a Liberal issue- simply stated, this is most certainly an AMERICAN issue!
You are either part of the solution or you are a part of the problem!
Democracy is not a spectator sport!
Lead, follow or get out of the way!
-Michael Cutler-
WE MUST KEEP THE PRESSURE ON!!!
More than 25,000 people attended including nearly 2,000 from New Jersey. And your efforts showed results. Congressman John Adler has announced his opposition to Obamacare. Call his office at 732-608-7235 and thank him.And if you live in Congressman Rothman's district (and only if you live there), please call the Congressman at either 201-646-0808 or his DC office at 202-225-5061 and tell him to vote NO on Obamacare.Thanks for your help. We cannot and will not rest until this bill is defeated once and for all. Don't stop now.
Keep the pressure on!
On to Victory,
Steven Lonegan
Keep the pressure on!
On to Victory,
Steven Lonegan
President lies and Pelosi swears to it.
Illegal aliens get benefits in healthcare bill
November 8, 2009
San Diego Immigration Policy Examiner
Carl Braun
“There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants.This, too, is false—the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.”– President Obama, September 9, 2009 to a Joint Session of Congress.
When the smoke cleared last night in the House of Representatives, the score was Speaker Pelosi 220 and the American People 215. The Healthcare Welfare Bill, the single largest piece of legislation ever proposed, passed the House with the slimmest of margins.
All but one Republican, Rep. Joseph Cao of Louisiana voted against it and 39 Democrats did as well. Still it passed and is headed to the Senate for debate next week. That this sludgislation will eventually pass is all but assured. What it will ultimately contain is still a big question.
One element that will likely cause heated debate in the Senate has to do with coverage for illegal aliens. The President lost his attempt to protect his virtue to Pelosi when she played the race card. How ironic. Madame Speaker pulled in the race team and the twenty Hispanic Caucus votes pushed her over the top proving once and for all what we already knew; Illegal aliens are and always were part of this bill.
In an analysis of the Healthcare Welfare Bill conducted by the Republican Study Committee and Chaired by Congressman Tom Price of Georgia they concluded:
As confirmed in the November 2, 2009 CRS report on immigration and healthcare, “The House bill contains no express restrictions on noncitizens – whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently – accessing and paying for coverage available through the health insurance exchange.”
According to a September 2007 letter from Social Security Administration Commissioner Michael Astrue, a Social Security number would not keep someone from fraudulently receiving coverage under Medicaid or SCHIP if they provided false identifying information. The same will ring true for health coverage under Pelosi’s bill.
In its preliminary score of H.R. 3962, the Congressional Budget Office noted that, in 2019 there would be “about 18 million nonelderly residents uninsured (nearly one third of whom would be unauthorized immigrants).” Thus, unless the number of illegal immigrants is projected to be fewer than 6 million individuals in 2019—nearly half the illegal immigrants currently estimated to be in the U.S.—the CBO score presumes illegals would have health coverage, raising further questions as to whether or not said coverage would be taxpayer-funded.
It is also worth noting that in its preliminary score of H.R. 3200, CBO found that in 2019 there would be “about 17 million nonelderly residents uninsured (nearly half of whom would be unauthorized immigrants).” In other words, the number of projected uninsured who are also illegal immigrants declined from about 8 million under H.R. 3200 to 6 million under H.R. 3962. Many may question what changes in the Pelosi legislation resulted in 2 million illegal immigrants suddenly obtaining health coverage.
This Congress and this President have an agenda and no matter what the American people want, they will do everything they can to see that agenda realized. The American people, for all of their fervor today were asleep at the switch last November when they allowed one party to take total control over the government. That many of these socialist usurpers will be thrown into the streets next November is all but a given. That they will do untold damage to our Republic in the meantime is also guaranteed.
Our country was set up with a system of checks and balances for a reason. Every so often we must be reminded of its importance. Yesterday we received notice, albeit a painful admonition, of what happens when one party, either party, has too much control.
Today, the inmates are running the asylum.
More About: illegal immigration · immigration · Healthcare
WILL THE SENATE BE SMART ENOUGH NOT TO PASS THIS CRAP BILL??!!! WHOEVER VOTES IN FAVOR FACES THE SAME FATE AS CORZINE....
Illegal aliens get benefits in healthcare bill
November 8, 2009
San Diego Immigration Policy Examiner
Carl Braun
“There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants.This, too, is false—the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.”– President Obama, September 9, 2009 to a Joint Session of Congress.
When the smoke cleared last night in the House of Representatives, the score was Speaker Pelosi 220 and the American People 215. The Healthcare Welfare Bill, the single largest piece of legislation ever proposed, passed the House with the slimmest of margins.
All but one Republican, Rep. Joseph Cao of Louisiana voted against it and 39 Democrats did as well. Still it passed and is headed to the Senate for debate next week. That this sludgislation will eventually pass is all but assured. What it will ultimately contain is still a big question.
One element that will likely cause heated debate in the Senate has to do with coverage for illegal aliens. The President lost his attempt to protect his virtue to Pelosi when she played the race card. How ironic. Madame Speaker pulled in the race team and the twenty Hispanic Caucus votes pushed her over the top proving once and for all what we already knew; Illegal aliens are and always were part of this bill.
In an analysis of the Healthcare Welfare Bill conducted by the Republican Study Committee and Chaired by Congressman Tom Price of Georgia they concluded:
As confirmed in the November 2, 2009 CRS report on immigration and healthcare, “The House bill contains no express restrictions on noncitizens – whether legally or illegally present, or in the United States temporarily or permanently – accessing and paying for coverage available through the health insurance exchange.”
According to a September 2007 letter from Social Security Administration Commissioner Michael Astrue, a Social Security number would not keep someone from fraudulently receiving coverage under Medicaid or SCHIP if they provided false identifying information. The same will ring true for health coverage under Pelosi’s bill.
In its preliminary score of H.R. 3962, the Congressional Budget Office noted that, in 2019 there would be “about 18 million nonelderly residents uninsured (nearly one third of whom would be unauthorized immigrants).” Thus, unless the number of illegal immigrants is projected to be fewer than 6 million individuals in 2019—nearly half the illegal immigrants currently estimated to be in the U.S.—the CBO score presumes illegals would have health coverage, raising further questions as to whether or not said coverage would be taxpayer-funded.
It is also worth noting that in its preliminary score of H.R. 3200, CBO found that in 2019 there would be “about 17 million nonelderly residents uninsured (nearly half of whom would be unauthorized immigrants).” In other words, the number of projected uninsured who are also illegal immigrants declined from about 8 million under H.R. 3200 to 6 million under H.R. 3962. Many may question what changes in the Pelosi legislation resulted in 2 million illegal immigrants suddenly obtaining health coverage.
This Congress and this President have an agenda and no matter what the American people want, they will do everything they can to see that agenda realized. The American people, for all of their fervor today were asleep at the switch last November when they allowed one party to take total control over the government. That many of these socialist usurpers will be thrown into the streets next November is all but a given. That they will do untold damage to our Republic in the meantime is also guaranteed.
Our country was set up with a system of checks and balances for a reason. Every so often we must be reminded of its importance. Yesterday we received notice, albeit a painful admonition, of what happens when one party, either party, has too much control.
Today, the inmates are running the asylum.
More About: illegal immigration · immigration · Healthcare
WILL THE SENATE BE SMART ENOUGH NOT TO PASS THIS CRAP BILL??!!! WHOEVER VOTES IN FAVOR FACES THE SAME FATE AS CORZINE....
IT'S THE SAME WAR, MR. PRESIDENT!!
Our Muslim-sympathizer-in-chief, Barack Obama, wants us to believe this was an isolated incident with no connection to the Islamic extremism we are battling overseas...he's gotta go!
It’s the Same War, Mr. President!
By Doug Patton Monday, November 9, 2009
The first words out of a person’s mouth, especially in a stressful or crisis situation, are often quite telling. Barack Obama, America’s first openly Marxist president, is no exception. Even though his handlers had plenty of time to craft a message about the terrorist shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, this president’s first reaction was to describe what he sees as the distinction between the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and this latest terrorist attack inside our borders.
Obama’s exact words were, “It is difficult enough when we lose men and women in battles overseas. It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an army base on American soil.” Who do you think we are fighting “overseas,” Mr. President? Do you imagine for a moment this is not the same enemy? Just because Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan didn’t have a shiny new badge in his pocket reading “Junior Al-Qaeda Deputy,” does not preclude him being in the enemy’s camp.
This particular terrorist was born and raised in Virginia, yet he identified himself as Palestinian. He joined the U.S. Army right out of high school, thereby allowing American taxpayers to pay his way through college, medical school, internship and residency over the last two decades. We literally paid for Dr. Hasan to become a 21st century psychiatrist. Yet in the end, his backward, violent 7th century religious beliefs meant more to him than his own country and countrymen. His allegiance is with radical Islam, as evidenced by the fact that he murdered 13 innocent people and wounded 30 others.
And lest you have any doubts about his jihadist intentions or where he allies himself in the War on Terror, he was yelling “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) before pulling the trigger. Of course, the president and the collective leftist media are cautioning against “jumping to conclusions” around the whole politically incorrect notion that this was a clear act of terrorism. Frankly, it’s a pretty short leap. Had this individual been some southern redneck named Billy Bob Jones shouting, “Jesus saves,” while shooting down innocent people, the administration and the press would have been “jumping to conclusions” with both feet. We are being overrun with tales of how this poor, confused man felt persecuted and harassed because of his Muslim faith.
This man complained about American involvement in Muslim countries, advocated violence as a way to protest and tried to convert psychiatric patients to Islam! And after he shoots people, we’re supposed to believe he is the victim? The insinuation seems to be that a man who never saw a day of combat or spent one minute in a live war zone suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by listening, during counseling sessions, to stories of people who had. That’s a bit like saying I’m entitled to slave reparations because I saw “Amistad.”
As if there needed to be any clearer delineation of the integrity of true American soldiers versus the madness of Islamism, the reports are that as soon as he was neutralized, the other soldiers, his intended victims, took away his gun and immediately began working to save his life. Jihadists cut off civilians heads with rusty knives and murder their own children in the name of the “Religion of Peace.” American soldiers take only the lives necessary to keep us safe, and manage to save a life that even Hasan’s own family has now denounced.
These soldiers didn’t do it because they had to, but because they followed their training. It is endemic to the American ideal that where mercy is given, mercy is shown. The moral relativism that says American soldiers are just as bad as the terrorists is beyond hypocritical.
It is insanity. It is Orwellian “War is Peace/Hate is Love,” insanity. Our Muslim-sympathizer-in-chief, Barack Obama, wants us to believe this was an isolated incident with no connection to the Islamic extremism we are battling overseas; but clear thinking Americans know better. They understand it is the same war.
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/16656
There are none so blind as those who refuse to see...
It’s the Same War, Mr. President!
By Doug Patton Monday, November 9, 2009
The first words out of a person’s mouth, especially in a stressful or crisis situation, are often quite telling. Barack Obama, America’s first openly Marxist president, is no exception. Even though his handlers had plenty of time to craft a message about the terrorist shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, this president’s first reaction was to describe what he sees as the distinction between the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and this latest terrorist attack inside our borders.
Obama’s exact words were, “It is difficult enough when we lose men and women in battles overseas. It is horrifying that they should come under fire at an army base on American soil.” Who do you think we are fighting “overseas,” Mr. President? Do you imagine for a moment this is not the same enemy? Just because Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan didn’t have a shiny new badge in his pocket reading “Junior Al-Qaeda Deputy,” does not preclude him being in the enemy’s camp.
This particular terrorist was born and raised in Virginia, yet he identified himself as Palestinian. He joined the U.S. Army right out of high school, thereby allowing American taxpayers to pay his way through college, medical school, internship and residency over the last two decades. We literally paid for Dr. Hasan to become a 21st century psychiatrist. Yet in the end, his backward, violent 7th century religious beliefs meant more to him than his own country and countrymen. His allegiance is with radical Islam, as evidenced by the fact that he murdered 13 innocent people and wounded 30 others.
And lest you have any doubts about his jihadist intentions or where he allies himself in the War on Terror, he was yelling “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) before pulling the trigger. Of course, the president and the collective leftist media are cautioning against “jumping to conclusions” around the whole politically incorrect notion that this was a clear act of terrorism. Frankly, it’s a pretty short leap. Had this individual been some southern redneck named Billy Bob Jones shouting, “Jesus saves,” while shooting down innocent people, the administration and the press would have been “jumping to conclusions” with both feet. We are being overrun with tales of how this poor, confused man felt persecuted and harassed because of his Muslim faith.
This man complained about American involvement in Muslim countries, advocated violence as a way to protest and tried to convert psychiatric patients to Islam! And after he shoots people, we’re supposed to believe he is the victim? The insinuation seems to be that a man who never saw a day of combat or spent one minute in a live war zone suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) by listening, during counseling sessions, to stories of people who had. That’s a bit like saying I’m entitled to slave reparations because I saw “Amistad.”
As if there needed to be any clearer delineation of the integrity of true American soldiers versus the madness of Islamism, the reports are that as soon as he was neutralized, the other soldiers, his intended victims, took away his gun and immediately began working to save his life. Jihadists cut off civilians heads with rusty knives and murder their own children in the name of the “Religion of Peace.” American soldiers take only the lives necessary to keep us safe, and manage to save a life that even Hasan’s own family has now denounced.
These soldiers didn’t do it because they had to, but because they followed their training. It is endemic to the American ideal that where mercy is given, mercy is shown. The moral relativism that says American soldiers are just as bad as the terrorists is beyond hypocritical.
It is insanity. It is Orwellian “War is Peace/Hate is Love,” insanity. Our Muslim-sympathizer-in-chief, Barack Obama, wants us to believe this was an isolated incident with no connection to the Islamic extremism we are battling overseas; but clear thinking Americans know better. They understand it is the same war.
http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/16656
There are none so blind as those who refuse to see...
SOLDIERS, CORRUPT MEXICAN POLICE OFTEN CLASH WHILE ON PATROL
Soldiers, corrupt Mexican police often clash while on patrol
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and JULIE WATSON •
Associated Press Writers •
November 9, 2009
MONTERREY, MEXICO — When soldiers tried to halt a suspicious-looking SUV that was being escorted through Monterrey by a state policeman, the officer radioed for backup. In minutes, police from 40 patrol cars surrounded the troops, drawing their guns and sending the soldiers diving for cover in an hour-long standoff.
Confrontations like that are happening with increasing frequency in Mexico's wealthiest city as soldiers fight corrupt police officers helping drug cartels — in addition to taking on the drug dealers themselves.
This year alone, police and soldiers have confronted one another more than 65 times, The Associated Press has learned — a growing and dangerous trend in the war on drugs.
Things are so bad, the general in charge of army operations in northeastern Mexico told the AP, that he has warned police chiefs his men are ready to open fire on police if it happens again.
"The moment they shoot at us, get in our way, use their guns to protect criminals, they become criminals themselves," said Gen. Guillermo Moreno, who commands troops in Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas states along the Texas border.
President Felipe Calderon has acknowledged that corruption permeates Mexico's low-paid police at all levels and therefore has opted to combat the billion-dollar drug-smuggling industry by relying primarily on the military, which has seen remarkably fewer cases of bribery by traffickers. His administration also has sent in federal police and soldiers, both of whom are higher paid and usually better educated, to go after police on the take.
As a result, distrust between police and soldiers runs high. But nowhere has it exploded like in Monterrey, an industrial hub two hours from Laredo, Texas.
That point was driven home Wednesday with the brazen killing of army Brig. Gen. Juan Arturo Esparza shortly after he was named police chief in the suburb of Garcia. Five Garcia police were among 10 people arrested in the case Thursday.
Most of the problem comes from the fact that Nuevo Leon has not purged corrupt police from its ranks like other states have.
The police chief of Ciudad Juarez — a retired army general — has fired hundreds of officers suspected of corruption in the past year, and the army trains new recruits, many of whom are former soldiers. In western Michoacan state, home to the violent La Familia cartel, state police take regular drug tests and have their guns checked every six months to ensure they have not been used in crimes.
Army generals in charge of each region decide whether to invite state police to work with them, and most have done so. But Moreno said he doesn't trust Nuevo Leon police.
"For the safety of our troops and their families, we carry out our operations by ourselves," he said.
The confrontations have jumped from two in 2008 to 67 this year, Moreno said. They range from soldiers stopping officers who were following them to spy for drug cartels, to exchanges of gunfire with police guarding drug lords. In one incident, a police officer was shot in the leg.
The Oct. 13 standoff involving the soldiers and police from 40 patrol cars ended peacefully, but not before some tense moments captured on video by a TV crew.
The dozens of police who responded to the officer's call for backup lined up to take aim at the troops, who pointed back with high-powered rifles.
Army and police commanders talked face-to-face and ordered their men to stand down. The men obeyed — but not without some resentment.
"We're all in this together, and we should support each other," a police commander is heard telling one of the soldiers on the video.
"No, we're not," the soldier snaps back. "We have arrested many police officers who are not in this with us."
More than 100 Monterrey police officers have been detained this year on suspicion of links to organized crime. Soldiers have found officers referenced in lists seized from drug traffickers detailing who was receiving bribes.
Many police are suspected of working for the Zetas, a group of former army soldiers-turned-enforcers for the cartel known for its meticulous record-keeping as much as its brutal tactics.
Those arrested include two Nuevo Leon state officers accused of taking part in the abduction of nine soldiers allegedly in retaliation for the army's anti-drug operations.
Officials recently detained two other officers from the same force on suspicion of kidnapping two army lieutenants who were moonlighting as bodyguards for a lawyer. They have not been seen since Sept. 25.
"We believe a significant percentage of these officers have links to organized crime, either by collusion or because they were intimidated and are afraid," Moreno said.
Acting on his recommendations, state authorities in June banned officers from using cell phones during work hours to try to prevent them from tipping off criminals to raids by soldiers and federal agents. They also stripped most state and city police officers of their automatic rifles — to protect troops.
Esparza's slaying four days after his appointment was the third time a military officer hired to professionalize a city police force in Mexico has been killed this year.
More than three dozen gunmen in about 10 SUVs ambushed and killed Esparza. Two former soldiers and two Garcia police officers accompanying him also were killed.
Monterrey Mayor Fernando Larrazabal has ordered the city's 1,000 traffic officers off the streets while his administration makes sure they are clean. He said officers will undergo polygraph tests, and a new citizen-run council will investigate police corruption.
The state's new security secretary, Carlos Jauregui, did not respond to an AP request to detail his plan.
Mexico's top federal cop, Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna, says the only way to resolve the problem is to get rid of the low-paid city police forces, many of which have seen little improvement after being purged repeatedly in the past decade.
He wants to create state law enforcement agencies to oversee Mexico's 31 states and the federal district of Mexico City. The government would raise officers' salaries significantly to deter bribery.
Garcia Luna presented his ideas to state police chiefs who met last week to discuss a report on police that calls city police "an easy target for corruption." It said more than 60 percent of the 159,734 city police receive monthly salaries of only 4,000 pesos (about $300). Most have less than 10 years' education, and many are illiterate.
Incorporating them into state forces would help prevent organized crime from corrupting them, the report said.
"In Mexico, infiltration by organized crime among local police ranks is very widespread," said Martin Barron, a national security specialist at the National Institute of Criminal Justice, a government think-tank. "Police are so low paid that unfortunately they have to make up for that, and they do so through corruption — either by asking for bribes from citizens, passing information to the cartels, turning their heads or doing other things for the gangs."
U.S. anti-drug officials have long complained that corruption among Mexican police has hindered cross-border efforts to fight drug cartels. But they say Mexico has made great strides to clean up forces, especially on the federal level, and the two nations' law enforcement are working closer than ever before.
Nevertheless, Mexican federal officers, like soldiers, often find themselves working in areas surrounded by state and local police on the take.
Police concede that corruption in their forces has helped the cartels build deep criminal networks across Mexico. But they seethe at the condescending attitude of more than 45,000 troops sent to drug hot spots. Police say soldiers often treat them as if they are all corrupt.
"It's humiliating," said Jorge Castaneda, a 23-year veteran of the Monterrey police. "They pull you from your patrol car. They take away your cell phone, if you have one, and they even take your gun. We're here because we want to wear this uniform, but people don't appreciate our work."
THIS IS PROBABLY WHY IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA TO SEAL THE FRIGGIN BORDERS MR. PRESIDENT.....................
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and JULIE WATSON •
Associated Press Writers •
November 9, 2009
MONTERREY, MEXICO — When soldiers tried to halt a suspicious-looking SUV that was being escorted through Monterrey by a state policeman, the officer radioed for backup. In minutes, police from 40 patrol cars surrounded the troops, drawing their guns and sending the soldiers diving for cover in an hour-long standoff.
Confrontations like that are happening with increasing frequency in Mexico's wealthiest city as soldiers fight corrupt police officers helping drug cartels — in addition to taking on the drug dealers themselves.
This year alone, police and soldiers have confronted one another more than 65 times, The Associated Press has learned — a growing and dangerous trend in the war on drugs.
Things are so bad, the general in charge of army operations in northeastern Mexico told the AP, that he has warned police chiefs his men are ready to open fire on police if it happens again.
"The moment they shoot at us, get in our way, use their guns to protect criminals, they become criminals themselves," said Gen. Guillermo Moreno, who commands troops in Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas states along the Texas border.
President Felipe Calderon has acknowledged that corruption permeates Mexico's low-paid police at all levels and therefore has opted to combat the billion-dollar drug-smuggling industry by relying primarily on the military, which has seen remarkably fewer cases of bribery by traffickers. His administration also has sent in federal police and soldiers, both of whom are higher paid and usually better educated, to go after police on the take.
As a result, distrust between police and soldiers runs high. But nowhere has it exploded like in Monterrey, an industrial hub two hours from Laredo, Texas.
That point was driven home Wednesday with the brazen killing of army Brig. Gen. Juan Arturo Esparza shortly after he was named police chief in the suburb of Garcia. Five Garcia police were among 10 people arrested in the case Thursday.
Most of the problem comes from the fact that Nuevo Leon has not purged corrupt police from its ranks like other states have.
The police chief of Ciudad Juarez — a retired army general — has fired hundreds of officers suspected of corruption in the past year, and the army trains new recruits, many of whom are former soldiers. In western Michoacan state, home to the violent La Familia cartel, state police take regular drug tests and have their guns checked every six months to ensure they have not been used in crimes.
Army generals in charge of each region decide whether to invite state police to work with them, and most have done so. But Moreno said he doesn't trust Nuevo Leon police.
"For the safety of our troops and their families, we carry out our operations by ourselves," he said.
The confrontations have jumped from two in 2008 to 67 this year, Moreno said. They range from soldiers stopping officers who were following them to spy for drug cartels, to exchanges of gunfire with police guarding drug lords. In one incident, a police officer was shot in the leg.
The Oct. 13 standoff involving the soldiers and police from 40 patrol cars ended peacefully, but not before some tense moments captured on video by a TV crew.
The dozens of police who responded to the officer's call for backup lined up to take aim at the troops, who pointed back with high-powered rifles.
Army and police commanders talked face-to-face and ordered their men to stand down. The men obeyed — but not without some resentment.
"We're all in this together, and we should support each other," a police commander is heard telling one of the soldiers on the video.
"No, we're not," the soldier snaps back. "We have arrested many police officers who are not in this with us."
More than 100 Monterrey police officers have been detained this year on suspicion of links to organized crime. Soldiers have found officers referenced in lists seized from drug traffickers detailing who was receiving bribes.
Many police are suspected of working for the Zetas, a group of former army soldiers-turned-enforcers for the cartel known for its meticulous record-keeping as much as its brutal tactics.
Those arrested include two Nuevo Leon state officers accused of taking part in the abduction of nine soldiers allegedly in retaliation for the army's anti-drug operations.
Officials recently detained two other officers from the same force on suspicion of kidnapping two army lieutenants who were moonlighting as bodyguards for a lawyer. They have not been seen since Sept. 25.
"We believe a significant percentage of these officers have links to organized crime, either by collusion or because they were intimidated and are afraid," Moreno said.
Acting on his recommendations, state authorities in June banned officers from using cell phones during work hours to try to prevent them from tipping off criminals to raids by soldiers and federal agents. They also stripped most state and city police officers of their automatic rifles — to protect troops.
Esparza's slaying four days after his appointment was the third time a military officer hired to professionalize a city police force in Mexico has been killed this year.
More than three dozen gunmen in about 10 SUVs ambushed and killed Esparza. Two former soldiers and two Garcia police officers accompanying him also were killed.
Monterrey Mayor Fernando Larrazabal has ordered the city's 1,000 traffic officers off the streets while his administration makes sure they are clean. He said officers will undergo polygraph tests, and a new citizen-run council will investigate police corruption.
The state's new security secretary, Carlos Jauregui, did not respond to an AP request to detail his plan.
Mexico's top federal cop, Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna, says the only way to resolve the problem is to get rid of the low-paid city police forces, many of which have seen little improvement after being purged repeatedly in the past decade.
He wants to create state law enforcement agencies to oversee Mexico's 31 states and the federal district of Mexico City. The government would raise officers' salaries significantly to deter bribery.
Garcia Luna presented his ideas to state police chiefs who met last week to discuss a report on police that calls city police "an easy target for corruption." It said more than 60 percent of the 159,734 city police receive monthly salaries of only 4,000 pesos (about $300). Most have less than 10 years' education, and many are illiterate.
Incorporating them into state forces would help prevent organized crime from corrupting them, the report said.
"In Mexico, infiltration by organized crime among local police ranks is very widespread," said Martin Barron, a national security specialist at the National Institute of Criminal Justice, a government think-tank. "Police are so low paid that unfortunately they have to make up for that, and they do so through corruption — either by asking for bribes from citizens, passing information to the cartels, turning their heads or doing other things for the gangs."
U.S. anti-drug officials have long complained that corruption among Mexican police has hindered cross-border efforts to fight drug cartels. But they say Mexico has made great strides to clean up forces, especially on the federal level, and the two nations' law enforcement are working closer than ever before.
Nevertheless, Mexican federal officers, like soldiers, often find themselves working in areas surrounded by state and local police on the take.
Police concede that corruption in their forces has helped the cartels build deep criminal networks across Mexico. But they seethe at the condescending attitude of more than 45,000 troops sent to drug hot spots. Police say soldiers often treat them as if they are all corrupt.
"It's humiliating," said Jorge Castaneda, a 23-year veteran of the Monterrey police. "They pull you from your patrol car. They take away your cell phone, if you have one, and they even take your gun. We're here because we want to wear this uniform, but people don't appreciate our work."
THIS IS PROBABLY WHY IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA TO SEAL THE FRIGGIN BORDERS MR. PRESIDENT.....................
Sunday, November 8, 2009
SURPRISE, SURPRISE; LAND TRANSFER DEAL RAISES QUESTIONS
Land transfer deal raises questions
November 6, 2009
Asbury Park Press
In the Oct. 12 article "Land planned for corporate park in Lakewood subject to hearings," the Press reported that Cedarbridge Development Corp. purchased the land to be developed as a corporate park from Lakewood for $10 and sold it to Somerset Development for $9 million..
The article failed to address several important questions: Why was the $9 million transferred to a special interest group, Beth Medrash Govoha Yeshiva Educational Fund, instead of being held in escrow? Has there been an accounting of how the fund reinvested the $9 million? How will the money be used to develop the Cambridge Corporate Park?
Where is the resolution that gave the deputy mayor the authority to sign the contract and the deed to sell the land to Cedarbridge for $10? Why do the documents indicate the transfer to the education fund took place in March 2003 when Deputy Mayor Meir Lichtenstein signed the title documents on March 17, 2005?
It appears the Township Committee's negotiations on this were conducted behind closed doors. The lack of transparency makes it appear the committee acted to serve a special interest group and not the township.
Regardless of the reasons cited for the failure of Somerset and Cedarbridge to develop the corporate park as required by contract, the $9 million belongs to Lakewood taxpayers and should be deposited in escrow for the development of the Cedarbridge Corporate Park. And the land should be returned to the rightful owners — the taxpayers — and held until it has been determined how the park will be developed.
John W. Gage
LAKEWOOD
_________________________________________________________
COMMENTS:
agate5 wrote:
This stuff happens in Lakewood all the time. And I totally agree with John, the money should be put into escrow. Enough is Enough
ShoreToDecline wrote:
This is a great article as I myself was left scratching my head when I read the original ones pertaining to this transaction. How did it not raise more eyebrows is what I'm left wondering. Well, that and how was this not illegal in the first place? Federal law enforcement (since state doesn't seem up to the task) really need to step in here before the town is left bankrupt and destroyed.
IfIknewthen wrote:
Even more questionable. Committeeman, Robert Singer was given a seat on the Bd of Directors of an AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION for $50,000 per year by BMG shortly after voting in favor of this deal. When challenged about this he said "I have a family to feed." We need the feds to look into Lakewood's land transfers, HUD, Section 8 operations, Bd of Ed expenditures, NOW.
beachn8iv wrote:
Replying to IfIknewthen:
Even more questionable. Committeeman, Robert Singer was given a seat on the Bd of Directors of an AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION for $50,000 per year by BMG shortly after voting in favor of this deal. When challenged about this he said "I have a family to feed." We need the feds to look into Lakewood's land transfers, HUD, Section 8 operations, Bd of Ed expenditures, NOW.Yeah, Mazel tov with that. I guess you have to yet figure out who's running that little town.
thomcu wrote:
Special interests in Lakewood? Nah!
StoshTheMan wrote:
This whole thing stinks on ice. Since the Vaad backed the wrong horse, and the governor elect is an anti-corruption guy, maybe this, and other shady deals, will start to get some attention.
DIXIEDINER wrote:
The citizens of Lakewood were seriously cheated out of nearly $10 million.There is clearly a prima facie case here for illegal transfer of property.Remember Mayor of Newark Sharpe James ?Where are the funds and where are they being used and managed?Had the town sold the property for near what it was later sold for there would be no questions; hhence it is time for the AG to step in and clear the air.Is Dwork an advisor here?
tru2tom wrote:
Watch out Lakewood!This particular"special interest group"has taken over other places who allowed this Hasidic sect to buy its land.Just in the last few months in NY,these people have been responsible for using a private home to butcher a cow.This home had not received a CO because it added illegal school rooms.Although they received a fine the house and schoolrooms are still there.They also slaughter chickens.The remains of the chickens have feathered the streets and polluted our streams and waters.The Rabbi refused to pay the fine.They received $160 million of the stimulus package for a slaughter house which hasn't been built, has no permits and is opposed by the community.These people have no consideration for our laws or community relations.If Lakewood allows them to get away with this watch how quickly they take over.The Hasidim contribute to a campaign and then vote as a bloc.The bloc vote has elected the choice of the Hasidim.They have destroyed Ramapo and Lakewood is next!
November 6, 2009
Asbury Park Press
In the Oct. 12 article "Land planned for corporate park in Lakewood subject to hearings," the Press reported that Cedarbridge Development Corp. purchased the land to be developed as a corporate park from Lakewood for $10 and sold it to Somerset Development for $9 million..
The article failed to address several important questions: Why was the $9 million transferred to a special interest group, Beth Medrash Govoha Yeshiva Educational Fund, instead of being held in escrow? Has there been an accounting of how the fund reinvested the $9 million? How will the money be used to develop the Cambridge Corporate Park?
Where is the resolution that gave the deputy mayor the authority to sign the contract and the deed to sell the land to Cedarbridge for $10? Why do the documents indicate the transfer to the education fund took place in March 2003 when Deputy Mayor Meir Lichtenstein signed the title documents on March 17, 2005?
It appears the Township Committee's negotiations on this were conducted behind closed doors. The lack of transparency makes it appear the committee acted to serve a special interest group and not the township.
Regardless of the reasons cited for the failure of Somerset and Cedarbridge to develop the corporate park as required by contract, the $9 million belongs to Lakewood taxpayers and should be deposited in escrow for the development of the Cedarbridge Corporate Park. And the land should be returned to the rightful owners — the taxpayers — and held until it has been determined how the park will be developed.
John W. Gage
LAKEWOOD
_________________________________________________________
COMMENTS:
agate5 wrote:
This stuff happens in Lakewood all the time. And I totally agree with John, the money should be put into escrow. Enough is Enough
ShoreToDecline wrote:
This is a great article as I myself was left scratching my head when I read the original ones pertaining to this transaction. How did it not raise more eyebrows is what I'm left wondering. Well, that and how was this not illegal in the first place? Federal law enforcement (since state doesn't seem up to the task) really need to step in here before the town is left bankrupt and destroyed.
IfIknewthen wrote:
Even more questionable. Committeeman, Robert Singer was given a seat on the Bd of Directors of an AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION for $50,000 per year by BMG shortly after voting in favor of this deal. When challenged about this he said "I have a family to feed." We need the feds to look into Lakewood's land transfers, HUD, Section 8 operations, Bd of Ed expenditures, NOW.
beachn8iv wrote:
Replying to IfIknewthen:
Even more questionable. Committeeman, Robert Singer was given a seat on the Bd of Directors of an AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION for $50,000 per year by BMG shortly after voting in favor of this deal. When challenged about this he said "I have a family to feed." We need the feds to look into Lakewood's land transfers, HUD, Section 8 operations, Bd of Ed expenditures, NOW.Yeah, Mazel tov with that. I guess you have to yet figure out who's running that little town.
thomcu wrote:
Special interests in Lakewood? Nah!
StoshTheMan wrote:
This whole thing stinks on ice. Since the Vaad backed the wrong horse, and the governor elect is an anti-corruption guy, maybe this, and other shady deals, will start to get some attention.
DIXIEDINER wrote:
The citizens of Lakewood were seriously cheated out of nearly $10 million.There is clearly a prima facie case here for illegal transfer of property.Remember Mayor of Newark Sharpe James ?Where are the funds and where are they being used and managed?Had the town sold the property for near what it was later sold for there would be no questions; hhence it is time for the AG to step in and clear the air.Is Dwork an advisor here?
tru2tom wrote:
Watch out Lakewood!This particular"special interest group"has taken over other places who allowed this Hasidic sect to buy its land.Just in the last few months in NY,these people have been responsible for using a private home to butcher a cow.This home had not received a CO because it added illegal school rooms.Although they received a fine the house and schoolrooms are still there.They also slaughter chickens.The remains of the chickens have feathered the streets and polluted our streams and waters.The Rabbi refused to pay the fine.They received $160 million of the stimulus package for a slaughter house which hasn't been built, has no permits and is opposed by the community.These people have no consideration for our laws or community relations.If Lakewood allows them to get away with this watch how quickly they take over.The Hasidim contribute to a campaign and then vote as a bloc.The bloc vote has elected the choice of the Hasidim.They have destroyed Ramapo and Lakewood is next!
Monday, November 2, 2009
SOMETHING SMELLS FISHY IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Meanwhile, pay no attention to this drug bust in NJ.
Posted by Moe Lane (Profile)
Saturday, October 31st
The Corzine campaign wants it made CLEAR that Jason Shih is in no way, shape, or form involved with the releection campaign; that Mr. Shih is certainly not an assistant campaign director or staffer for the campaign; that they have no idea who Mr. Shih would even be, let alone why he would claim such a status; or why he would claim that the car that he was driving at the time of his drug bust was rented by the campaign, or why there were tickets to an Obama rally and other campaign paraphernalia mixed in with the drug paraphernalia.
Understand? They want it made CLEAR.
AND I HAVE A BRIDGE FOR SALE IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED....
Posted by Moe Lane (Profile)
Saturday, October 31st
The Corzine campaign wants it made CLEAR that Jason Shih is in no way, shape, or form involved with the releection campaign; that Mr. Shih is certainly not an assistant campaign director or staffer for the campaign; that they have no idea who Mr. Shih would even be, let alone why he would claim such a status; or why he would claim that the car that he was driving at the time of his drug bust was rented by the campaign, or why there were tickets to an Obama rally and other campaign paraphernalia mixed in with the drug paraphernalia.
Understand? They want it made CLEAR.
AND I HAVE A BRIDGE FOR SALE IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED....
AMERICA'S BIGGEST LITTLE ELECTION
The Point: America's Biggest Little Election
11/2/09
(Nov. 2) -- There are only two congressional elections Tuesday, but one of them is turning out to be a real doozy. In what pundits are treating as a microcosm of the battle for the soul of the GOP, Republican Dede Scozzafava abruptly quit the race in New York's 23rd District and endorsed a Democrat instead of the Conservative Party candidate.
Pressure from conservatives who rallied around third-party challenger Doug Hoffman -- including such potential Republican presidential candidates as Sarah Palin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty -- forced Scozzafava to give up. Another possible 2012 contender, Newt Gingrich, took a pounding from the right for backing Scozzafava. Gingrich threw his support to Hoffman after her withdrawal but warned against letting conservative leaders "anoint people without regard to ... local choices.
"Scozzafava was picked by Republican county leaders, but critics blasted her as the choice of inside-the-Beltway Republicans, not grassroots conservatives. The state assemblywoman who supports gay rights and abortion rights -- and who's married to a labor activist -- was branded a "radical leftist" by conservative bloggers such as Michelle Malkin.GOP leaders hope Scozzafava's departure will clear the way for voters to unite behind Hoffman. Although she threw her support to Democrat Bill Owens, saying he'd be best for the district, her campaign manager jumped to the Hoffman camp.
Owens was looking to split his opposition to win the House seat for his party for the first time in more than a century. Now that it's a two-man race, surveys indicate the contest is still close. Hoffman said he needs Scozzafava's supporters to win.
Polling guru Nate Silver called the race "utterly fascinating" and "nearly impossible to forecast."The political calculus of this contest is so complex that an outcome which emboldens conservatives could also be good news for liberals. "Palin's exclusionary, storm-the-barricades brand of Republicanism" will hurt the party in the long run, Politics Daily's Jill Lawrence predicted.
A victory for the Tea Party movement in NY-23 will signal a new phase in "The Great Purge," according to Washington Monthly's Steve Benen. The New York Times' Frank Rich even raised the specter of Stalinism.
Rich noted it was President Obama's decision to appoint Rep. John McHugh as secretary of the Army that led to this special election. His Halloween column called it a "devilish political move" that has triggered a bloody civil war within the GOP. Given all the hand-wringing in New York, the candidates in Tuesday's other special election to fill an open House seat probably don't mind being overlooked.
In California's 10th Congressional District, Democrat John Garamendi is facing Republican David Harmer -- and nobody is worried about how the outcome will affect either party.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HOW THEY MENTION THE TEA PARTY.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ELECTED AND ARE ROYALLY FORGETTING WHAT THEIR COLLECTIVE PURPOSES ARE, SHOULD ALSO WORRY ABOUT THE INFLUENCE OF THE TEA PARTIES ALL ACROSS THIS GREAT NATION.
THE LION HAS AWOKEN!!
CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?????!!!!!
GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!
11/2/09
(Nov. 2) -- There are only two congressional elections Tuesday, but one of them is turning out to be a real doozy. In what pundits are treating as a microcosm of the battle for the soul of the GOP, Republican Dede Scozzafava abruptly quit the race in New York's 23rd District and endorsed a Democrat instead of the Conservative Party candidate.
Pressure from conservatives who rallied around third-party challenger Doug Hoffman -- including such potential Republican presidential candidates as Sarah Palin and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty -- forced Scozzafava to give up. Another possible 2012 contender, Newt Gingrich, took a pounding from the right for backing Scozzafava. Gingrich threw his support to Hoffman after her withdrawal but warned against letting conservative leaders "anoint people without regard to ... local choices.
"Scozzafava was picked by Republican county leaders, but critics blasted her as the choice of inside-the-Beltway Republicans, not grassroots conservatives. The state assemblywoman who supports gay rights and abortion rights -- and who's married to a labor activist -- was branded a "radical leftist" by conservative bloggers such as Michelle Malkin.GOP leaders hope Scozzafava's departure will clear the way for voters to unite behind Hoffman. Although she threw her support to Democrat Bill Owens, saying he'd be best for the district, her campaign manager jumped to the Hoffman camp.
Owens was looking to split his opposition to win the House seat for his party for the first time in more than a century. Now that it's a two-man race, surveys indicate the contest is still close. Hoffman said he needs Scozzafava's supporters to win.
Polling guru Nate Silver called the race "utterly fascinating" and "nearly impossible to forecast."The political calculus of this contest is so complex that an outcome which emboldens conservatives could also be good news for liberals. "Palin's exclusionary, storm-the-barricades brand of Republicanism" will hurt the party in the long run, Politics Daily's Jill Lawrence predicted.
A victory for the Tea Party movement in NY-23 will signal a new phase in "The Great Purge," according to Washington Monthly's Steve Benen. The New York Times' Frank Rich even raised the specter of Stalinism.
Rich noted it was President Obama's decision to appoint Rep. John McHugh as secretary of the Army that led to this special election. His Halloween column called it a "devilish political move" that has triggered a bloody civil war within the GOP. Given all the hand-wringing in New York, the candidates in Tuesday's other special election to fill an open House seat probably don't mind being overlooked.
In California's 10th Congressional District, Democrat John Garamendi is facing Republican David Harmer -- and nobody is worried about how the outcome will affect either party.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HOW THEY MENTION THE TEA PARTY.
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ELECTED AND ARE ROYALLY FORGETTING WHAT THEIR COLLECTIVE PURPOSES ARE, SHOULD ALSO WORRY ABOUT THE INFLUENCE OF THE TEA PARTIES ALL ACROSS THIS GREAT NATION.
THE LION HAS AWOKEN!!
CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?????!!!!!
GET OUT THERE AND VOTE!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
