Immigration
(3/11/08)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN) has flip flopped on immigration once again. Dump Michele Bachmann caught Norm criticizing Rep. Michele Bachmann for pushing for the police to enforce immigration law by checking for immigration status at traffic stops.
(Dump Michele Bachmann)
This contrasts with Norm's statements from when Congress was debating Bush's immigration policy last May and June of 2007. He used to be for police checking for immigration status at traffic stops. Norm was taking significant heat from the Republican base. They were worried that he'd be for "amnesty." Norm came out against "sanctuary cities" where police don't check for immigration status.
(7/09/07) Javier Morillo-Alicea writes an editorial in the Minneapolis Star Tribune calling out Norm on his vote against the immigration bill. Read the editorial here.
S. 1639 Comprehensive Immigration Reform bill - noted NO
After it became apparent that Norm was supporting what the conservatives considered amnesty, the right wingers went nuts. Here are a few samples of the the outrage from the conservatives. From reasonable to angry to knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers. The conservative base got angry about Norm's support for President Bush's bill.
- Many of my family, friends, and coworkers believe the same as well, but have been unable to contact you due to your phones being off the hook, or voice mailboxes full. You do this because you know that the American People are mad as hell. If this is pushed thru 2008 will be a landslide of new blood in Congress.
Ther new Democratic controlled Congress claims that "We listened to you America and we will work for you!" What a joke. America is overwhelmingly for this to die and illegals to be made to leave. Do you hear us now? They need to leave and come in legally as per current laws.
(Letter to Norm, George Bush, Collen Peterson & Amy Klobuchar)First build the wall - then let the bill fall!! Enforce the rules we already have. Between the two efforts, we won't have an illegal problem and won't need the bill. What ever happened to the idea of having guest workers anyway? As soon as these people become Americans, we'll need illegals to do the work Americans won't - right? How ignorant. How scary. Its like Bush wants to end normal immigration in this country and the democrats love the idea, of course. They will all become democrats and our country will then become a one=party system - like communism.
(Letter to Norm, George Bush, Betty McCollum and Amy Klobuchar)Knowing Coleman's history of getting on both sides of an issue, a vote allowing the bill to progress, then voting against the specific bill's passage would be in character. Come election season next year, depending on his audience, he can then point to his various votes to prove he's on your side. But ultimately, today's vote was the big one and he's acted contrary to the preferences of most conservatives.
This vote is going to be a bitter pill to swallow for many who fought so hard for the man in 2002. He's turning out to be no Rod Grams or Mark Kennedy, something most already knew. But he's also no Walter Mondale or Al Franken. Elections are choices not referenda.
(Fraters Libertas)Senatard Norm Coleman's St. Paul office is taking calls: 1-651-645-0323.
I just spoke with that office and Senatard Coleman is voting for cloture (he will be one of the 60 to revive Amnesty).
He is going to make it possible, by being part of the 60, to then allow Amnesty to pass when they only need 51 (assuming everyone votes).
Senatard Coleman hasn't decided how he will vote in the 2nd vote, which will be to pass or not pass Amnesty.
In effect, Senatard Coleman is voting for Amnistia.
Funny, he introduced an Amendment to 'elmininate' sanctuary cities and now is going to make the whole country a ruined sanctuary.
Piss be upon him.
(LibertyPost.org, the comments on this one are pretty entertaining)
(6/06/07) According the the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Norm wants to overhaul our country's immigration system and support President Bush's immigration bill.
- "Minnesota's two U.S. senators, Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Amy Klobuchar, have said they strongly support comprehensive immigration reform. Whether they vote for or against the bill will be determined by the amendments
added this week, their staffs said.
"Coleman and Klobuchar said they favor most of the major elements of the bill, including creation of a temporary-worker program, a tougher employee-verification system, a path to legalization and tougher border controls.
"'I understand that emotions run high on this issue, but ultimately, I believe it's our duty to figure out who is living inside our country, secure our borders, and restore the rule of law to our immigration policies and enforcement,' said Coleman. 'I am hopeful this bill will pass, because we cannot
wait another two years to deal with this crisis.'"
(5/27/07) Norm Coleman was given an inside page on today's Opinion section of the Sunday edition of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. As a Bush Loyalist he stuck to the approved talking points with a commentary piece entitled For safety's sake, take this gag off our police.
- Following the devastating attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, we made a promise to our citizens to make this country safer. We identified, on many levels, cracks in our security systems. Perhaps most alarming was the revelation that our many intelligence and law enforcement agencies were simply not talking to one another. Essentially, we found out that when the left arm doesn't know what the right arm is doing, the consequences can be disastrous.
Okay ... let me get this straight ... because middle eastern terrorists attacked us on 9/11, we need our cities' police force to enforce immigration laws against the Latino community? And that because its the Mexicans and Central Americans who are the problem? Am I missing something?
What I am missing is that Norm is following the Republican script -- talk big about security especially when the crackdown is immigration (read Latino), but vote against any real strengthening of our nation's security. He voted against tightening security for our ports. He was for selling the management of a bunch of ports to a middle eastern conglomerate. He's voted with Bush and against implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
Talk big, do little to nothing. O yea ... don't forget to lie.
Read the complete analysis of Norm's commentary piece
(5/14/07) Instead of working on issues that matter to the people of Minnesota, Norm is hard at work on issues important to his conservative base -- in this case, immigration. Norm will introduce legislation that will in effect force cities to make their police departments arms of the INS. Right now cities can pass laws that prevent their police from asking minorities about their immigration status. Many large city mayors want good relations with immigrant communities and are concerned about immigrants cooperating with police in cases of non-immigration crimes. But not Norm.
Norm Coleman has also forgotten what its like to be mayor of a major American city. Minneapolis and Saint Paul (Norm was once the DFL Mayor of St. Paul) both want recent immigrant communities cooperating with the police. If a recent immigrant was a witness to a crime and knew they'd be hassled about their or a relatives immigration status, why would they cooperate? Not to mention if criminals knew illegal immigrants wouldn't go to the police to report crimes, crimes against immigrant communities would increase.
Norm Coleman's immigration bill: whose interests is he representing?
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