Fwd: MyHeritage.org: Real immigration reform, not rushed amnesty

FEATURED VIDEO Watch Heritage's new video explaining why the financial bill sponsored by Senator Dodd (D-CT) does not provide real reform and is riddled with flaws, including sustaining the "too big to fail" culture that led to the financial crisis. More videos » April 30, 2010 | By Amanda J. Reinecker Real immigration reform, not rushed amnesty One thing all sides can agree on is that Congress has been hard at work as it rushes to push through the left's radical agenda. President Obama himself admitted, "I've been working Congress pretty hard." That's exactly why he indicated on Wednesday that he would not try to push through amnesty for illegal immigrants this year. But, oh, how quickly things change in Washington. Shortly after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Robert Menendez (D - NJ) introduced an immigration reform proposal -- the same in most respects as the rejected 2007 amnesty bill -- the Obama administration agreed to take "an active role" in sculpting the bill. Conservatives in Congress are already castigating the attempt, and even some liberal lawmakers express doubts that legislation this large and controversial can be squeezed into the agenda during an election year. Even Sen. Lindsey Graham, the lone Republican working on comprehensive immigration reform, told the Washington Post, "if you bring up immigration in this climate, you'll divide the country further." Illegal immigration does need to be addressed. But rushing through amnesty-based legislation disguised as "comprehensive" reform is not the way to go about it. The process must be gradual, must be based on fundamental principles, and must uphold the rule of law. The Heritage Foundation's Conn Carroll explains: An appropriate solution would reject amnesty; apply appropriate security to the border; work as a partner with Mexico in helping them address economic and civil society reform and combating transnational crime; enforce workplace and immigration laws in partnership with state and local governments; pilot effective temporary worker programs that help employers get the employees they need to help grow the economy; and reform our visa, immigration and citizenship services. The Reid-Schumer plan, he writes, does none of this. Ill-conceived proposals such as this, argues Heritage's Jena McNeil, make it "abundantly clear that the federal government refuses to make the right decisions in terms of enforcing the law and making the critical reforms necessary to drive down illegal immigration." The Heritage Foundation has advocated state and local innovation when it comes to immigration enforcement. The recently-passed Arizona immigration law is a good example of how states can and should do more. Not only does the new law crack down on illegal immigration, but it is a healthy exercise of a state's Constitutional rights. The 10th Amendment preserves the power of the states to police their own jurisdictions. As Heritage expert Matt Mayer explains, the Supreme Court upheld the 10th Amendment's federalist principles in Plyer v. Doe. The court held that, "despite the exclusive federal control of this Nation's borders, we cannot conclude that the States are without power to deter the influx of persons entering the United States against federal law, and whose numbers might have a discernible impact on traditional state concerns." As Heritage has long argued, the United States was established on principles that support welcoming new residents through immigration and naturalization. Unfortunately, over time, immigration policy has become skewed as a debate between unfettered immigration and none at all. Before settling on another disastrous and divisive proposal, lawmakers should take a breath and work toward a phased approach to immigration reform centered on border security, interior enforcement, and legal immigration processes. » Visit Heritage's immigration issue page for all our latest research, videos, and blog posts about immigration. Live webcast Tuesday with Rep. Eric Cantor On Tuesday, May 4 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) will deliver a key note address on the importance of national security and keeping America safe. His speech to members of The Heritage Foundation's President's Club marks the start of Protect America Month, a month-long effort to highlight critical national defense issues. Heritage fellow and former Senator Jim Talent will deliver introductory remarks. We hope you'll join us online for this live webcast on Tuesday. Download a full schedule of Protect America Month events. > Other Heritage Work of Note Heritage's Lindsey Burke writes about important developments for school choice: "School choice is on the march in Illinois. And if the Rev. Senator James Meeks (D-15) has his way, 22,000 children stand to gain a lifeline out of failing public schools in the Prairie State. Senator Meeks introduced the school choice bill, which passed out of the Senate in March. Last Thursday, the Illinois House Executive Committee approved the measure, and the legislation now awaits action any day in the full House." Let us know what you think. Post your comments on this important subject. It's no secret that President Obama has been irresolute on nearly every policy his administration has proposed. Interestingly, there is one area in which he is woefully consistent-- his apologetic, enemy-pacifying foreign policy. Obama has held countless summits and conferences, explains Heritage Vice President Kim Holmes, none of which have confronted the elephant in the room—Iran's nuclear weapons policy. "Mr. Obama thinks that backing our friends too energetically will provoke our enemies. If we show Iran and Russia that we really don't care that much about Israel or Poland, the thinking goes, maybe they'll back off." In a rare demonstration of candor by mainstream news outlets, reports surfaced earlier this week that the left's assault on Wall Street was a planned, calculated political move to make conservatives appear beholden to financial giants. The reality, however, could not be more different, writes Heritage's Mike Franc. "Politically, if not culturally, the denizens of Wall Street reside comfortably in the Democratic column." If they succeed in fooling the public, they had better hope that nobody decides to search Wall Street's 2008 Democratic campaign contributions. The controversial Puerto Rico Democracy Act, a contentious piece of legislation currently being debated on the Hill, puts U.S. statehood for Puerto rice in the realm of imminent possibility. But the bill uses unprecedented language and offers a voting process that clearly deviates from the process of statehood used for Alaska and Hawaii. Heritage's Brian Darling explains the problem: "This vote is rigged. The Puerto Rican people have rejected statehood on three occasions. The obvious question is: why would we expect this vote to be different?" His answer: "because the proponents of statehood have set up a false choice in the voting process." To the chagrin of big-government proponents everywhere, the vast majority of the U.S. Senate—85 members total—stood up against the institution value-addded tax on April 15. These lawmakers recognized that if a VAT were added, we would be one step closer to emulating the European economic model. If instated, the revenues from a VAT would help fund even more government spending, says Heritage's J.D. Foster.  "Obama and friends hope to avoid reversing course on spending by convincing American taxpayers that when the debt crisis finally reaches the U.S. they will have to suck it up and go VAT." Join Heritage at the Family Research Council Action's Values Voter Summit 2010 in Washington, DC, from September 17-19. The event will feature prominent conservatives including Phyllis Schlafly, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), Bill Bennett, Star Parker, and many more. Heritage will hold a screening of Let Me Rise and host a panel discussion about the connections between social and economic conservatism. Register at ValuesVoterSummit.org. > In other news California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced California's full support for Obamacare on Thursday, saying that it's time "set politics aside." Of course, if we leave politics aside, Obamacare is still bad policy. A massive oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico has prompted the federal government to suspend all new offshore oil drilling. About 210,000 gallons of oil is spewing daily after an accident at an offshore deepwater well. Beijing has issued new rules limiting families in the city to one home. Banks have been blocked from issuing mortgages to anyone purchasing a second home. Amanda Reinecker is a writer for MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation. Nathaniel Ward, the Editor of MyHeritage.org, and Eva Brates, a member of Heritage's Young Leaders Program, contributed to this report.  Donate    |   Heritage on Facebook View as HTML  |   Update Your Profile   |   Unsubscribe

Fwd: Silence From U.S. and Its Allies Allowed Iran to Get Seat on U.N. Women?s Rights Body

Today's Headlines Friday, April 30, 2010

Silence From U.S. and Its Allies Allowed Iran to Get Seat on U.N. Women's Rights Body (CNSNews.com) - The United States and 12 other Western democracies kept silent this week as Iran was nominated for membership on the United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women, thus enabling Iran to get the seat. Iran, whose treatment of women has drawn criticism from human rights groups, will now help set U.N. policy on gender equality and the advancement of women. Arizona Congressman Who Represents Border District Walks Away When Asked If He's Committed to Sealing Border Against Drug Traffic (CNSNews.com) - Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who represents a congressional district that includes 300 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, walked away when CNSNews.com asked him whether he was committed to sealing the border against the influx of illegal drugs. He shouted back at the reporter that it was "punkish" to ask the question. Rep. Blumenauer: Altering Roads for Pedestrians, Bicyclists Will Boost 'Community Vitality' (CNSNews.com) - Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) said roads should be designed "to take into account all the needs of the community" and foster "balanced transportation," which in turn makes it more desirable for people to go about their business and "participate in community vitality." Obama Gives Unions a 'Massive Payback' with Executive Order, Contractors Claim (CNSNews.com) – The nation's non-union contractors, who constitute the bulk of the construction industry, say President Obama has given a "massive payback" to unions by issuing an executive order that will help them secure billions of dollars in construction contracts on public projects. Critics say the move is unfair to non-union workers who represent about 85 percent of the construction industry. Census Still 'Struggling' With IT Problems That May Affect Count's Accuracy (CNSNews.com) – The U.S. Census Bureau is still having problems with its computer system that handles the data for households that did not return a census form. However, the Census Bureau director said the system has successfully printed out the assignments for the enumerators who will conduct in-person interviews with households that did not mail in their forms. Arizona Governor's Approval Rating Jumps 16 Points After Signing Immigration Law (CNSNews.com) – With the media and the nation zeroed in on the immigration debate in the state of Arizona, Gov. Jan Brewer (R) received a 16-point bump in her approval rating after signing the current immigration bill into law. Most Arizonans welcome a new immigration law, as 64 percent support the current legislation. CNSNEWS.COM VIDEO Puerto Rican Leaders Argue for Statehood on Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - Top leaders in the Puerto Rican government told CNSNews.com they want Puerto Rico to become a U.S. state. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a measure on Thursday that will permit Puerto Ricans to vote on a ballot that, as one option, would allow the statehood process to begin. Harrison Ford to Green Critics: 'I'll Walk Everywhere When They Walk Everywhere' (CNSNews.com) - Actor, environmental activist and pilot Harrison Ford, who owns seven airplanes, told his environmental critics that he will "start walking everywhere when they start walking everywhere." Ford spoke on Capitol Hill Tuesday at an event sponsored by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. OTHER CNSNEWS.COM HEADLINES Obama Puts New Oil Drilling on Hold As Gulf of Mexico Spill Worsens Oil Spill: First A Containable Accident, Then Suddenly A Crisis BP Shares Dip, Recover Ground Amid Oil Disaster Rig Explosion Dirties BP's Green Image Obama's Justice Department Opens Criminal Probe of Goldman Sachs Union Workers March on Wall Street, Protest Big Banks Clinton, Speaking to Jewish Audience, Warns Iran and Syria on Threats to Israel Congress Approves Referendum on Puerto Rico's Future Hawaii Lawmakers OK Civil Unions, Send Bill to Governor Federal Prosecutors Tell Judge She's Misreading Militia Case Britain's Conservative Party Leader Gains Momentum After Final Debate Donate Today! Please help CNSNews.com keep bringing you 'The Right News - Right Now!' Make a contribution to CNSNews.com today. It's fast, simple and secure. Help CNSNews.com and Donate Today!  NEWSPAPER ROUNDUP: N.J. comptroller questions $17.7M in federal stimulus funds spent on youth jobs Congress considering black-box requirement for autos; 'vehicle safety user fee' Judiciary panel advances bill to compel Supreme Court to televise proceedings Mass. anti-bullying bill approved; One of toughest measures in US Geithner tells panel that more has to be done to help homeowners avoid foreclosure Democrat calls Big Oil CEOs to testify as probes into Gulf of Mexico spill intensify Denver Public Schools announces ban on work-related travel to Arizona Arizona storm victims denied federal relief Congressman calls for deporting US-born children of illegal aliens Democrats spark alarm with call for national ID card Chinese automaker to open headquarters in downtown L.A. Legislation would let RI wind farm bypass RI Public Utilities Commission Washington Metro system proceeds with big fare hike NJ transit fare increases for trains, bus routes set to take effect Proposed law in Mexico would punish doctors who don't suggest abortion Swine flu kills 14th person in Palm Beach County COMMENTARY Stand Up for Arizona By Patrick J. Buchanan Since Gov. Jan Brewer signed a new immigration law a week ago, Arizona has been subjected to savage attack as the modern embodiment of Jim Crow, apartheid and Nazism. Few have risen in the state's defense. In a particularly offensive smear, Mexican President Felipe Calderon charged Arizona with opening the door "to intolerance, hate, discrimination and abuse in law enforcement." And what was the reaction of the Great Apologist Obama to this slander of an American state by the leader of a neighboring nation? None. One wonders if Barack Obama will ever stand up to foreign leaders' abusing the nation that awarded him its highest honor. Barack Obama, America's Selective Salary Policeman By Michelle Malkin President Obama spoke the most revealing and clarifying 10 words of his control-freak administration this week: "I think at some point you have made enough money." But while Obama lectures on the morality of salary caps for everyone else, his own cabinet is filled with fabulously wealthy CEOs and statist creatures who have parlayed government employment into private gain. Superheroes and Slashers By L. Brent Bozell III While Hollywood and its cynical media surrogates loved the gory film 'Kick Ass' -- featuring an 11-year-old girl as a vigilante mass murderer -- the public has dismissed the film as pure junk. We still want out heroes to be heroic.

Fwd: MRC Alert: CBS Trumpets Opposition to 'Notorious' Arizona Law from One Cop and Linda Ronstadt, Already Finds 'Chilling Effect'

 

A daily compilation edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert items are drawn from daily BiasAlert posts and distributed by the Media Research Center's News Analysis Division, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

 

Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
Friday April 30, 2010 @ 10:57 AM EDT

1. CBS Trumpets Opposition to 'Notorious' Arizona Law from One Cop and Linda Ronstadt, Already Finds 'Chilling Effect'
CBS won't let go of liberal efforts against the new immigration enforcement law in Arizona. A night after Katie Couric focused on "the backlash against Arizona's new immigration law. San Francisco bans official travel to that state," she teased Thursday's CBS Evening News by trumpeting a lawsuit against it from a lone police officer: "The latest response to Arizona's new immigration law? Sue the state. We'll tell you who is." She soon cited how "the first lawsuits were filed today challenging it, including one by a Tucson police officer who claims the law is unconstitutional." Reporter Bill Whitaker presumed Arizona has earned "notoriety," instead of popularity for a law with majority support, as he began: "Six days after Arizona gained notice and notoriety with the toughest anti-immigration law in the country, protests are building, opposing sides are hardening, outside pressure is mounting. Today opponents turned on a little star power: Mexican-American singer Linda Ronstadt spoke out."

2. 'Crackpot' Republicans Behind 'Lunatic Magnet' Arizona's 'Crackpot' Immigration Law
Former New York Times reporter Timothy Egan is not a fan of the new illegal immigration crackdown in Arizona, a state he calls a "lunatic magnet": "The crackpot laws owe their genesis to the crackpots who dominate Republican politics, who in turn cannot get elected without the backing of crackpot media."

3. MSNBC: Charlie Crist Independent Run Shows GOP Pushing Out Moderates
During Thursday's 11AM ET hour on MSNBC, anchor Tamron Hall asked former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean about Florida Governor Charlie Crist's expected announcement to run as an independent in that state's senate race: "Is this a sign that people, perhaps centrists or moderates, like Charlie Crist, have no place in this new emerging Republican Party?" Later, in the 1PM ET hour show Andrea Mitchell Reports, host Andrea Mitchell opened the program: "Charlie Crist expected to make it official later today, running as an independent in the Florida senate race. Is he leaving the party or did they leave him?"

4. NBC's Andrea Mitchell Sides With U.K. Prime Minister, Slams Voter as a Bigot
On Thursday's Morning Joe, NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell appeared and seemed to agree with Britain's Prime Minister that a voter he met was a bigot. Discussing Gordon Brown's April 28 comments, which were caught on a live mic, Mitchell defended, "And what he said is not actually that offensive...I mean, it was an honest opinion."

5. Time Places 'Moron' NewsBusters on 'Least Influential' List
Time magazine's website on Thursday named me [MRC news analyst Matthew Balan] to their tongue-in-cheek "Least Influential People of 2010" list, ranking me with other notables such as Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, MSNBC anchor David Shuster, and Clarence Thomas. Contributor Joel Stein stated that he was "short on morons" to put on his list, so he picked me [Balan] after CNN anchor Rick Sanchez told him about our recent dispute. The Time writer got to me after listing three-pages-worth of notables. I was immediately preceded by actor Joaquin Phoenix, "political extremist" Lyndon LaRouche, and Justice Thomas. Stein detailed that "Rick Sanchez told me to put him on because they got in a fight about whether Sanchez was serious or kidding about being surprised volcanoes exist in cold places like Iceland. I forgot to ask Rick what category he thinks Balan should go in, but I was short on morons so I put him here."

6. Oops: CNN, WaPo Jumped on CAIR's License Plate 'Hate' Theory, Now Disproved
On April 22 and 27, CNN and The Washington Post both helped forward Islamic advocacy group CAIR's publicity stunt which demeaned an anonymous Virginia motorist as a racist. The Post finally found the driver on Thursday – and apparently, both news outlets jumped the gun, as the owner claimed that the numbers on his license plate were a tribute to his favorite NASCAR drivers, not secret code for "Heil Hitler." Anchor Rick Sanchez devoted a brief on his Rick's List program on Tuesday to presenting CAIR's side of the story on the controversy. After showing a picture of the pickup truck and the plate in question, as well as the anti-Islamic message on the truck's tailgate, Sanchez explained that "CAIR...also noticed the vanity license plate. It reads '14CV88.' CAIR says that is a coded hate message. We're told the number eight is for the eighth letter in the alphabet, 'H.' Two eights equals 'H.H.' for 'Heil Hitler.' Fourteen represents imprisoned white supremacist David Lane's motto about securing the future for white children." The anchor didn't mention the owner's side of the story.

7. ABC Thrills Over 'Rising Star' Charlie Crist's 'Declaration of Independence' From GOP, Grilled Lieberman
ABC's Good Morning America on Thursday gushed over "rising star" Charlie Crist's decision to leave the Republican Party and run as an independent in the Florida Senate race. Next to a graphic that read "Declaration of Independence," co-host George Stephanopoulos speculated, "Is this trouble for Republicans? Will more independents rise up?"

---

 

CBS Trumpets Opposition to 'Notorious' Arizona Law from One Cop and Linda Ronstadt, Already Finds 'Chilling Effect'

 

CBS won't let go of liberal efforts against the new immigration enforcement law in Arizona. A night after Katie Couric focused on "the backlash against Arizona's new immigration law. San Francisco bans official travel to that state," she teased Thursday's CBS Evening News by trumpeting a lawsuit against it from a lone police officer: "The latest response to Arizona's new immigration law? Sue the state. We'll tell you who is." She soon cited how "the first lawsuits were filed today challenging it, including one by a Tucson police officer who claims the law is unconstitutional."

Reporter Bill Whitaker presumed Arizona has earned "notoriety," instead of popularity for a law with majority support, as he began:

Six days after Arizona gained notice and notoriety with the toughest anti-immigration law in the country, protests are building, opposing sides are hardening, outside pressure is mounting. Today opponents turned on a little star power: Mexican-American singer Linda Ronstadt spoke out....She endorsed the first of what's likely to be a flurry of opposition lawsuits.

The law doesn't take effect for several months, Whitaker noted, "but many citizens say it's having a chilling effect already. Listen as we talk to this immigrant rights worker." Viewers then heard a male voice: "Why don't you go back to Mexico if it's so great, man?" Whitaker acknowledged some local governments "are pushing for Arizona-style immigration laws," but countered with how "many more cities are lining up in opposition. Dozens are threatening to cut all business ties with Arizona."

Oh, and this was Whitaker's last sentence: "Just yesterday, the U.S. Border Patrol picked up 105 immigrants crossing the border near Tucson illegally."

Just as on Wednesday, the soundbites ran 4-to-1 against Arizona's law.

Earlier:

- Wednesday night: "Couric Touts San Francisco as Proof of 'Backlash Against Arizona's New Immigration Law'"

- Tuesday night: "ABC and NBC Champion 'Growing National Backlash' Against 'Laughing Stock' Arizona"

- Monday night: "CBS Again Focuses on Victims in Arizona: 'Many Feel the Sting of Racism in New Law'"

- Friday night: "CBS Frames Arizona's Anti-Illegal Alien Law Through Eyes of Opponents: 'Veto Racism'"
        

The story on the Thursday, April 29 CBS Evening News, transcript provided by the MRC's Brad Wilmouth:

KATIE COURIC: Turning now to Arizona's new immigration law, the first lawsuits were filed today challenging it, including one by a Tucson police officer who claims the law is unconstitutional. And despite continuing protests, other states may actually follow Arizona's lead. From Phoenix tonight, here's Bill Whitaker.

BILL WHITAKER: Six days after Arizona gained notice and notoriety with the toughest anti-immigration law in the country, protests are building, opposing sides are hardening, outside pressure is mounting. Today opponents turned on a little star power: Mexican-American singer Linda Ronstadt spoke out.

LINDA RONSTADT: The dirty little secret is I'm probably not the one that would be pulled over because I'm light-skinned.

WHITAKER: She endorsed the first of what's likely to be a flurry of opposition lawsuits.

ALESSANDRA SOLER MEETZE, AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION OF AMERICA: We will be devoting our collective resources to stopping this bill from taking effect.

WHITAKER: The controversial law requires police in Arizona to demand proof of citizenship of anyone they suspect is in the U.S. illegally. It takes effect this summer, but many citizens say it's having a chilling effect already. Listen as we talk to this immigrant rights worker.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE VOICE: Why don't you go back to Mexico if it's so great, man?

SALVADOR REZA, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST: That's what this law is causing. It's causing the division and bringing out the worst, the worst in people.

WHITAKER: Citing crime rates and the cost of social services, the mayor of Costa Mesa, California, and legislators in Ohio and Texas, say they are pushing for Arizona-style immigration laws.

STATE REP. DEBBIE RIDDLE (R-TX): The citizens are sick and tired of political correctness. They want, they want to take their country back.

WHITAKER: But many more cities are lining up in opposition. Dozens are threatening to cut all business ties with Arizona. Already at least eight conventions have pulled out of Phoenix in protest. The city could lose up to $45,000 on each.

JEFF FRANKLIN, RESIDENT OF SUNRISE, ARIZONA: I work in the hotel business, and know for a fact that there are several cancellations already in the pipe for several hotels in Arizona.

WHITAKER: Arizona has gone through this kind of economic pressure before. In 1987, when the state refused to observe the national Martin Luther King holiday, there was a national boycott. The Superbowl pulled out of Tempe. It all cost the state $300 million. Then, Arizona backed down. This time, state lawmakers plan to hang tough. Why? Because of this: Just yesterday,  the U.S. Border Patrol picked up 105 immigrants crossing the border near Tucson illegally.

— Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.

'Crackpot' Republicans Behind 'Lunatic Magnet' Arizona's 'Crackpot' Immigration Law

 

Timothy Egan, liberal New York Times reporter turned liberal nytimes.com columnist, is the latest former reporter to weigh in on Arizona's anti-immigration law, "Desert Derangement Syndrome."

It would be hard to top former Times Supreme Court reporter Linda Greenhouse's hysterical conflation in her Tuesday print-edition column of Arizona's stricter enforcement of immigration laws with a Nazi police state, but Egan gets in his share of insults, some courtesy of comedian Jon Stewart, the "Mark Twain of our day."

But for all its diversity of land and people, Arizona is also a lunatic magnet. As I drove, I listened to the radio blather of a state in mob-rule frenzy of cranky old men. Once in Phoenix, I saw on television that sign in a car's rear window, the new image of Arizona to the rest of the world: "I'm Mexican. Pull me over."

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the state's the immigration law last Friday in Phoenix. The Associated Press Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the state's immigration law last Friday.

This week, Jon Stewart called Arizona the "the meth lab of democracy." A few days ago, the governor signed the instantly infamous "show me your papers" law, allowing authorities to stop and question anyone who looks Hispanic. Another new measure lets people carry concealed weapons without a permit, following on the heels of the new-found freedom to pack heat in bars and restaurants, something that was outlawed in much of the Old West. And the state house has just approved a bill that would require candidates for high office to show a birth certificate.

....

Stewart, the Mark Twain of our day with a New Jersey quirk or two, got it right with his meth lab jab. But Arizona is more than a laboratory for intemperate times: this place is a warning of what a state can look like when it's run by talk-radio demagogues and their television cohorts.

The crackpot laws owe their genesis to the crackpots who dominate Republican politics, who in turn cannot get elected without the backing of crackpot media.

Egan must yell a lot at the radio as he drives; in a March 2009 column he referred to Rush Limbaugh as a "sweaty, swollen man."

Egan doesn't drop his self-righteous pose long enough to admit, as reporter Marc Lacey does, that Mexico is much stricter with migrants than the new Arizona law is. Neither does he try grasp the failure of the federal government to control its borders, a fundamental job for any government.

Clay Waters is director of Times Watch. You can follow him on Twitter.

MSNBC: Charlie Crist Independent Run Shows GOP Pushing Out Moderates

 

During Thursday's 11AM ET hour on MSNBC, anchor Tamron Hall asked former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean about Florida Governor Charlie Crist's expected announcement to run as an independent in that state's senate race: "Is this a sign that people, perhaps centrists or moderates, like Charlie Crist, have no place in this new emerging Republican Party?"

That set up the left-wing Dean to bash conservatives and the GOP: "What effect does the tea party have on the Republican Party? And this is a really good example. They've driven another moderate out of the Republican Party....there just apparently is no place in the Republican Party for moderate, thoughtful people anymore."

Hall first asked Dean about an odd rumor: "There is a story online that's being picked up by conservative blogs that you offered to contribute to Charlie Crist's campaign if he left the Republican Party. What happened there?" Dean explained: "That was a joke between me and Joe Scarborough which some enterprising staffer for Crist picked up and pushed it around. It's not true. I'm supporting Kendrick Meek." He then added: "I actually think that the two big winners out of this are the United States, who are hopefully going to get a real senator instead of a far-right person, and I do think, of course, it helps the Democratic Party and Kendrick's candidacy as well."

After Hall introduced Dean at the beginning of the segment, she remarked: "I say it like you're a correspondent now....I love that being a possible segment Governor Dean, you coming on and talking about the top political news of the day."

Later, in the 1PM ET hour show Andrea Mitchell Reports, host Andrea Mitchell opened the program: "Charlie Crist expected to make it official later today, running as an independent in the Florida senate race. Is he leaving the party or did they leave him?"

In a later interview with Republican New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg, Mitchell wondered: "What does it say about the Republican Party that someone like Charlie Crist cannot survive in the Republican Party and is going to become an independent?" Gregg shot down Mitchell's characterization: "Well, I don't think that's what it says, really. I think what it says is that Charlie Crist was in a tough primary and decided he probably wasn't going to win, so he decided to choose another course of action." He went on to praise Rubio:

I think the fact we've got somebody like Mr. Rubio running, who has this really amazing story, quite honestly, who's Cuban American, has come up from – basically in the classic American tradition – of coming up from very humble means to be a leader in his state, shows that we've got a pretty broad tent and we have a lot of diversity and a lot of good people running for office.

Here is a full transcript of Hall's exchange with Dean about the race:

11:20AM

TAMRON HALL: Well, Florida Governor Charlie Crist will make it official this afternoon, or is expected to make it official at 5PM Eastern Time that he's going to run for U.S. Senate as an independent. Now this comes – would become a three-way race with Democrat Kendrick Meek, Marco Rubio, and Charlie Crist. And for more on that and some of the other top political news of the day, I say it like you're a correspondent now, of course, we know former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, he also served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. I love that being a possible segment Governor Dean, you coming on and talking about the top political news of the day. But you're making news with Charlie Crist. There is a story online that's being picked up by conservative blogs that you offered to contribute to Charlie Crist's campaign if he left the Republican Party. What happened there?

HOWARD DEAN: That was a joke between me and Joe Scarborough which some enterprising staffer for Crist picked up and pushed it around. It's not true. I'm supporting Kendrick Meek, as you would expect. It's a very interesting race, though, because I actually think that the two big winners out of this are the United States, who are hopefully going to get a real senator instead of a far-right person, and I do think, of course, it helps the Democratic Party and Kendrick's candidacy as well. So this is going to be a hot three-way race, and I think any of the three of them could win it.

HALL: What does this say about – and I do want to talk about the impact this could have on Kendrick Meek – but I want to get your thoughts on what this means for the Republican Party. Is this a sign that people, perhaps centrists or moderates, like Charlie Crist, have no place in this new emerging Republican Party?

DEAN: Well, it's a really interesting question because we're going to be asking ourselves this question a lot over the next several months. And we've already been asking it. What effect does the tea party have on the Republican Party? And this is a really good example. They've driven another moderate out of the Republican Party. Charlie Crist is the kind of republican we badly need in the United States Senate so we can actually get something done there and not have this nonsense of filibustering the finance reform bill and all this kind of thing that's going on. And yet the Republicans actually pushed him out of the race is what they did. You had all manner of people endorsing Rubio, who used to be thought of as mainstream Republicans. And there just apparently is no place in the Republican Party for moderate, thoughtful people anymore. So Charlie Crist runs as an independent. You now have a hot three-way race that could be won by Kendrick Meek, or Charlie Crist, or Rubio.

HALL: Well, Politico is already predicting that this is going to be a very ugly race, that, in their words, 'it's going to get personal.'  

—Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. You can follow him on Twitter here.

NBC's Andrea Mitchell Sides With U.K. Prime Minister, Slams Voter as a Bigot

 

View the Video Here

On Thursday's Morning Joe, NBC reporter Andrea Mitchell appeared and seemed to agree with Britain's Prime Minister that a voter he met was a bigot. Discussing Gordon Brown's April 28 comments, which were caught on a live mic, Mitchell defended, "And what he said is not actually that offensive...I mean, it was an honest opinion." [Audio available here.]

Even the fellow panel members on the mostly liberal MSNBC seemed shocked. Guest Sam Stein of the left-wing Huffington Post recoiled, "Really? To call her bigoted?"

Mitchell repeated her charge: "Well, she was decrying immigration and in a lot of people's views, that is a bigoted stand." Fill-in host Savannah Guthrie didn't seem to agree, asserting that this wasn't something you do "when you're trying to reach out to the working class."

The British newspaper The Sun recounted the back and forth between Brown and "lifelong Labour supporter" Gillian Duffy:

Mr Brown's unguarded comments were made after the pensioner quizzed him about immigration claiming it was a taboo subject.

During their exchange in the street, Mrs Duffy told the Prime Minister: "You can't say anything about immigrants."

She added: "All these eastern Europeans - where are they coming from?"

Mr Brown said a million people had come from Europe but another million Britons had moved the other way.

Mrs Duffy also complained about people on benefits.

She said: "There are too many who aren't vulnerable and they can claim, and people who are vulnerable can't get claims - can't get it."

Mr Brown said: "But they shouldn't be doing that. There is no life on the dole for people any more."

As he went to leave, the Prime Minister shook her hand and told her: "Very nice to meet you, very nice to meet you."

A transcript of the April 29 segment, which aired at 7:02am EDT, follows:

WILLIE GEIST; How bad is this for Gordon Brown?

ANDREA MITCHELL: This is not good. You know, I've known the Prime Minister a long time. He was the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He had waited for all of those years to have his own chance. This is his first election because Tony Blair stepped aside and, of course, he had not had a chance to be elected. This is not good. The British press makes us look like pussycats. They're all over this. And what he said is not actually that offensive. It was probably- I mean, it was an honest opinion.

SAM STEIN (Huffington Post): [Shocked] Really? To call her bigoted?

MITCHELL: Well, to call the woman bigoted- Well, she was decrying immigration and in a lot of people's views, that is a bigoted stand. But, you just don't go and insult a pensioner, as they call them.

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Especially when you're trying to reach out to the working class.

—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.

Time Places 'Moron' NewsBusters on 'Least Influential' List

 

Time magazine's website on Thursday named me [MRC news analyst Matthew Balan] to their tongue-in-cheek "Least Influential People of 2010" list, ranking me with other notables such as Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, MSNBC anchor David Shuster, and Clarence Thomas. Contributor Joel Stein stated that he was "short on morons" to put on his list, so he picked me [Balan] after CNN anchor Rick Sanchez told him about our recent dispute.

The Time writer got to me after listing three-pages-worth of notables. I was immediately preceded by actor Joaquin Phoenix, "political extremist" Lyndon LaRouche, and Justice Thomas. Stein detailed that "Rick Sanchez told me to put him on because they got in a fight about whether Sanchez was serious or kidding about being surprised volcanoes exist in cold places like Iceland. I forgot to ask Rick what category he thinks Balan should go in, but I was short on morons so I put him here."

As you might remember, I put up an item on NewsBusters on April 15 about the CNN anchor's remark about "when you think of a volcano, you think of Hawaii and long words like that. You don't think of Iceland. You think it's too cold to have a volcano there." Four days later, Sanchez named me to "the very top" of his "List U Don't Want 2 Be On," and devoted more than four minutes to how I did a "hot job" on him for his "joke."

By the way, Stein is someone who once fantasized about dancing with former attorney general Janet Reno back in 2002. He is on the record as saying that he didn't support American troops in a 2006 L.A. Times column: "When you volunteer for the U.S. military...you're willingly signing up to be a fighting tool of American imperialism" (this quote was a runner-up for the MRC's Quote of the Year)

Earlier in the online piece, before he revealed his picks, the Time contributor explained that "it was very difficult to fill up a list of 100 uninfluential people. For help, I called news anchor Rick Sanchez, who hosts Rick's List on CNN...I figured that when you're trying to book guests in the afternoon on CNN, you get to talk to some pretty uninfluential people." Stein continued with a few quotes from the CNN anchor: "'Don't shy away from easy pickings,' Sanchez advised. 'When someone says something dumb, Joel, it's your job to report it.' Sanchez airs a segment called 'The List You Don't Want to Be On,' from which he gave me some names. 'A lot of times these guys are famous for 35 seconds,' Sanchez said."

Stein actually made fun of Sanchez, his helper, later in the same paragraph: "'I'd never heard of the president of Toyota until he was on the list. I can't even remember his name now' [said Sanchez]. That man's name, by the way, is Toyoda. When someone says something dumb, it is my job to report it."

The Time contributor was actually only following in the footsteps of The Daily Show's Jon Stewart, who made fun of the CNN anchor after he infamously asked, "By the way, nine meters in English is?" during CNN's coverage of the Chilean earthquake and resulting tsunami back in February 2010. During that newscast, Sanchez also misidentified the Galapagos Islands as Hawaii.

—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. You can follow him on Twitter here.

Oops: CNN, WaPo Jumped on CAIR's License Plate 'Hate' Theory, Now Disproved

 

On April 22 and 27, CNN and The Washington Post both helped forward Islamic advocacy group CAIR's publicity stunt which demeaned an anonymous Virginia motorist as a racist. The Post finally found the driver on Thursday – and apparently, both news outlets jumped the gun, as the owner claimed that the numbers on his license plate were a tribute to his favorite NASCAR drivers, not secret code for "Heil Hitler."

Anchor Rick Sanchez devoted a brief on his Rick's List program on Tuesday to presenting CAIR's side of the story on the controversy. After showing a picture of the pickup truck and the plate in question, as well as the anti-Islamic message on the truck's tailgate, Sanchez explained that "CAIR...also noticed the vanity license plate. It reads '14CV88.' CAIR says that is a coded hate message. We're told the number eight is for the eighth letter in the alphabet, 'H.' Two eights equals 'H.H.' for 'Heil Hitler.' Fourteen represents imprisoned white supremacist David Lane's motto about securing the future for white children." The anchor didn't mention the owner's side of the story.

Did anyone at CNN or the Washington Post consider the possibility that the story was underbaked until they communicated with the driver? Did they consider someone might find the driver and his truck and be spurred to angry talk and/or violence based on the media's incomplete accounts? The Washington Post, at least, printed an update on Thursday to their initial article from the 22nd (the ball, obviously, is also in Sanchez's court now, as well, especially since he went after NewsBusters for not calling him before we took the "cheap shot" at him). The Post's Brigid Schulte returned to the scene of her incomplete story and provided the driver's perspective in her Thursday article, "Virginia driver denies license plate had coded racist message."

Douglas Story, a Chantilly dump truck driver for the Virginia Department of Transportation, says he wanted to grab people's attention when he paid $224.90 to have a mural of the burning World Trade Center detailed onto the tailgate of his Ford F-150 along with a sticker that reads: "Everything I ever needed to know about Islam I learned on 9/11."

But he got more than he bargained for when a photo of his pickup went viral on the Web last week. Motorists and Muslim groups complained that his Virginia vanity license plate -- 14CV88 -- was really code for neo-Nazi, white supremacist sentiments. The state Department of Motor Vehicles voted last week to recall Story's plates and force him to buy new ones.

"There is absolutely no way I'd have anything to do with Hitler or Nazis," Story said Wednesday. He contacted The Washington Post after an article about his plate appeared last week; the state, citing privacy rules, had declined to release the identity of the plate's owner. "My sister-in-law and my niece are Jewish. I went to my niece's bat mitzvah when she turned 13 three years ago. Does that sound like something an anti-Semite would do?"

Story says the numbers 14 and 88 on his plate were not references to a white power slogan or "Heil Hitler," as the Council on American-Islamic Relations theorized, but an homage to his favorite NASCAR drivers: Tony Stewart, who drives car No. 14, and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who drives No. 88.

Story applied for the vanity plate in March 2009, shortly after Earnhardt changed his car number from 8 to 88 and Stewart changed his from 20 to 14.

CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper said his group looked into the meaning of the numbers 14 and 88 after receiving complaints about Story's license plates....Hooper said he doesn't buy Story's version "given the overt anti-Muslim bigotry displayed on the truck and the Confederate flags and their historic connotation of racism....

Story received a certified letter last week from the DMV ordering him to get new plates. And his boss told him that he could no longer park on VDOT property with the anti-Islam mural. So Story spent an afternoon getting new randomized plates and peeling the mural off by hand.
                
"I feel naked," he said.

Story's account does seems to square away. Both Stewart and Earnhardt Jr. did indeed change their numbers in the middle of 2008. Also, Schulte's Washington Post article from April 22nd, which quoted Hooper, gave the impression that the CAIR spokesman profiled the Virginia man (Schulte also only provided the advocacy group's side of the story in this initial article).

Hooper at first thought the picture [of Story's truck] was a Photoshopped hoax. But when he called the DMV and discovered the plate was registered in 2005 to a Ford F-150 pickup truck, Hooper started to worry. "If the license plate had been on a VW Beetle with nothing else on it, or a Volvo station wagon, no one would probably have noticed," said Hooper. "But when the Confederate flag is thrown in...it shows the convergence of anti-government and anti-Islamic sentiments that unfortunately seem to be growing."

Neither the Washington Post nor CNN made the effort when they ran their initial stories to provide Story's side of the controversy. They could have been thwarted by the privacy rules, but they unquestioningly ran with CAIR's take on the license plate.

—Matthew Balan is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. You can follow him on Twitter here.

ABC Thrills Over 'Rising Star' Charlie Crist's 'Declaration of Independence' From GOP, Grilled Lieberman

 

View the Video Here

ABC's Good Morning America on Thursday gushed over "rising star" Charlie Crist's decision to leave the Republican Party and run as an independent in the Florida Senate race. Next to a graphic that read "Declaration of Independence," co-host George Stephanopoulos speculated, "Is this trouble for Republicans? Will more independents rise up?" [Audio available here.] 

Stephanopoulos also oddly called the Florida governor a both a "GOP star" and a "rising star," despite the fact that Crist's popularity has been fading within the party for almost a year. However, when then-GMA host Diane Sawyer interviewed Joe Lieberman on August 9, 2006, she was highly critical of the Democrat's decision to leave his party.

Sawyer scolded, "Senator, I heard you say 'I'm a Democrat.' But you're talking about running as an independent and there are members of the party who've already said, commentators, that this is a selfish decision. How can you run against the party?...You're going to be all alone out there."

In a segment on Crist's departure, Thursday, reporter Claire Shipman did note the moderate Republican's blunders, such as hugging Barack Obama during a visit last year. Highlighting the potential harm Crist's actions could cause, she trumpeted: "And this new form of Republican fratricide stretches well beyond Florida."

Commenting on Rick Perry's victory over Kay Bailey Hutchinson in Texas, Shipman intoned that this was a "A warning shot that surely chills all moderate incumbent Republicans."

A transcript of the April 29 segment, which airs at 7:09am EDT, follows:

7am tease

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: [ABC graphic: Declaration of Independence]: And as Republicans abandon the fight to block financial reform, a GOP star set to announce he's abandoning the Party to run as an independent. Is this trouble for Republicans? Will more independents rise up?

7:09

STEPHANOPOULOS: After the Goldman Sachs grilling on Tuesday in the Senate, Republicans decided to stop blocking debate on President Obama's financial reform bill. And there's been some political drama down in Florida where one of the party's rising stars who has hit a rough patch in his Senate run, Governor Charlie Crist is expected to announce today he is leaving the GOP, but will stay in the Senate race as an independent. Claire Shipman starts us off with this story from Washington. Claire?

ABC GRAPHIC: Declaration of Independence: Top Candidate to Leave Party

CLAIRE SHIPMAN: Good morning, George. That's right. Crist's decision, potential decision certainly is a game-changer in the Florida race. But more importantly, the sunshine state brawl has become now a national petri dish of sorts. It's letting us all look at what can happen in the unpredictable, anti-establishment world of Republican politics these days. The Republican Party made Charlie Crist one of the most powerful political figures in Florida. But he's lost its support. His survival plan now, to walk away.

CHARLIE CRIST: I'd say what I said the other day, things change.

SHIPMAN: Big-time. Once a shoo-in, with a big lead, he now trails political newcomer, rising Republican star and tea party hero, Marco Rubio. What happened? Most point to this embrace. Both the literal arms around President Obama on a Florida visit, but also Crist's more damaging embrace of the Democrats' stimulus plan, a political no-no for most Republicans. Crist may get a second chance as an independent. A recent poll showed him a bit ahead in a three-way spread. But Democrats hope a split of the conservative vote will help their man, Kendrick Meek.

KENDRICK MEEK: Some feel running against two Republicans is better than running against one.

SHIPMAN: And this new form of Republican fratricide stretches well beyond Florida. John McCain is facing a bloody Republican primary in Arizona. And in the Texas gubernatorial primary, Washington-bashing Republican Governor Rick Perry, easily crushed Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, once thought a Republican powerhouse. A warning shot that surely chills all moderate incumbent Republicans. Now, of course, changing party affiliation isn't totally unique. You remember Jim Jeffords, Joe Lieberman, Arlen Specter, a year ago. Most of the time the politicians are doing it because they want to win. But if this sort of political expediency, George, becomes a pattern, it could start to have national implications.

—Scott Whitlock is a news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.

Fwd: Morning Bell: An Appetite for Real Immigration Reform

04/30/2010 An Appetite for Real Immigration Reform In a very rare visit to the press cabin of Air Force One yesterday, President Barack Obama told reporters that the White House will not be leading any immigration reform efforts in 2010. Obama said: "…I've been working Congress pretty hard. So I know, there may not be an appetite immediately to dive into another controversial issue." Obama went on to assert that energy taxes were a higher priority, and that the election in November would make tackling immigration tough. Apparently, Majority Leader Harry Reid didn't heed the President's advice. Several hours later, Reid, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and their colleagues from the left introduced an immigration reform framework that on the surface is identical to the legislation America rejected in 2007. When you dig down, it may be worse. Of course, once introduced, President Obama issued a statement that his administration would take "an active role" toward ironing out the details. This confusing flip-flopping from the White House is indicative of how the administration has treated border security and immigration reform since taking office. Even Speaker Nancy Pelosi agreed saying: "If there is going to be real be any movement in this regard, it will require presidential leadership." Effective reforms can be done in a responsible and deliberate manner through discrete steps rather than another bloated bill that hides from the American people what Washington is trying to do to gain even more power and authority over its citizens. What is required is a step-by-step approach, not an ill-conceived "framework" disguised as "comprehensive" reform.