Advance Indiana has a good post on Sen. Delph and immigration. Sen. Delph’s has been pushing SB 335 which, among other things, penalizes employers who are found to employ illegal immigrants. Sen. Delph’s main talking point has been that it’s a rule of law issue. He says that race or ethnicity has absolutely nothing to do with it. That’s fine as far as it goes, I suppose, but it doesn’t square with Sen. Delph’s past statements on the issue as reported by Advance Indiana. With respect to Delph characterizing John McGoff’s approach to immigration reform, Delph says:
He labels McGoff as “another weak kneed moderate politician†who “would provide safe harbor to those who are driven to destroy us from within†[emphasis in original].
Destroy us from within? Somehow I doubt Delph is referring to the employers who hire illegals as folks who are trying to “destroy us from within.” The vibe I’m getting from that statement is that Delph is pretending to take the Aztlan “movement” seriously. That “movement” seems to be the idea that Mexicans should take back the areas of the southwestern U.S. that the U.S. acquired in the 19th century. While the “movement” never seemed to gain much traction with Mexicans or those of Mexican ancestry, it has been a very popular talking point among certain segments of the extreme right wing.
Whether Delph has Aztlan specifically in mind or simply finds it useful to stoke vague xenophobic fears, I have no idea. Still, I get the sense that Delph’s “rule of law” talking point doesn’t tell the whole story behind his motivations. If not, and he’s taking the position that all laws should be solemnly and zealously enforced, perhaps he would then be in favor of similarly strict sanctions against businesses who employ drivers who have been caught speeding. If zealous enforcement of all laws simply because they are the law of the land is not his position, then he has to start coming up with reasons as to why the immigration laws are of particular importance to him. At that point, race and ethnicity just might start coming into the equation.
pssst: Indiana is not a part of Aztlan so relax, Hoosier Senator Delph!
No Pats Suck thread?
Hopefully the “I’m going to go play at a discount so I can get a ring” era is over in New England.
And the pretending the cheating didn’t really matter era.
This was my second favorite Super Bowl ever, after last year. As a Bengals fan in my youth, and Colts fan since they moved to the state, my enjoyment of the big game has been minimal until lately. Seeing two different Mannings somehow end up with Tom Brady’s trophies has been a pleasure. I only regret that the Patriots weren’t forced to have postgame media exposure proportional to what we’ve had to tolerate from them the entire season up to the moment of their defeat.
Of course, the worst fans in football have probably already moved on to thoughts of the Celtics by now.
This one is somewhat personal to me as Mike is one of my closest friends, so I probably will be accused of doing a bit of tap-dancing.
In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never known Mike either utter the term “Aztlan” nor espouse any support for those who loudly spout off about it’s potential “dangers”. I’d find it extremely difficult to believe that he’s suddenly jumped on that bandwagon after all these years, as he is one of the most intelligent and well-reasoned people I’ve ever known. To try and paint him as some sort of extreme right-wing, knee jerk reactionary is unfair, and doesn’t fit the man I’ve known for all these years.
But, let’s examine Welsh’s motives on this one here, his hands aren’t exactly clean. This guy’s “law practice”, such as it is (he seems to have an awful lot of free time to spend blogging, that’s all I’ll say) is almost exclusively built around helping immigrants game the system. If immigration laws were actually enforced in this country, attorneys like Welsh would have to find a new area to focus on.
His agenda (not too mention his well known anger and bitterness) has made it easy for him to smear one of the good guys.
Delph’s agenda? Anyone been to Noblesville lately? Seen all the light manufacturers whose workforce seems to consist almost entirely of individuals who aren’t native speakers of the English language? Think that might have something to do with it?
I’ll grant you that I assume an awful lot when I seize on Aztlan in particular. But what is this sinister plan to destroy us from within?
Who are the “they” in this context and what is the basis of their destructive intent?
On my own, the most charitable explanation I can come up with is that Delph doesn’t really believe that anybody is trying to destroy us from within but he’s willing to make that kind of statement on behalf of Dan Burton because it will provide some dog whistle type help to those of Burton’s supporters who do believe in Aztlan or a similar effort by immigrants to infiltrate and overthrow the U.S. or portions thereof.
There are sensible concerns with respect to immigration, both legal and illegal, and perhaps Delph has nothing but those sorts of concerns. But I’m not sure how to reconcile the sensible types of concerns with nonsense rhetoric about a “them” who are “driven” to “destroy us” from within.
Now I’m doing something I really shouldn’t, and that is (sorta) answering for Mike.
I’m guessing there are a few things going on here. First and foremost loyalty to a man (Burton) who Mike considers a friend and mentor (emphasis on mentor). The fact that Dan is forced to send these types of pieces out should prove he’s a tad concerned about his prospects. I don’t know if Dan asked Mike to write this, I haven’t asked him (I don’t socialize with Mike while the Senate is in session, so I won’t have the chance to ask him about this for some time, assuming I even remember/care by then).
Secondly, illegal immigration is a serious issue in Hamilton County, I’ve personally been into several companies in that area (through the course of my business activities) whose workforce spoke barely five words of English amongst them. Now, it’s certainly true that not all Hispanics in Central Indiana are illegal, but when an employer’s first question to me is whether I’d require valid SSN’s from his employees, that should be a clue.
Since Mike’s District is most (if not all, I’m not really sure) of Hamilton County, it’s reasonable to expect him to take up this cause as an issue.
It’s no secret that there are elements of the Right that believe in moonbat theories like “Aztlan”, though I’d venture to guess that there are a higher percentage of Lefties who believe 9/11 was an inside job. It wouldn’t exactly be the first time a pol fired up the base for a primary challenge.
But, let’s hold short of consigning Mike to the nutjob heap. Especially by taking the word of the angriest man in the blogosphere, one who is a noted hypocrite himself on the issue of bigotry; not to mention one with so much skin in the game on this particular issue.
Back in the 70’s I did two month-long immersion Spanish-only study programs in Mexico City under the auspices of the Marist brothers.Part of my commitment was to take room and board in a pension and converse in Spanish with others there.Otherwise I’d spend my days learning in formal classes with the Marists.In the pension there were university students,a college professor and a variety of others from different walks of life. I was astonished to learn at that time ( 1975 and 1977) that the educated people were anti-american,and it was a commonly held belief that if not for the USA,Mexico would have been able take its rightful place as one the New World’s elite cultures. USA’s illegal seizure of the SW from Mexico was part of our Manifest Destiny land grab.So there is philosphical basis for an Aztlan movement,and a feeling that the USA owes Mexico for all the bad things we have done to them.Taking back the SW culturally ,Spanish language, and ignoring USA law would seem to be a logical response to this belief.
It was also interesting to note the strong demarcation between the secular and the religious in Mexico.Just about anyone educated, striving to join the Middle Class, wanted to make it clear that he was officially an atheist,therefore a thinking person. The clergy and brothers( also very educated in the church) were reluctant to go out onto the streets in clerical garb and pretended sometimes they were shopping for a ‘wife’.
Catholic Mass was for peasants and women and children,and many walked up the cathedral steps on bloodied knees to show the pain and sacrifice of their faith. If this were religion, most of us would be atheist by default. I found Mexico,on the level of my experience a very sad country of hopeless poverty and ostentacious ,uncaring wealth.Any place else would be better if you were poor.
NAFTA could have made life better for the poor in Mexico but it has lowered salaries there as well as here for so many. I wonder how President Clinton could have been so wrong and misled so many people.It was all in the implimentation of NAFTA and as usual the wrong people were in charge.Can we assume that had NAFTA given us what was promised at the signing, the immigrant flood would be diminished?
Jacob Perry,
You wrote:
Please name one Indiana legislator (state or federal) who has expressed sympathy for, let alone promulgated, the notion that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job.
(Even if it were true, Democratic misbehavior does not excuse Republican misbehavior of lesser magnitude; nor vice versa.)
You have no reason to care what I think of your credibility (particularly since you’d probably describe my strain of anti-authoritarian politcs as “Lefty”), but just so ya know, rhetorical tricks like that all but obliterate it.
Jacob Perry,
By the way, your characterization of Welsh as “the angriest man in the blogosphere” is a gross distortion.
I’ve read Advance Indiana, Mr. Perry, and Gary Welsh is no Doghouse Riley.
Seriously, if you want to see some apolectic blogospheric rage, check out Little Green Footballs and Free Republic. Aside from the rage quotient, you might like what you find there.
(That reminds me, I need to go over to Bats Left Throws Right and offer to buy DR a drink before I move out of state.)
Jacob — in your first dispatch, you wrote that “to try and paint him (Delph) as some sort of extreme right-wing, knee jerk reactionary is unfair,” – my response is that this is exactly who and what Delph is — he is exactly a right wing, knee jerk reactionary. And to say in a later post that “Dan is forced to send these letters” is ridiculous. The truth is that both of these men are about as reactionary as can be, and Indiana would be wise to remove both from elected office.
I just received a survey from Dan Burton.
Question Number 5
What do you think is the best way to protect America from illegal immigrants and terrorists sneaking into our country?
Comparing immigrants to terrorists is quite a stretch.
Sound like the rhetoric of Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) which both the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center have designated as a hate group.
ADL has identified the following tactics used by anti-immigrant hate groups:
Depicting immigrants as criminals, murderers, rapists, terrorists, and a danger to children and families.
Describing immigrants as “third world invaders,†who come to America to destroy our heritage, “colonize†the country and attack our “way of life.†This charge is used against Hispanics, Asians and other people of color.
Using terminology that describes immigrants as part of “hordes†that “swarm†over the border. This dehumanizing language has become common.
Portraying immigrants as carriers of diseases like leprosy, tuberculosis, Chagas disease (a potentially fatal parasitic disease), dengue fever, polio, malaria.
Propagating conspiracy theories about an alleged secret “reconquista†plot by Mexican immigrants to create a “greater Mexico†by seizing seven states in the American Southwest that once belonged to Mexico.
http://www.adl.org/PresRele/CvlRt_32/5154_32.htm
Dan Burton has aligned himself with Pat Buchanan who’s isolationists, xenophobic, and anti semitic views the Indiana Republican Party soundly rejected during his quest for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1992, in 1996, and 2000.
Dan Burton has spent too much time in Washington DC.
We need John McGoff to get back to basics.