Like a large section of the right-blogosphere, I like Jake Tapper while being slightly resentful that I have to. It’s nothing against the man; Jake’s a good guy who will do things like this.
TAPPER: You’ve said we’re a nation of cowards because we don’t talk
freely and openly about race. So in that spirit, let me give it a
shot. Do you think the Arizona immigration law is racist?HOLDER: Well, I don’t think it’s necessarily a good idea…
[snip*]
TAPPER: Do you think it’s racist?
HOLDER: I don’t think it’s racist in its motivation…
What’s annoying is that he’s so bloody rare for doing this.
At any rate, it is nice to see that Attorney General Holder reads Rasmussen, which put out a poll yesterday that clearly had a say in crafting Holder’s response:
Fifty-five percent (55%) of Colorado voters favor a law like the one just adopted in Arizona that authorizes local police to stop individuals they suspect of being illegal immigrants, according to a new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state. Thirty-five percent (35%) oppose such a law.
[snip]
But also as is found nationally, 55% of voters in Colorado are at least somewhat concerned that this intensified effort to identify and deport illegal immigrants will end up violating the rights of some U.S. citizens. Forty-three percent (43%) do not share this concern. This includes 33% who are Very Concerned and 20% who are Not At All Concerned.
And if you’re a Left-leaner who is currently fuming over the fact that the White House is trampling all over your nice, dirty narrative, I say this unto you: welcome to the permanent campaign!
Moe Lane
*I encourage everybody to read AG Holder’s comments in full.
Crossposted to Moe Lane.
Jeff Emanuel
"Nation of Cowards" wants borders defended.
johnt Sunday, May 9th at 11:16AM EDT (link)Message received, racists/haters vote. Administration founded on principles of the famous Rev. Wright takes second look at issues.
We hope.
“a man’s admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him”. Tocqueville
You are right Moe, but I must point out a flaw with Rasmussen...
Aaron Gardner (Diary) Sunday, May 9th at 11:31AM EDT (link)Rasmussen frames the question incorrectly and in doing so misrepresents the bill and by extension it’s results.
From what I read the law allows Police to act on reasonable suspicion after a legal stop has already occurred.
conform and celebrate diversity….or else!!!
“We’d be much better off if We The People had desired small government enough to keep it.” acat
Follow @Aaron_RS
is it racist?
kdey Sunday, May 9th at 12:01PM EDT (link)is it racist to arrest child molesters and crack dealers. we are a nation of laws. we cannot pick and choose which laws to abide. we must abide by the law of the land… the ‘Constitution’. (God forbid you should invoke that). law breakers are law breakers.
Merriman Smith award to Tapper
redneck_hippie (Diary) Sunday, May 9th at 12:02PM EDT (link)Watching the ceremony whereby Jake Tapper was given the award for broadcast journalism covering the White House under deadline pressure, it was clearly obvious the attendees at Obama’s love fest were not in favor of Tapper winning an award. The applause was tepid when his name was announced. Really maddening, but one would hope Jake took it as a bonus that the sycophants felt he wasn’t doing his job.
The real racists are the people opposing Arizona's law and supporting amnesty,
David123 (Diary) Sunday, May 9th at 12:32PM EDT (link)whether they call it amnesty or mislabel it “comprehensive immigration reform”.
There are many poor Americans, and blacks make up a higher proportion of poor Americans than whites. It’s tougher for Americans to pull themselves up by their bootstraps with illegal aliens dragging down wages and doing jobs Americans WILL do, raising American unemployment.
David123
Doublethink
fisk2521 Sunday, May 9th at 12:43PM EDT (link)I’m no sure I believe Holder when he says he believes it’s not racially motivated. It appears to me that Obama and his administration use a strategy that encompasses one official saying one thing and someone else the entire opposite, then leave it to the liberal media to sort out …or not.
Adding millions of illegal immigrants to the country as citizens with voting rights will alter the Congress, the Courts and the White House. that’s the strategy…. illegal, unconstitutional or not..
Holder’s knows that he cannot call the majority of Americans racist, even though he may believe it to be so. There may come a day when that concern will not be a problem, however. After all, once everything opposing their views is made illegal via hate speech laws, it won’t matter what the American public believes or wants. It has come pretty close to that right now.
“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.” Orwell
LDavis
I believe Holder, this time
RedBeard Sunday, May 9th at 2:26PM EDT (link)It’s all the other times that he and his Obamaton colleagues do throw the race card that I don’t believe him.
The ardent Obama lefties do not believe, and never have, that conservatives are racists. They know better. They’re wrong, even evil, but not stupid.
The accusation is deliberately fraudulent, and is coldly used for the very political gain you mention in your second paragraph.
Even braying jackasses like Al Sharpton, who really is a dim bulb, know it’s not true, but use the racist accusation because it’s just so darned convenient. And, of course, they have no cogent argument to make, so lying is their only weapon.
Standard-bearer for grouchy curmudgeonry since, oh, 1975 or so.
putting up a fence, then straddling it
tngal (Diary) Sunday, May 9th at 2:26PM EDT (link)Its amazing to go to websites of candidates , republicans and dems mind you, and they all claim to be for securing the borders. You’ll always find it in the issues section under immigration. We;ve got to secure our border. We can’t deal with immigration until we close the border. We’ll tighten the border, then work on the other things.
But then read their whole paragraph,( because that’s all there is).
While 80 percent of them call for closing the border only a small fraction of those go on to unequivocally announce – No Amnesty. We have got to make sure the candidates do more than just agrree to put up a fence and call it fixing immigration. That’s just straddling.
need more than just "I oppose amnesty"
publiussteve Sunday, May 9th at 11:06PM EDT (link)I agree tngal, and will add this: many if not most of the pro-amnesty pols will blather that while they “oppose amnesty” they support a “path to citizenship” or “earned legalization” for illegal aliens where have to “learn English,” “pay a fine” etc. — which is of course, drum roll please, amnesty.
We need to make clear that we are not fooled by amnesty euphemisms combined with tough-sounding but hollow words and empty promises of enforcement (see 1986 IRCA).
If pols are truly opposed to amnesty, they will oppose any special pathways for illegals, and support enforcement of existing immigration laws, E-Verify nationwide, no-match social security letters, the building of the double-layered fence, the crackdown on sanctuary cities and policies etc. as the sole ways to deal with illegal immigration.
secure the border period, not "first"
publiussteve Monday, May 10th at 1:43AM EDT (link)One more thing: I cringe when I hear amnesty lovers like John McCain say we must “secure the border first” ( then amnesty). The answer to this is NO,
We must secure the border period – with no form of any amnesty following real border security and enforcement. Any form of amnesty — even after the border is secured and current laws enforced — would just lead to more illegal immigration.
all this other stuff is getting in the way of Holder realizing his dream...
bobmontgomery (Diary) Sunday, May 9th at 11:12PM EDT (link)…of getting crack cocaine dealers decriminalized.
If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.
George Washington