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    Super Moderator Newmexican's Avatar
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    Iowa rally offers preview of immigration debate

    Iowa rally offers preview of immigration debate

    Jennifer Jacobs, The Des Moines Register10:28 p.m. EDT August 2, 2013

    Democrats organized in the event in the home district of Republican Rep. Steve King, who ignited a war of words over civility in the immigration debate.


    (Photo: Rodney White, The Des Moines Register)

    DES MOINES, Iowa -- The great national divide over immigration made a road stop in Iowa on Friday, offering a close-up view of just how dug-in opponents are.
    Advocates of comprehensive reform did their best to say that a bill the U.S. Senate passed is tough on illegal immigration.

    "This bill is not a powder-puff, easy bill for those who want to become citizens," Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said during a rally that Democrats organized in the home district of Republican Rep. Steve King, who ignited a war of words over civility in the immigration debate.

    Opponents weren't buying.

    Republicans Larry and Bianca DeRocher drove more than two hours from their home in Onawa to be in Ames for a counter-rally, holding up signs in support of King. They think King's comments last month about immigrant drug mules with cantaloupe-sized calves were "right on the money."

    "He just says what needs to be said," Larry DeRocher said. "He stands up to the idiots in D.C. ... I love the guy."

    The divided viewpoints on display were likely a preview of meetings across the country as members of Congress take a pulse on the issue during their annual August recess. But at this event, the 260 reform advocates far outnumbered the 20 opponents.

    Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, and Durbin said they organized the rally in response to a comment King made in an interview that broadly painted immigrants in the country illegally as marijuana smugglers.

    "We Iowans are a welcoming people," Harkin said to applause from the audience seated in a school auditorium. "We are a compassionate and caring people. We do not believe in characterizing people with hateful, spiteful, degrading language. ... We believe that people who come here to build a better life are not criminals."

    Durbin, the author of the DREAM Act and a member of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" that crafted the immigration bill that passed the Senate in late June, tried to correct the perception that immigrants would get an easy ride under that legislation.

    "They come forward and register with the government — who they are, where they live, where they work — and they then go through a criminal background check," Durbin said. "If they have any serious crimes in their background, they're gone. No ifs, ands or buts."

    After paying a fine, they're "on the books, and they're paying taxes," he said.

    For many immigrants, "there will be no government benefits coming their way for 10 years despite the fact they're paying taxes," Durbin said. "For those who have been working here using some other identification number, they get no credit. ... If you worked 20 years in America, paid into Social Security on somebody else's number, and you can prove it, it's not worth anything."

    Young immigrants won't get federal college aid money, he said. "They can have work study loans that they have to pay back, but that's it," he said.

    "So it's a very limited, tough 10 years. For people who say it's amnesty — for goodness' sakes. These folks are paying a heavy price for having come here illegally or overstaying a visa."

    And the number of border agents would double. "For those who argue this is weak on border enforcement, trust me — I think it goes too far," Durbin said.
    One of the counter-ralliers, Larry Clayton of Ankeny, listened to the other side, but said Durbin's description of the legislation doesn't change his mind. He doesn't think 40,000 border patrol agents would be enough.

    "Unless we seal the border, it won't work. ... We ought to have military down on the Mexican border," Clayton said. "That would totally eliminate illegal immigration."

    Eduardo Rodrigues, left, speaks at a forum in Ames, Iowa, on Friday, Aug. 2, 2013.(Photo: Rodney White, The Des Moines Register)

    Another speaker, Eduardo Rodriguez, 24, whose family entered the country illegally from Mexico when he was 1 year old,said he went to school from first grade through college in Orange City. At his elementary school, he and his cousins were the only Latinos. Although he wasn't born here, he's an Iowan, he said.

    "I love the cornfields and even sometimes the smell," he said. "That is home. That is where I feel comfortable."

    He said he's excited about the immigration reform bill the Senate passed.

    As for King, Rodriguez said: "I doubt he knows any DREAMers or undocumented immigrants and their stories, the way he talks about them."

    Harkin said he believes the votes are there in the Republican-led House to pass immigration reform legislation. "If they bring up the bill the votes are there," he said.

    Durbin said he worked on the bill for seven months. "Let's get it done," he said.

    http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...ebate/2614347/

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    Let's see, how many thousands of American citizens were victims of crimes by illegal aliens, no doubt many of whom were "dreamers?" Recent victims like a 92 year old woman who died after being raped and two 13 year old children, one of whom was gang raped by 10 vile pieces of garbage.

    ALIPAC, keep posting these stories about the victimization of American citizens by illegal aliens, that is the best answer to the exaggerated sentimentality, the calculated psychological manipulation of gullible US citizens exploiting the emotions of sympathy, pity. and guilt. Learn from the enemy; they use very few logical arguments, overwhelmingly they use emotion to influence the ignorant citizens. This is cold calculation. Do not let them claim moral superiority. Remember the victims, the cost, the suffering the looting of innocent US citizens to give sanctuary and benefits to foreigners who should never be here in the first place.

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    Me again: Note that this story appeared in the Des Moines Register, which like every major "news" paper is quite probably part of the liberal/Marxist media monopoly. What that means is you can safely assume the number of pro amnesty supporters is probably half or less of the 260 people reported in the story and the number of Rep. King's supporters was at least double the 20 people reported in the story.

    This story just shows how much theater can be organized and purchased by the mega rich billionaires like Mark Zuckerberger and Silicon Valley. Although I think the probable 130 anti King, professional protesters is a poor return on their money.

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    Administrator Jean's Avatar
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    Whenever I see professionally printed signs I think big money is behind them. Handwritten or handmade signs are more effective imo.
    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

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    Super Moderator Newmexican's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jean View Post
    Whenever I see professionally printed signs I think big money is behind them. Handwritten or handmade signs are more effective imo.
    I noticed the same thing and the signs have the Obama logo.

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    Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)

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