2005: Dean: GOP to Scapegoat Immigrants in Next Election

[madfloridian]

From 2005. Dean predicted many times that the Republicans were going to use immigration to divide us. It is terrible what they are urging...the criminalization of good Samaritans who help those in need. I have seen many posts here saying it is a losing issue for Democrats. No, standing up for those who are the least among us is never a losing issue. Never.

Dean: Immigration is next wedge
http://polstate.com/2005/07/15/dean-immigration-is-next-wedge/

July 15, 2005
USA: Dean: Immigration is next wedge

In his speeches this week around the country, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has been saying Republicans will make immigration their next major wedge issue. From Idaho - where he spoke Friday before several hundred people in near-100 temperatures - to Colorado and Wisconsin, Dean has been blasting GOP leaders for using the immigration debate as a new way to divide Americans. Expect more this weekend when Dean is among the featured speakers at the National Council of La Raza conference in Philadelphia.

Speaking Thursday in Denver, Dean was critical of Republican congressmen Bob Beauprez and Tom Tancredo, whom he said used fear to divide constituents along racial lines. And trading barbs with Republican chairman Ken Mehlman at the NAACP convention in Milwaukee, where both spoke Thursday, Dean said, “We’re not going to divide Americans to win elections. The Republican Party’s ‘Southern Strategy’ used in the 1960s and 1970s lives today. In 2000, they used the racially charged word “quota” to divide African Americans. In 2004, they used gay marriage. And just you wait; in 2006 its going to be immigrants.”

And from August 2005:
Dean: GOP to Scapegoat Immigrants in Next Election
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,164948,00.html

EDINBURG, Texas — Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean (search) argued on Friday that Republicans will try to make immigrants the "scapegoats" in the next election.

At a rally, Dean garnered the loudest applause when he said Republicans would make immigration a pivotal issue during upcoming elections, as they did gay marriage and affirmative action in previous elections.

"Do you know who the scapegoats are going to be? Immigrants," he said. "In Colorado, the chairman of the Republican Party endorsed Tom Tancredo (search) for re-election. That is morally reprehensible. The governor of California, a supposed moderate Republican, invited the Minutemen to visit California. We do not need vigilante justice."

Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., has drawn the ire of Hispanic groups in calling for tougher immigration enforcement and a proposal to tax some of the money immigrants send home. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (search), in a radio interview in April, said the civilian border patrols known as the Minutemen "have done a terrific job."

And from December 2005:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/03/AR2005120300821.html
Dean Hammers Bush On War, Immigration
DNC Chief Gives Preview of '06 Race

"PHOENIX, Dec. 3 -- Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean offered a preview of the 2006 elections here Saturday with a blistering critique of President Bush's policies on Iraq and immigration and the Republicans' ethics scandals. But he warned Democrats they cannot expect to win next year without offering an agenda of their own.

Speaking at the fall meeting of the Democratic National Committee, Dean pledged that Democrats would offer tax policies aimed at middle-class voters, a plan to provide health insurance to all Americans, immigration proposals that offer a path to legalization for illegal immigrants, and defense policies that would protect the nation and expose the "hollow promises" of the Bush administration."

Saying Bush had used race and gay rights to divide the electorate, Dean said, "In 2006, it's going to be immigration; that's who he's going to scapegoat next." He said Democrats must favor tougher enforcement of existing immigration laws and provide tighter border security, but said a balanced immigration policy would provide a way to give many of the 11 million illegal immigrants a path to legal status."

Dean speaking in Phoenix in December.

[mdmc]

1. kick / r

[Rainscents]

2. K & R !!!

:kick:

[silverweb]

3. And he's right.

As always.

[savemefromdumbya]

4. The Doctor has always been right - all along

no one would listen to him re: Iraq. He's always a step ahead.

The rest seem like tired old donkeys!

[madfloridian]

5. A group of Evangelical Hispanic clergy met with Dean at the DNC this week.

They are alarmed at the implications of this legislation. From the DNC blog.

http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/03/human_approach.php#comments003431

Humane Approach to Immigration Reform

"The following entry was submitted by Albert Morales of the American Majority Project. Albert also runs the DNC's Blog/Foro Latino, "No Room at the Inn." -- Tim)

This week a group of Evangelical Hispanic Clergy traveled to Washington DC to press for a comprehensive and humane approach to immigration reform. The clergy are dismayed and disappointed with the President's endorsement of the Sensenbrenner immigration reform bill (HR 4437). One provision of the bill would require fines or imprisonment of anyone, including clergy, for up to five years if they provide spiritual counsel or humanitarian aid--or possibly, even communion--to undocumented immigrants.

The clergy joined Gov. Dean and DNC staff for breakfast this morning. Gov. Dean has just delivered a message of hope and faith that working together, people of good will can defeat any legislation that seeks to undermine and criminalize acts of charity by people of faith. As Cardinal Mahony wrote in the New York Times yesterday, "current law does not require social service agencies to obtain evidence of legal status before rendering aid, nor should it. Denying aid to a fellow human being violates a law with a higher authority than Congress - the law of God." (You can view Cardinal Mahony's commentary at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/22/opinion/22mahony.html?hp

Democrats are united in opposing attempts by the far-right to criminalize the good works of men and women, like the ministers who have traveled to Washington from all across America to make the case for compassionate and comprehensive reform. We have to protect our borders, but scapegoating immigrants is not the way to do it. It is time for the president to call off the dogs..."

[Crazy Guggenheim]

6. Incredible! He always turns out right.

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[paul_fromatlanta]

7. Republicans are more divided on this than Dems

This is the issue that conservatives are most likely to turn against President Bush over.

[madfloridian]

8. And the Democrats are a little closer to Bush's position. So odd.

Dean always said that Bush was "catering" to the right wing, using them, and not really on board with them. He said he knew Bush as governor was not so extreme. The whole thing is so odd and so scary...to criminalize people who help those in need.

[paul_fromatlanta]

15. Yep, domestic spending up 8% first term..the highest since FDR

I would even argue that invading Iraq was not "conservative."

[Iris]

9. Thank God he's saying this.

It has not been fun to see people around here get sucked in by the GOP hate machine lately.

[madfloridian]

13. I have noticed that here.

It has really surprised me a lot, that so many at a Democratic forum would dismiss that aspect of this bill....criminalizing people who care for people.

[shanti]

10. yes, an issue to divide and conquer

and one to take our eyes off of what's REALLY going on in the white house! :grr:

[OKthatsIT]

11. THIS WOULD BE THE RIGHT TIME TO LEAD ~ Where do the Dems stand

Where's the leadership?
Where's the platform....don't have one? GET ONE!
We had laws aimed at the employers. These laws have been ignored, for the most part.

[madfloridian]

12. I just posted a lot of their stance, and most Democrats agree.

I posted the thread to show that Dean and others have been pointing this out for close to a year.

Here is something...

http://www.axcessnews.com/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=8816

Washington - President Bush once again affirmed his position on visas for temporary foreign workers during a meeting in the Roosevelt room of the White House Thursday on immigration reform.

The President opened the immigration reform meeting by saying, "Our government must enforce our borders; we've got plans in place to do so. But part of enforcing our borders is to have a guest worker program that encourages people to register their presence so that we know who they are."

Democrats do not disagree with providing foreign workers temporary visas, but they want do want immigration reform to go a step further and offer workers a chance at citizenship, a move Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean says would prevent exploitation of immigrant workers, and offer immigrants who have earned it the opportunities and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship."

And more on it:
http://www.alipac.us/article1042.html

Dean Calls on Republican Party Leadership to Denounce Minutemen and Anti-Immigrant Rally

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement today as Republican Party extremist Tom Tancredo joined Minuteman Project co-founder Jim Gilchrist for an anti-immigrant rally at the United States Capitol. Tancredo's extremist divisive views received the endorsement of Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman last July with Mehlman stating that he was "proud" to have Tancredo's extremism as part of the debate on immigration:

Topics: Howard Dean, illegal immigration, Democrat, Democrats, Republican, GOP, DNC, RNC, Minuteman Project

2/10/2006
Press Release Washington, DC
The Democratic Party

"If President Bush were serious about comprehensive immigration reform, he would reject the anti-immigrant fervor on display today, and revisit his half hearted guest worker program whose piecemeal approach fails to address this critical issue. I call on President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman to denounce today's divisive Minuteman rally and to join Democrats in offering a real comprehensive approach to reforming our nation's immigration policy.

"Democrats are committed to strengthening our borders and enforcing our immigration laws, but there is no place in this debate for the reckless scapegoating of immigrants, nor the private vigilantism that only fosters hostility against them. President Bush's failure to provide leadership on immigration reform and to enforce our border laws is leaving state and local governments to bear the burden. Americans need effective leadership and solutions, not the Karl Rove playbook on divisiveness."

[GRLMGC]

14. He is very right

Horrible things happen when whole groups of people are scapegoated.

[madfloridian]

16. Also called on GOP to denounce Minutemen and anti-immigrant rally.

http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/02/dean_calls_on_r_1.php

"Dean Calls on Republican Party Leadership to Denounce Minutemen and Anti-Immigrant Rally
February 10, 2006

Washington, DC - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the following statement today as Republican Party extremist Tom Tancredo joined Minuteman Project co-founder Jim Gilchrist for an anti-immigrant rally at the United States Capitol. Tancredo's extremist divisive views received the endorsement of Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman last July with Mehlman stating that he was "proud" to have Tancredo's extremism as part of the debate on immigration:

"If President Bush were serious about comprehensive immigration reform, he would reject the anti-immigrant fervor on display today, and revisit his half hearted guest worker program whose piecemeal approach fails to address this critical issue. I call on President Bush, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, House Speaker Dennis Hastert, and Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman to denounce today's divisive Minuteman rally and to join Democrats in offering a real comprehensive approach to reforming our nation's immigration policy.

"Democrats are committed to strengthening our borders and enforcing our immigration laws, but there is no place in this debate for the reckless scapegoating of immigrants, nor the private vigilantism that only fosters hostility against them. President Bush's failure to provide leadership on immigration reform and to enforce our border laws is leaving state and local governments to bear the burden. Americans need effective leadership and solutions, not the Karl Rove playbook on divisiveness."

[Festivito]

17. Another sElection another minority scapegoat.

MINORITIES:
The pre-voting agers.
Blacks to the runaway Dixiecrats.
The intelligent.
The gays.
The gays who want to marry.
The abortion aged and sexed.
The Islamic.
Now workers illegally here (albeit employed by a nameless someone or something--shhhhh).

Divide and conquer.
Here it comes again.

[madfloridian]

18. They are very good at doing that.

:hi: