Thread: Dean admonishes GOP over illegals

Dean admonishes GOP over illegals


December 7, 2007


By Stephen Dinan - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean yesterday said Republicans are targeting immigrants and told the Republican presidential candidates that the tone of their debates on the issue has become "outrageous."

"Stop scapegoating immigrants and stop using immigration as a wedge issue," Mr. Dean, a 2004 presidential hopeful, said in a conference call with reporters meant to set the stage for this weekend's Republican presidential debate on Spanish-language network Univision.

Mr. Dean said that in the most recent debate, Republicans used "outrageous phrases like 'illegal aliens.' " He urged the candidates to "have some morality and some humanity."

In a sign of political trouble for Republicans, he was joined by Luis Cortes Jr., founder of Esperanza USA, a coalition of Christian Hispanic leaders and churches that was helpful to President Bush in his elections but now appears ready to aid Democrats in 2008.

Mr. Cortes said the Republican rhetoric is going in the wrong direction and that "as that rhetoric gets stronger, so do the civil rights abuses."

Still, the Republican candidates' enforcement-first approach appears to closely mirror what the public wants. An outcry from voters derailed this year's Senate immigration bill, with many senators saying the message they received is that voters want enforcement of existing laws before any new worker program is established and before Congress decides what to do with the current illegal alien population.

Even as Mr. Dean criticizes Republicans, many Democrats in Congress have adopted the same enforcement-only approach Republicans advocate.

Rep. Heath Shuler, North Carolina Democrat, and Sen. Mark Pryor, Arkansas Democrat, have introduced enforcement-only bills that have gained bipartisan support this year, and 36 Democrats voted for House Republicans' enforcement-only bill in 2005.

Asked repeatedly by reporters about the split in his party, Mr. Dean sought to marginalize the enforcement-supporting Democrats, calling them "very, very few" and saying they aren't representative of his party.

"All the Democratic presidential candidates are clear" in supporting a path to citizenship for illegal aliens, he said, adding that the presidential nominee will set the party's position.

"You can take your cue from that," he said.

Mr. Cortes said he will try to work with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, to try to rein in some of the conservative-leaning Blue Dog Democrats, many of whom are embracing an enforcement-only approach.

A Pew Hispanic Center study says Republicans made some gains among Hispanic voters by 2006 but have yielded those back.

Democrats' support among Hispanics fell from 55 percent in 2004 to 49 percent in 2006 but has rebounded to 57 percent this year. Republicans, meanwhile, have shed five percentage points, falling from 28 percent to 23 percent in the past year.

www.washingtontimes.com

Howard Dean speaks about illegal immigration and wise men don't listen.

Ah Dean, America has already tried illegal immigration Democrat style and it has gotten us into this mess. We will not do it again.

Dixie

He knows it is going to blow the Democrats out of the water in the Presidential Election

What a Moron.. go pander to Mexico.. they would rather here that than the Americans... We are fed up with your retoric

Dean is a good reason to vote Republican, or at least look carefully at any Democrats. This man is a bane to anyone that is in those in this country legally, including those that have the legal right to vote.

Mr. Dean said that in the most recent debate, Republicans used "outrageous phrases like 'illegal aliens.' "

"All the Democratic presidential candidates are clear" in supporting a path to citizenship for illegal aliens, he said, adding that the presidential nominee will set the party's position.

And you fools have taken a stance that 75+% of Americans OPPOSE! Just how utterly stupid can one be???? He wants Republicans to shut-up so dems don't have to talk about their wrong stance! He's an idiot!

Pelosi's not about to "rein" in anybody. Her credibility stinks and the blue dogs think more about getting re-elected than sucking up to Pelosi!