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Blue America joined with immigrants' rights groups in Illinois to take on Rahm Emanuel and his efforts to push House Democrats into backing the enforcement-only Heath Shuler/Tom Tancredo SAVE Act in the House. That bill would put the Department of Defense in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security to spend a lot of money turning the border into a police state (Shuler's office boasts that Mark Pryor introduced the same legislation in the Senate yesterday).
This savvy advice to the savvy Democrats has led them to jettison any further attempt to get a comprehensive immigration bill and instead rush to introduce an entirely punitive "enforcement" boondoggle called the SAVE Act that throws even more police power at Homeland Security, tons of money at police agencies, both militarizes AND privatizes the border (a neat trick), empowers the IRS to share information with other agencies and creates a new federal database that contains information about every American worker.
...The savvy Dems have decided to do this because they believe that by helping Tom Tancredo "move the ball" they can "take the issue off the table." It is the same tried and true Greenberg and Carville tactic that was argued in 2002 when they said to get the Iraq war resolution off the table so the Dems could discuss the issue their focus groups told them people really cared about -- prescription drug coverage. This tactic has really been a big success for Democrats: five long years later, we are arguing that we need to get immigration off the table so we can get down to the issue people really care about -- Iraq.
There was a press conference held regarding the ad in front of Rahm's district office at which Siun spoke yesterday (photo). It was also covered by Chicago public radio, CNN en Espanol, Radio La Ley, Telemundo and Hoy.
Rahm has an immigrant population of 50% in his district. We took out ads in Spanish, Korean and Polish (the three largest immigrant communities in IL-05).
It was your donations through Blue America that paid for the ads in full. You can contribute to Rahm's Accountability Moment here.
First one to spot Rahm back in Illinois kissing babies in immigrant communities gets a free FDL t-shirt.
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This is a winner. Over to Blue Am.
First one to spot Rahm back in Illinois kissing babies in immigrant communities gets a free FDL t-shirt.
Please provide photographic proof.
GO BlueAmerica!
Making Rahm sweat makes me smile.
The Arizona border is cooling off for the Minuteman season where the border truly becomes militarized with untrained wackos.
We have a county sheriff who thinks he can enforce FEDERAL laws and make county deputies into ICE agents.
History of racial profiling… google the Chandler Roundup [city I live in] which occurred 10 years ago where EVERY Hispanic was rounded up and nearly deported. Some were found to have been 10th generation AMERICANS granted citizenship when AZ became a territory.
Okay let’s see if we can make this Digg thing work.
Do it for Rahm.
Jane Hamsher @ 6
I dugg it!
Oilfieldguy @ 3
Headline: “Rahm Backs Down to Netroots.”
He’ll go nuts.
Elliott @ 7
and I did it for Rahm
Rahm and Tom Tancredo can both go suck eggs. This country has always relied on immigrants and their labor. ALWAYS.
For these guys to be baiting immigrants is plain disgusting.
dannyM @ 10
Don’t leave Heath out of that. He was one of ours.
I want democrats to STOP USING THAT WORD GA DAMN IT!!!!!!’
this is WORSE then painting a friggin SWASTIKA on a house
STOP IT
Jane Hamsher @ 6
Oooh, I digged it!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!
Memo to Dems: If you “move the ball” in the wrong direction, it does not “take the issue off the table”, nor does it help your team.
I have the sense that if the House Democrats’ flag football team was playing unopposed, they’d still probably lose the game.
TeddySanFran @ 13
Me too!!
Twain @ 11
Rahm’s puppet, the candidate he recruited that he uses to prove to himself that he didn’t blow the 2006 election.
Rahm openly recruits Republicans for Democratic seats because they’re reliable votes on corporate-friendly bills like this one (privatization of the public space) as well as corporate welfare trade bills like NAFTA.
He’s a real treasure, that one.
Maybe this will help the DeeCee Democrats stop listening to Rahm. If he’s this tone-deaf in his own district, how can he possibly be right about what the rest of America wants?
Tend your homefires, Rahm.
This is maybe the smartest politics I’ve ever seen coming out of FDL and Blue America. Keep up the great work! This campaign is smart, creative, and tough politics at it’s best. And it’s all got the virtue of being true.
Have the Spanish, Polish, and Korean newspapers weighed in editorialy on this issue for or against?
He’s not the only Dem selling out principles for electability.
Almost all the people where I live are of the attitude “Throw them all out, after jailing them for 10 years”. They’ve made up their minds and don’t want to be cunfused with facts. An EXTREMELY non-scientific poll of my neighbors indicates that:
1) Illegals are responsable for stealing american jobs.
2) Illegals are responsable for most of the crime.
3) Illegals are all drug smugglers.
Before we can do anything about immigration, we have to make sure everybody has the correct set of facts. But there will be an election before then, and at least in this area I see immigrant bashing as a sure way to increase votes.
Boxturtle (FWIW, most of the folks in the local jail are citizens with DWI convictions)
EPU’d…Here’s some info on some interesting Florida corruption involving hospitals…it might have legs:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyo...../134949/74
“Curious, given his less than stellar record in running hospitals that did the same. It is even more curious when you find out his brother John also worked for the State of Florida. It gets downright obscene when you find out that his agency, the AHCA, is now one of several investigating WelCare his most recent previous employer.
What does all of this mean? Well, it certainly means there is some corruption to be exposed in the REPUBLICAN administration in Florida. Depending on how well it gets exposed it will leave a black eye. Depending on how deep the wound is, it will make Florida that much more ripe for the Dems in 2008. If the Dems win Florida, they are almost assured of the Presidency.”
I may be wrong but this is the direct result of really bad trade agreements like Nafta, Cafta and all the other bullshit foisted on the middle class of America, the only beneficiaries being those with more than they need, and I hate to say this but Bill Clinton sold his ass to corporate power, as will his wife, I have no use for either of them.
When the source of democratic funding from labor dried up, this time influenced by the full frontal assault on unions by the right, the dems had nowhere to go, but sacrificing the middle class in the name of greed and power is just a reiteration of the gilded age and others where we were the equivalent to wheat chaff in the scheme of right wing greed.
Frank Probst @ 15
Maybe ‘Switch-Blade Hill’ will surprise all of us and choose . . . . . .Rahm as her running ‘mate’ - thereby appealing to the middlings and the timidly anti-immigrant in the constantly right-ward shifting ‘center”.
David W. Bartoo @ 24
that would be a revolting development
Please, Please…. people are not illegal….. they are undocumented persons, a person is not illegal, their actions may be.
So that means that anyone who has gotten a speeding ticket is illegal too. Crossing the border without proper documentation is a misdemeanor offense subject to a fine, just like a speeding ticket. SO are you illegal too?
As soon as I saw Rahm’s incoherent, ground up and randomly vomited sound-bites on Jon Stewart’s show, I knew he was a complete, utter, worthless joke.
Except the joke’s on us.
Elliott @ 25
Given the rumors of HRC trying to get Big Dog to fire Rahm when he was on White House staff in the ’90s, this is not something I would be especially worried about happening.
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy!
/s
Bob in HI
The ad link doesn’t work.
Frank @ 15
They’ll set a record for number of safeties while they’re doing it, too.
[For those who don’t follow football: if you take the ball into your own endzone and get taken to the ground, the other team gets two points. This is a ’safety’.]
CNN.com actually noticed the rally in DC this morning. The picture they had on the front page (at one point) showed a sea of people.
joejoejoe:
It came together really fast after months of incremental communication and coalition building.
The ICIRR people were great to work with and at just and just as passionate about the project as the most motivated among us are.
Oh, we’re not done in IL-05 yet!
Missed it by that much yesterday.
Glad to see Siun made it.
I would love to see Rahm unseated.
It has been a point of irritation that he is my rep.
This is the area where he is most personally vulnerable, where he has made himself vulnerable by ignoring his primary responsibility …. to his constituents.
It would be an extremely effective object lesson to the Beltway to see Rahm returned to the investment banking community.
Jane - How did we do with the fund raising efforts. Did we meet the goals?
Also a post worth mentioning on the Save Act. at kos
Elliott @ 7
Me three.
Bob in HI
What Maddy said. This is like living in 1907 rather than 2007.
Rahm is a boot licking member of the Clinton cabal.
He is my congress critter and have never like the guy because of his smarmy arrogance.
Me Ate Dugg
Pachacutec @ 32
Pach
I am in IL 05
(residence not too far feom yesterday’s event)
And have some fairly active neighbors as well.
Siun knows where to find me.
Any candidates linned up to run against Rahm? Rahm is a Mayor Daley approved candidate.
Alderman Mel has his own Organization in Chicago he hates Mayor Daley. He has the clout of one Daughter being married to Rod Blagojevich the Govenor of Illinois. A state Obama and Hilary both want.
Plus his other daugther I think lives in or near Rahm’s district, she got arrested once for knocking down an undercover cop at a Gay rights protest.
Which I think could get her funding from every Gay National Organization looking for a forceful hero.
All we need to do is convince her to run. She would be Rahm’s nightmere plus if she supported immigrants rights then we could back her.
Just an idea our Chicago Firepups might want to explore.
katymine @ 26
In the debate yesterday, I was surprised that when
Lou DobbsWolf Blitzer asked the question about giving driver’s licenses to “illegal aliens” no one challenged his use of that odious phrase. I would have prefered an answer like, “I support giving driver’s licenses to undocumented persons so that they can become documented.”Bob in HI
Hey Jane!
I have to say it was wonderful to be there yesterday - what great people and great spirit. And one after another mentioned that Rahm had talked big about helping the immigrant community and then did nothing …
There was something particularly sweet about meeting on his doorstep with such great allies!
Yay Siun!
Elliott - I was just the happen to live in Chi attendee - Pach and Howie made this work and J-Ro created the awesome ads which looked so nice all blown up big and pretty!
Siun @ 43
yay to them too!
I’m so glad Rahm Emmanuel is feeling the heat.
Things Come Undone @ 39
mmm
While as outlined here, this sounds reasonable, I might point out that Mel is not exactly the kind of Dem Blue America would pick as an ally, and the G-Rod alliance would not be a given either.
Local perception is that Blago hooked into the Machine for what he could get and would now like to leave all those little people behind.
If the problem is “they are illegal” wouldn’t the solution be to make them legal? Shouldn’t we have an emancipation proclamation for the powerless and disenfranchised eliminating modern day slavery?
Before the civil war, how many slaves were in America? Is it more, or less than we have nearly a century and a half later?
Bob in HI @41
Actually, Kucinich made this very point. In his answer to Blitzer, he twice expressed offense at the way the question insinuated that a person can be illegal.
bobschacht @ 41
Kucinich challenged Wolf on this. He stated no human being is illegal.
Alderman Dick Mel is 1/2 Polish Chicago has the largest Polish population outside of Warsaw.
There is also a huge undocumented community of Poles working there, plus all the Hispanics. An alliance of which could threaten Daley. Sacrificing Rahm to keep these groups happy might be Daley’s only option.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.....of_Chicago
Speaking of Polish immigrants, Canadian police murder one with tasers in airport:
http://www.canada.com/windsors.....mp;k=32890
mack @ 46
True but Rod is family and having his sister in law in Congress will only make his life easier. Rod wants to go National at some point taking out a Daley hack (Rahm) and replacing it with his Sister in Law would prove his clout. He needs Clout to fundraise to show that he is a player.
Rod and Mell are machine hacks but I do think the Sister in Law could be a national symbol for gay rights. After all how many men can claim they knocked down a Chicago cop!
Jane Hamsher @ 6
Ok, Jane. Because you asked.
Crush
StollerRahm. Oh, right, Stoller was facebook.katymine @ 26
I realize the phrase “Illegal immigrant” is not popular. However, that’s how most of America sees it. We can have a debate on the phrase, or a debate on the substance.
We need to face reality if we’re going to change it. And we won’t change it by playing word games.
Most of the anti-immigrant people are good people, people who are fighting for what they believe is right. Just like us, in that way. Yeah, some fear the “Brown wave” but most just worry about their jobs.
We gotta address that or even the Dems will have to join in the bashing. Heck, look at NY. Perfectly reasonable proposal on drivers licenses drops the poor man’s approval ratings below Bush. And NY is FULL of immigrants. Imagine how that played in rural America.
Boxturtle(Frankly, I’m just glad the term “wetback” is dying)
I think events like this have great promise. It reminds congresscritters that constituents are keeping an eye on them. Pokes a little hole in the beltway bubble.
brendan @ 51
Do you think Taser-madness is contagious across borders?
Maybe we should be very careful; other tortured ‘logics’ might ooze out.
Imagine an epidemic of BU$H-inspired dis-ease loosed upon the world. Perish the thought!
Things Come Undone @ 40
We had this conversation a few days ago. It is already past the filing deadline for a Democrat to run against Rahm in the Primary. Someone could run as an Independent, but not only would they need to get a bale of signatures, but I think IL law requires the “independent” to be running as a slate of candidates (and thus not really independent?)
As someone has noted elsewhere, there may be problems with Alderman Mel and his slate, but that’s not an angle that we discussed before, IIRC.
In other words, if the Greens or some other progressive group were already organized and had a slate of candidates in Rahm’s district, maybe we could collaborate on their candidate, or helping them find one, but other than that, looks like its too late this time around.
Bob in HI
boxturtle @ 54
One way of changing the debate is to NOT use the offensive term. Get folks used to hearing the more appropriate term of undocumented. Changes the term, change the debate the direction WE want it to go.
bobschacht @ 41
Kucinich challenged him.
A serious primary challenge to Rahm will hopefuly keep him too distracted to cause any more trouble. Win or lose we take him off the board at least temporiarily we don’t need Rahm having another bright idea!
Another Rahm bright idea could cost us the election!
bobschacht @ 57
Don’t worry about the signatures Mel has his own Machine independent of Daley he can get signatures.
But yes Illinois election law might be a problem.
Still there is always the next election and taking Rahm down should be a priority.
bobschacht @ 41
There was only one progressive Democrat speaking yesterday, and he definitely did challenge this b.s. His name is Dennis Kucinich, and according to the MSM he is too fringey, too unacceptable to major funders, and too funny looking to take seriously.
1,660 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND OPN AND..
Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Patriots:
Great post and ,of course, incredible work by Howie Klein et al…maybe there IS a God and Howie’s gunna ride the perfect political storm on the immigration issue. I have long felt that by pushin’ this as a wedge for short term political advantage the fascists were miscalculatin’ and that wedge could become the sharp edge of an axe and cut the head offa the fascist beast in this election cycle.
What poetic justice for Howie if this issue serves ta end Rahm’s political career AND puts a stake thru the heart of that monstrosity called the “Daley machine”. Now if we could jest keep Mrs. Clinton confined ta New York (or better still, Arkansas) I might ta become an OPTIMAST, fer God’s skake!
KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION… THE CURE FOR FASCISM IS DEMOCRAZY!!
Things Come Undone @ 49
Looks like Deborah Mell is already running for State Rep
http://findarticles.com/p/arti....._n19321684
The article also gives a little perspective as to infighting.
kos’s first Newsweek column. Pretty standard stuff about Ds haven’t done anything about the war yet. Let’s see how the wurlitzer plays it.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/70653
mack @ 39
hey, talk about “eating their own” check this out as one brother throws the other under teh bus…think progress;
man, if he WANTED to get his brother into trouble he couldn’t have done a better job
boxturtle @54:
“Most of the anti-immigrant people are good people, people who are fighting for what they believe is right.”
That’s giving too much benefit of the doubt to the Republican party, which is desperately trying to whip up an issue on which it can campaign. And this supposed “concern” with immigrants is also cover for a couple of other quite sinister ancillary agendas: DHS profiteering and vote suppression come to mind.
I, and polls, also dispute the notion that hostility to illegal immigration is an issue that is more important to American voters than the real, big ones, so when you claim to want to “face reality” you’re facing it through a distorted lens.
I understand that people are imperfect and prejudiced. It doesn’t nessarily mean they let their prejudices guide their political decision making.
Lastly, you should read the digby link in full. Their is a political shorsightedness in demeaning the people who immigrate here illegally, not least of all because people who reside here legally are also targeted.
Find someone to run in 08, the rest was
It did say if he can’t help HRC then he’s unemployeed
jo6pac
[sarcasm on]
Didn’t you know that Rahm Emmanuel, Heath Shuler and Tom Tancredo are all Native Americans? [/sarcasm off]
Oh oh. Krongard perjered himself…TPM
Buzzy Tells Waxman He Told Cookie About Joining Blackwater
By Spencer Ackerman - November 16, 2007, 4:27PM
We’re that much closer to a perjury investigation. Buzzy Krongard has told House oversight committee staff what he told TPMmuckraker on Wednesday: that he told his brother, State Department Inspector General Howard “Cookie” Krongard, about his decision to join the advisory board of State Department contractor Blackwater. Cookie Krongard told the committee on Wednesday his brother had told him no such thing.
things
Do not mistake me - I want Rahm handed his ass.
But it would take some doing to convince me that spawn of the Mell machine is prefereable.
I still remember the unholy Vrodoliak/Mel axis too well.
(And am not alone in that memory)
Alternate sexual preference should not be considered progressive bone-fides.
mack @ 64
She can use state rep as a lily pad to hop onto Rahm’s seat next election.
Loo Hoo @ 71
Ya, I just commented that it looks like they are eating their own, if his brother WANTED to get him into trouble it would have been harder to do a better job
I was really encouraged yesterday in talking to the folks who were at the event - there’s great local support waiting to be tapped if a good challenger to Rahm appears … and we have enough time to plan to do that right!
One of the reporters asked me why I, a white blogger, cared about immigrants rights and my answer was that immigration looks to me like the latest Republican invent an issue they can use to divide us all … people were not all het up over immigration until the Rs started playing it … and folks like Rahm, instead of calling bullshit then go along and try to top the Rs … since my daughter is an immigrant, the issue is close to my heart but it’s also another example of power moves aimed at keeping the majority of americans fighting each other instead of building a progressive nation.
mack @ 72
I agree I hated the Vrodoliak 29! We should examine her more as a candidate. But I am hopeful!
boxturtle @ 54
There is a great, great deal of wisdom in the above comment. But, alas, most folks around here are far more comfy in calling people like me who “DARE” to differ in the slightest “racist racist racist” and “brown people hater, brown people hater, brown people hater”. All of which, as applied to me, is a load of Bullshit.
But’s it’s why the pro-illegals crowd continues to LOSE. I’m afraid they’ve got some very, very poor leadership which has not served them well. Many tactical errors have been made.
The most recent set-back would be in the collossal defeat in NY. Who’d a thunk it???? A MOST reliable BLUE, DEMOCRATIC state handed the pro-illegal crowd their asses.
I consider the vast, vast majority of the pro-illegal crowd to actually be very fine people. But they have been horribly mis-led by very very poor “Generals.” And so, as with any example of poor leadership, their “battlefield” losses continue to mount. Tis a shame.
Ghostman
perris @ 74
Buzzy Tells Waxman He Told Cookie About Joining Blackwater
bobschacht @ 41
The candidates don’t want to upset the mighty wurlitzer for fear it will be turned on them.
This is OT,
I am really glad I went to the FDL meetup in Portland a couple weeks ago.
When I saw katymines post above, I could just ’see’ her making her statement.
Makes a big difference I see.
Hi katymine!!
dakine01 @ 58
One way of changing the debate is to NOT use the offensive term. Get folks used to hearing the more appropriate term of undocumented. Changes the term, change the debate the direction WE want it to go.
Perhaps. But I, like most, have become sick of political correctness. When I hear someone carefully using the politically correct phrase, I normally suspect I’ve found a weasel. Around FDL, that’s certainly NOT true, but in the real world it seems true more often than not.
We’re not going to win this by wordplay. We’re going to win this by showing the majority of America that it’s in their best interest to make the majority of these folks citizens.
Boxturtle (Too many people tune out when they hear a PC phrase that they decode as being against what they believe)
1,560 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND..
Citizen Siun and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
Bless your heart, sister Siun, I’m gettin’ religion, babe…your selfless work on behalf of borderless politics and the uniting force of human rights in politics deserves a Norske Medal of Freedom. Go get ‘em Siun but be careful, ya jest might make incurable optimists outta folks like me!
KEEP THE FAITH AND DROWN THE BASTARDS IN DEMOCRAZY!!
I can’t get away from the feeling that the anti immigrant mobs are just racist mobs. I feel that the “immigrant” label allows for suppressed racism to be vented. I have heard a few, very feeble, economic arguments and a few crime arguments but none I have heard make a lot of sense. We need the workers document them already. And while we are at it unionize them!!
Siun @ 75
Doesn’t the reporter realize that everyone but Native Americans are immigrants?
O/T here, but. . .
B R E A K I N G:
last night, rep. waxman wrote buzzy
krongard, to ask about the putatively-
false statements made by howard “cookie”
krongard, under oath, before the house
oversight committee, a couple of days ago.
buzzy phoned the committee this morning,
and this is very bad news for cookie.
see the full memo, at the above link,
from waxman [buzzy, denying cookie’s
LATEST version, to waxman, under oath].
THERE WILL BE A HEARING, right after the break,
with BOTH boys present, under oath — i’ll bet they
won’t eat thanksgiving at mom’s, together, this year. . . he he!
p e a c e
nomolos @ 83
There is a big racist element to them. Just look at previous history. Most groups at one point in history were picked on. Look at the past 235 years of this country.
nomolos @ 83
I agree on the racism. I have yet to see a solid economic or crime analysis that proves they are better/same/worse than citizens.
But remember, if we gave them documents, we couldn’t exploit them so easily. /snark
nolo @ 85
lol!
nolo @ 85
Thanksgiving dinner gives them a chance to coordinate their stories.
brendan @ 68