Thread: Watch Lou Dobbs Tonight

Kitty Pilgrim is sitting in for Lou tonight and the show focuses quite a bit on illegal immigration, borders, etc.

I just came back in the door this afternoon in time to catch the segment about the recent border area violence from Tuesday this week.

In the story, the stat. that was quoted and really stuck out, was that violent attacks against BP agents is up 700% (7x) from last year (by FY? - don't know), and the rate for the current year is even greater than that.

To me, it is unacceptable to expose them to such high levels of violence and then turn around and not support them (or even worse, actively prosecute them) when they try to do their job. This makes me very, very mad

The brutal persecution of the Border Patrol DRIVES me to PUBLICLY protest for Ramos and Compean! By the way, the number of responses FOR these persecuted patriots after SEVEN months of protest now stands at 538!

What night did Lou Dobbs have on the rep from New Jersey, saying that New Jersey was going to try to pass the same employer laws as Arizona??

I can't find the transcript???

Dolly...It was on at the very end last night. Following is transcript:

Still ahead, Lou talks with New Jersey Senate majority leader about that state's effort to punish employers of illegal aliens. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PILGRIM: New Jersey is joining the many states taking action to deal with illegal immigration. The New Jersey legislature is considering a bill to punish the employers of the illegal aliens.

State Senator Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney introduced that bill and he told Lou Dobbs why New Jersey needs this new law.

(BEGIN VIDOETAPE)

STEPHEN SWEENEY (D), NJ SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Basically it's out of frustration with the federal government not dealing with the serious issue of illegal immigration.

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: The idea that there would be a penalty, a sanction against business, what has been the reaction amongst your fellow senators in the state legislature?

SWEENEY: It's actually been a little bit mixed, but I have sponsors coming on the bill. And you know, it's an issue that has to be talked about. You know Lou, the federal government has ignored this issue for too long. Honestly I feel the more states start pushing the issue, the better chance we have of getting the federal government to pay attention to it.

DOBBS: The state of New Jersey is absolutely one of those states which more illegal aliens are moving into having an impact. You've seen firsthand the impact as a business representative of the ironworkers union. Give us a sense of your judgment of the impact of illegal immigration in the state of New Jersey?

SWEENEY: What it's doing is actually suppressing wages now, and it's driving up the cost of government. You know, it's got so many effects on the way we function in the state of New Jersey and our health care costs are going through the roof. We have a charity care program that we really can't afford any longer.

Governor Corzine just announced a very difficult and painful budget, dealing with the fact that we don't have the money to spend on our programs. And again, when you have people that are working, that aren't paying taxes, that are working under -- we have an underground economy in most states now, and it's really damaging the economy of this country.

DOBBS: Most people are unaware that we have a more than $1 trillion underground economy in this country, and much of that labor within that economy obviously provided by illegal aliens. You've been attacked by socioethnocentric interest groups as being anti-Hispanic because you have brought this legislation forward. How are you responding to that? How does it make you feel?

SWEENEY: Well it's actually insulting because Lou, I'm the person in the state of New Jersey to pass the minimum wage bill. It was my legislation. I'm doing paid family leave and fighting for the little guy on that. I'm -- I believe in workers' rights, but I also believe that this country is a country of laws, and that we open with open arms, we welcome immigrants to come this to country legally and live the American dream.

But what's going on now is just completely out of control. Why are people supporting companies that are basically cheating and hurting these illegal immigrants by denying them -- really denying them the American dream? When they come here, they don't get to live it. They're second-class citizens.

DOBBS: When these folks in these ethnocentric, activist organizations come after you like that, does it just make you wonder what in the world is it going to take for get everybody on the same page? Because you really have the liberal left aligning itself with the conservative right that is corporate America, and when their interests are combined, everyone in the middle loses.

SWEENEY: Lou, that's the thing that's very different to understand here. You know, again, what we're talking about in my bill is a company that knowingly is hiring illegal immigrants. If the companies at least make the effort to verify, there's checks and balances in place now.

They're not perfect, but they're in place. And if companies actually make that effort, they're not going to fall under this law. They've done what we've asked them to do. But to just say that we can't do anything about it because it's gotten out of control is wrong. DOBBS: And basically what they're saying to you and to others around the country is we're bigger than the law and it's inconvenient to us to do business according to the law. That's got to change and Senator Sweeney, we're glad you're one of those making certain that that change does occur in this country. It's well overdue.

SWEENEY: Thank you Lou, I really appreciate that.

DOBBS: Senator Stephen Sweeney, thank you very much.

SWEENEY: Thank you.

Originally Posted by carolinamtnwoman

Dolly...It was on at the very end last night. Following is transcript:

Still ahead, Lou talks with New Jersey Senate majority leader about that state's effort to punish employers of illegal aliens. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PILGRIM: New Jersey is joining the many states taking action to deal with illegal immigration. The New Jersey legislature is considering a bill to punish the employers of the illegal aliens.

State Senator Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney introduced that bill and he told Lou Dobbs why New Jersey needs this new law.

(BEGIN VIDOETAPE)

STEPHEN SWEENEY (D), NJ SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Basically it's out of frustration with the federal government not dealing with the serious issue of illegal immigration.

LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: The idea that there would be a penalty, a sanction against business, what has been the reaction amongst your fellow senators in the state legislature?

SWEENEY: It's actually been a little bit mixed, but I have sponsors coming on the bill. And you know, it's an issue that has to be talked about. You know Lou, the federal government has ignored this issue for too long. Honestly I feel the more states start pushing the issue, the better chance we have of getting the federal government to pay attention to it.

DOBBS: The state of New Jersey is absolutely one of those states which more illegal aliens are moving into having an impact. You've seen firsthand the impact as a business representative of the ironworkers union. Give us a sense of your judgment of the impact of illegal immigration in the state of New Jersey?

SWEENEY: What it's doing is actually suppressing wages now, and it's driving up the cost of government. You know, it's got so many effects on the way we function in the state of New Jersey and our health care costs are going through the roof. We have a charity care program that we really can't afford any longer.

Governor Corzine just announced a very difficult and painful budget, dealing with the fact that we don't have the money to spend on our programs. And again, when you have people that are working, that aren't paying taxes, that are working under -- we have an underground economy in most states now, and it's really damaging the economy of this country.

DOBBS: Most people are unaware that we have a more than $1 trillion underground economy in this country, and much of that labor within that economy obviously provided by illegal aliens. You've been attacked by socioethnocentric interest groups as being anti-Hispanic because you have brought this legislation forward. How are you responding to that? How does it make you feel?

SWEENEY: Well it's actually insulting because Lou, I'm the person in the state of New Jersey to pass the minimum wage bill. It was my legislation. I'm doing paid family leave and fighting for the little guy on that. I'm -- I believe in workers' rights, but I also believe that this country is a country of laws, and that we open with open arms, we welcome immigrants to come this to country legally and live the American dream.

But what's going on now is just completely out of control. Why are people supporting companies that are basically cheating and hurting these illegal immigrants by denying them -- really denying them the American dream? When they come here, they don't get to live it. They're second-class citizens.

DOBBS: When these folks in these ethnocentric, activist organizations come after you like that, does it just make you wonder what in the world is it going to take for get everybody on the same page? Because you really have the liberal left aligning itself with the conservative right that is corporate America, and when their interests are combined, everyone in the middle loses.

SWEENEY: Lou, that's the thing that's very different to understand here. You know, again, what we're talking about in my bill is a company that knowingly is hiring illegal immigrants. If the companies at least make the effort to verify, there's checks and balances in place now.

They're not perfect, but they're in place. And if companies actually make that effort, they're not going to fall under this law. They've done what we've asked them to do. But to just say that we can't do anything about it because it's gotten out of control is wrong. DOBBS: And basically what they're saying to you and to others around the country is we're bigger than the law and it's inconvenient to us to do business according to the law. That's got to change and Senator Sweeney, we're glad you're one of those making certain that that change does occur in this country. It's well overdue.

SWEENEY: Thank you Lou, I really appreciate that.

DOBBS: Senator Stephen Sweeney, thank you very much.

SWEENEY: Thank you.

THANK YOU!!!