
President Obama spoke out against a tough new Arizona immigration bill this morning, and said it was an example of why the federal government has to act on immigration reform.
"Our failure to act responsibly at the federal level will only open the door to irresponsibility by others," Obama said. "That includes, for example the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans."
Speaking at a White House naturalization ceremony for active duty service members, Obama said "I've instructed members of my administration to closely monitor the situation and to closely examine the civil rights and other implications of this legislation."
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) has until tomorrow to decide whether to sign or veto a bill that would require police officers to question people about their immigration status if there was reason to believe they're not here legally.
Many on the left -- including Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) -- have suggested that the bill is racist, and will lead to racial profiling.
Watch:


expat46
April 23, 2010 11:29 AM
Forget about repealing and replacing the HCR bill. This is the issue that the 2010 mid term elections battle royal will be fought over. Well played Arizona.
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Cornelius
April 23, 2010 12:23 PM in reply to expat46
Not sure if your post is sarcasm but will take a chance and say yes, this is the issue for 2010 mid term elections. What do you do? Almost a third of AZ population is Spanish, there have been some really ugly front page crimes in AZ involving illegals, Uncle Johnny is still trying to shake free from J.D. Hayworth, the Chamber of Commerce wants to hold on to all the cheap labor they champion for corporate America, the Dems want the Spanish vote, and the Catholic Church wants and needs to populate their ever decreasing congregations. Add in a little Sarah, a few rabid birthers, J.D. fueling the flames on the radio, your standard teabaggers, some hot sauce and you have the perfect enchilada! Raising AZ indeed!
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expat46
April 23, 2010 12:36 PM in reply to Cornelius
I was only being a tiny bit sarcastic. I think Obama would sincerely like to move on immigration reform but he would like to choose the timing, because it's a political loser. It's easy for the Republicans to stoke the xenophobia, southern strategy style. In the words of Larry Willmore, "brown is the new black".
Remember how just before the 2004 election gay marriage was suddenly the greatest threat to the nation?
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Cornelius
April 23, 2010 1:00 PM in reply to expat46
Yea, remember when Rove & Co got the gay marriage debate on the ballots of a few middle America states in '04. Very effective. And I like "brown is the new black" lead TP. The crimes I was referring to were recent brown on white sex crimes involving children and of course, brown on white murder. The white on white sex crimes and murders were on page 6 under the fold. Got to laugh at Hayworth, who can talk-the-talk, continuing to nip at the heels of McCain like a little poodle. I swear the top of McCain's head is gonna blow off before election day. Comedy at its best.
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Honey Bunches Of Stoats
April 23, 2010 12:31 PM in reply to expat46
This is going to be a wedge issue within the GOP. You've got your anti-immigrant voter base and your party leadership who dearly wants to avoid alienating the ever increasing Hispanic vote. Good times, good times.
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GTFOOH
April 23, 2010 11:32 AM
Where's all the Birthers, screaming about personal liberty?
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CityGuy
April 23, 2010 11:40 AM in reply to GTFOOH
Remember they're Repukes. Their Golden Rule is: IOKIYAR.
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Davran
April 23, 2010 1:25 PM in reply to CityGuy
The Tea Partiers know about the bill's little-mentioned exclusion clause:
"*: This law specifically exempts non-Latino whites."
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RocketEngineer
April 23, 2010 11:47 AM
It looks like the gutless Brewer is going to let it become law without signing it.
That way she can tell the spittle-sprayers that she supported it, and tell eveyone else that she opposed it.
Simultaneously she's talking about sending the National Guard to the border. But hey, if she declared war on Mexico and invaded, it would get her re-elected in Arizona.
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elle a
April 23, 2010 5:28 PM in reply to RocketEngineer
nahh, she signed it. unbelievable.
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RocketEngineer
April 23, 2010 10:04 PM in reply to elle a
Yeah, f**king b*tch!
But, at least they've managed to alienate the entire hispanic population of the state. Hope she likes it when they take that voting block and shove it up her a** in November.
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RocketEngineer
April 23, 2010 11:54 AM
Given the way it has played into the right wing's hands, it wouldn't surprise me if Robert Krentz was murdered by a Minuteman wing-nut.
Krentz was an empathetic person who would give water to those immigrants who had run out; just the kind of guy the racists hate.
They could kill two birds with one stone by killing Krentz, get rid of a "softie" and fire up the loonies; just the kind of thing Karl Rove would come up with.
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NerdRage
April 23, 2010 1:34 PM
you know...i really wish i didn't live in the kind of country that would enact the same kind of law that Nazi germany did...
sure its not a national law...but really...isolating one group of individuals, this time based on their skin color, and forcing them to carry papers declaring their immigration status...
this chills me to the bone that people who have brown skin, who may be 3rd, 4th or 5th generation immigrants, have the possibility of hearing a police officer utter the phrase "papers please"...
i just can't come up with a phrase to describe how horrifying this is
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expat46
April 23, 2010 1:48 PM in reply to NerdRage
Some Arizona Democrat should have added a poison pill amendment requiring them to sew a yellow Star of David on their lapel.
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NotBornEveryMinute
April 23, 2010 2:58 PM
I just finished reading the law, and it doesn't sound too bad to me. It seems to try to protect people's civil rights while giving law enforcement tools to remove illegal aliens. Maybe I'm living in an odd place in society, but every competent adult I know carries a drivers license or substitute when they're out. It seems that it would most likely be used to enforce immigration laws on those who come to the attention of police by breaking other laws. The Arizona law may not be the best, but maybe it will light a fire under people to do something stop the ongoing (non-military) invasion of our country.
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Davran
April 23, 2010 5:12 PM in reply to NotBornEveryMinute
I carry a driver's license when I'm out driving my car.
I went out running this morning, and I did not carry my driver's license.
I went around the block to drop off some mail, and I did not carry my driver's license.
It's an awfully good thing that I'm a white guy in a mostly white community, or I'dve been subject to arrest at any of those times by any police officer who didn't like the color of my skin, or the appearance of my shoes.
If this law was going to be uniformly enforced, it would also require that all persons must carry their ID cards at all times. (Heck, just to make it easier, our ID's could be tattooed on the back of our necks at birth.) But I suppose that might not sit well with the Teabag/Tinfoil Hat crowd.
This is not a law that affects us white folks. This is a law to be used on those other people.
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wial
April 24, 2010 5:32 AM in reply to NotBornEveryMinute
You mean the invasion of the recent European colony by people whose ancestors were here for 14,000 years?
How many of your ancestors were not immigrants?
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Resistance
April 23, 2010 3:38 PM
The Federal Government could have prevented this show down
Arizona for years has had to deal with the brunt, of the ever-increasing influx of illegal immigrants.
Particularly by one Nation, because of it’s close proximity to our border.
This usurper National group; whether they be white or brown, have bypassed the requirements for lawful entry. Laws intended to make the process of immigrating to America equal for all Nations.
The focus on the Hispanic groups is not based upon racism, only that this group is predominately the ones entering Arizona illegally.
The racism charge is intended to make odious those who would resist unlawful immigration.
This usurper national group, stirring passions of perceived injustices, in order to obstruct the execution of the laws, with the real design to direct, control, counteract,
or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities,
Authority given to Federal agencies whose purpose is to protect the United States.
Many US citizens are unaware of the problems of Arizonans.
Arizonan currently has a budget shortfall of 1.6 BILLION DOLLARS
Consider please,: Crimes committed in Arizona by the undocumented/illegal alien residents, is costing the State millions of dollars.
Arizona has pleaded for the Fed to reimburse for the costs of investigative work, arrests, prosecution, court costs and incarceration.
.
A burden placed upon the Arizona citizenry.
So it is very upsetting that the legal taxpaying citizenry, when looking for areas to cut the budget, have to ask; we must cut Kids care, we must cut education, we must cut essential services, we must cut programs to help the elderly, or else we must release the criminals so they can prey up the citizens again and again.
If the Fed wants Arizona to do the Feds job, or if the Fed ignores Arizona’s pleadings,
Then Arizonan’s are faced with the reality, STOP THE ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION the State of Arizona does not have the resources to deal with the demands of this influx..
I suppose we could ask the minority group would they like to have there taxes increased to support elder care, or English as a second language or do they want to take they’re portion of Tax revenues to go to those who enter illegally, who are not burdened by the tax system, Illegal’s who become tax users and not taxpayers.
(If you don’t like the word illegal or undocumented what word would you use to describe a National group who has violated US law?)
I suppose if this bill doesn’t pass, we can raise tax’s on the minority, a minority demanding a larger portion of tax revenues.
At what point will the minority population figure it out, It’s all about priorities.
Either you want Education, healthcare etc or incarceration of illegal immigrants.
When will the minority make the cognitive connection that low wage immigrant labor pays little in taxes? Taxes necessary to fund desired goals of all Arizonans and not just the minorities.
Without this law in place, imagine a border agent interdicting border crossers 3 miles, with in the US, the officer approaches, he asks “are you a US citizen, and the illegal entrant say’s sure we are. The officer is disallowed to ask for proof; if he does he’ll be accused of racial profiling. Do you suppose he minority groups want to pay for more Arizonans to interdict before he illegals enter?
Money from Arizona taxpayers, to fund more border agents, means less money for essential services.
This is only one aspect of the problem Arizonans and America face
What about protection, against diseases, such as the Avian flu that struck Mexico or TB
How does America protect itself from this threat, if any National group, decides it won’t comply and enters the country illegally?
So because the Fed decides it wishes to ignore its responsibility, Arizonan’s will be the proverbial canary?
If the Fed had done its job, we wouldn’t be here now.
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KennyBoy
April 23, 2010 4:57 PM in reply to Resistance
As Colbert pointed out, we have tried to stop illegal immigration, we even put our shittiest states on the border with Mexico and it hasn't helped.
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independentbrutha
April 23, 2010 10:13 PM in reply to Resistance
Agree the Federal government needs a real and strong solution to the border issue in AZ and the other border states. The problem has reached critical mass.
That said, this law is problematic on constitutional and civil rights grounds not to mention that it doesn't come close to fixing the problem.
The one thing it's most likely to do is alienate actual citizens who will automatically fall under suspicion based solely on race and ethnicity. And let's not be naive to suggest white Arizonans will be equally impacted by racial profiling. That simply will not be the case.
This law is odious even though well intentioned.
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wial
April 24, 2010 5:37 AM in reply to Resistance
The people you call illegal are the original owners of this land. Your ancestors stole it from them. So maybe you shouldn't be so judgmental when they try to come back.
Yes, the federal government should do something about it. It should sanction Arizona and tear down the fence.
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Supercog
April 23, 2010 3:58 PM
The problem with this bill is that it leaves the discretion up to law enforcement officers. They have to decide who "looks" like they are illegal and who doesn't. Yeah, I know, it's similar to other laws pertaining to observing criminal activity. If police see people acting in a suspicious way, those people can be questioned. All well and good. But this law leaves the discretion of who to question and investigate on the basis of how they look, or if they seem American or not.
Can someone give me clear, solid description of this person that they are to go after?
Is that right?? Really, is it? Leaving the issue the potential for considerable civil rights abuses aside a moment, when has America enacted a law that leaves the basis for who is investigated at the discretion of law enforcement? Does this sound like any other time in history??
Sure, right, they assure all of us of proper special training for officers (isn't Arizona pretty cash strapped) to ensure that the law will not be abused. What happens when the law itself is designed to be abusive?
I think that this is an important issue. Currently, the Border Patrol has the authority to do many things that is in this new law. And rightly so. If there is a group of people near the border, at night, all running away from officers in the middle of nowhere, yeah, chances are the are illegal. What about on the streets of downtown Phoenix? Are officers going to walk past an Asian, a White and a Black and stop the Latino?
This bill goes against a lot of what I thought this country stood for.
I've said it and many others: Where are all the Constitutionalists out there screaming about (fictional) threats to their 2nd amendment rights? Where are the state AG lawsuits decrying this law as unconstitutional? Where are the tea baggers complaining about the influence of large government? Where are the Militias screaming that this is just one more way for authorities to take away our freedoms? Where are the Libertarians?
Where are they?? I guess if it isn't effecting them, they don't care, right? As long as they get theirs, who cares right?
What others have stated on here is correct. This is gay marriage part Deux. The bastards. Playing with peoples lives like this.
Divide don't unite. Fear over Peace. The same old tired playbook.
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expat46
April 23, 2010 4:39 PM
Does a drivers license count as proof of citizenship in Arizona? I thought it required a long form birth certificate.
It's ironic that Arizona being the land of the libertarian, would give the state government this much power of the individual.
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expat46
April 23, 2010 4:44 PM in reply to expat46
reply to NotBornEveryMinute @April 23, 2010 2:58 PM
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Dunvegan
April 23, 2010 8:15 PM in reply to expat46
No.
Already we have a case where a brown-skinned truck driver has been pulled over re. this new law, and his driver's license wasn't acceptable. Law enforcement required his "birf certif"...so they jailed him until his wife came into the station with the driver's birth certificate.
So, now...no matter how long you and your ancestors have lived in either Arizona or America...if you are pulled over because you have olive skin in AZ, you'd better ALSO carry a birth certificate.
My husband, a Canadian, lived in the US for over a decade. No one ever asked for a proof of birth country, or citizenship in all that time...not when driving, not when applying for a job. Not ever.
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expat46
April 23, 2010 8:56 PM in reply to Dunvegan
Thanks for that link. What a sad state of affairs.
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Dunvegan
April 23, 2010 9:16 PM in reply to expat46
Time for a little civil disobedience in Arizona.
Law enforcement can be sued for NOT enforcing this law in any case where the person of interest MAY be a non-citizen.
So, White Arizonians interested and able to force this issue, should answer questions, when pulled over for a traffic stop, in a faux European language. Like German, or Polish, or Russian, or put on a heavy Irish brogue.
Then, when that person is NOT arrested, and asked for their birth certificate (like the olive-skinned truck driver in my post/link above) use a anti-hate group's lawyer to sue the State of Arizona for un-equal, discrimatory use of a law.
All we need is a dozen or so of these suits, and MLK would assure you that the country (and Arizona) would begin to sit up and take notice.
Not to mention if a Republican-stuck Cuban is arrested and hauled down to the station because he's not carrying his naturalization, or (2nd generation) American birth certificate. How long will it take for them to get a copy from Miami to Arizona? How long will they languish in jail? How long will they or their community remain Republican after a case or two of this madness when it affects them?
And...Heaven Forfend if McCain is pulled over and let go without producing his Panamanian off-base hospital birth certificate. Then we all bring suit that LE is not asking for proof of citizenship (birth certificate, it seems in the first case we now have.)
That would be perfect.
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Resistance
April 24, 2010 6:26 AM in reply to Dunvegan
The Government would sure thank you if you could start your civil disobedience, sooner rather than later.
Then the Government could enact martial law and then EVERYONE WILL HAVE TO CARRY PAPERS.
Keep crying racial profiling, and you'll get company soon enough. EVEYONE STOPPED WILL BE CARDED.
That's the goal folks, and the Hispanics took the bait.
CRY LOUDER ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS, and the courts will conclude the role of Government in the Name of homeland security, trumps civil rights.
The cop on the beat will now be asking every citizen, to show they're REAL-ID.
How can you now say it's racial profiling, when the Law will say EVERYONE MUST PROVIDE PROOF.
Cry some more my Hispanic friends, about racial profiling, you only hasten the day; Everyone will have to prove who they are.
As for the Hispanics you're still going to get stopped and carded, only your cries will find a lawful solution. EVERYONE WILL NEED TO CARRY A REAL-ID
I did this repetition for emphasis.
The attacks of 9-11 changed America forever. EVERYONE WILL HAVE TO CARRY A GOVERNMENT APPROVED ID or risk detention until you can prove who you are.
Carry your papers, it'll be easier; in the end, and all bitching aside; we all know; the government will always find a way to make it's servants comply.
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expat46
April 24, 2010 7:54 PM in reply to Resistance
Resistance, will you be crying when we all have to show our papers on demand? Do you think that our 'Hispanic friends' should just shut up and go along to save the rest of us some trouble? How long do you think this law would last in AZ if the police start harassing every white gun toting libertarian in the state?
While we're at it why don't you give us a bible quote? Something along the lines of " a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; a wicked ruler over the poor people."
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NotBornEveryMinute
April 24, 2010 3:13 AM in reply to Dunvegan
"Already we have a case..." two days ago, before the bill became law. If things are as reported on your link, it might show police abuse, but it's abuse without the new law! I'd like to hear a more complete response from ICE about this.
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independentbrutha
April 23, 2010 10:21 PM in reply to expat46
Fanned! Seems libertarians are only interested in limiting government intrusion into the rights of ordinary citizens when those citizens fall into a particular profile.
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wial
April 24, 2010 5:41 AM in reply to independentbrutha
we can't all be sincere advocates of justice you know! if being libertarian meant freeing people from the oppression of corporate power rather than unleashing corporate power to do whatever it wants to people, where would be the fun in that?
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Tosh
April 28, 2010 4:09 PM
The problem with this bill is that it leaves the discretion up to law enforcement officers. They have to decide who "looks" like they are illegal and who doesn't. Yeah, I know, it's similar to other laws pertaining to observing criminal activity. If police see people acting in a suspicious way, those people can be questioned. All well and good. But this law leaves the discretion of who to question and investigate on the basis of how they look, or if they seem American or not.
Can someone give me clear, solid description of this person that they are to go after?
Is that right?? Really, is it? Leaving the issue the potential for considerable civil rights abuses aside a moment, when has America enacted a law that leaves the basis for who is investigated at the discretion of law enforcement? Does this sound like any other time in history??
kamagra m65
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September 6, 2010 3:01 AM
This is going to be a wedge issue within the GOP. You've got your anti-immigrant voter base and your party leadership who dearly wants to avoid alienating the ever increasing Hispanic vote. Good times, good times. demi
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