immigration

Tan Nguyen is upset that he's being investigated:

He became visibly angry while talking about the search. His face turned red and he pounded a fist on his desk as he spoke.

He claims innocence.

"They didn't write it. I didn't write it," he said.

Asked if any campaign volunteers were responsible for the mailing, Nguyen referred questions to his attorney.

And yet he insists on running, and rather than expressing any sort of outrage that someone has betrayed his confidence, he complains about being investigated.

The letter of intimidation sent out to Hispanic voters could represent illegal behavior on his campaign's part. At the very least, someone has been attempting to intimidate voters into not voting -- that is, Hispanic voters into not voting for Tan Nguyen's Hispanic opponent.

The state Department of Justice has opened a voting rights investigation into the letter sent to certain Democratic voters in Orange County.

The letter, written in Spanish, warned: "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time."

This is pretty consistent with behavior by Republican campaigns elsewhere, notably Ohio in 2004. If Nguyen, as an immigrant, had instead expressed some sympathy for and insight into immigrant life and experiences, especially in this age of resurgent nativistic nee racist politics from the right wing of his own party, maybe he could have capitalized on this and gained some respect in this campaign.

Instead, he plays the victim and decries not the intimidation of voters but rather the investigation into his campaign, which apparently remains the prime suspect of the California Justice Department. His crocodile tears don't seem to be very convincing.

The drama of Tan Nguyen and how his campaign attempted to scare away Hispanic voters from showing up and voting for his opponent, Loretta Sanchez, has been unfolding for a few days now. I really thought this was just a little scandal, another imploding campaign. I figured Tan Nguyen would withdraw and that would be that.

But no. Apparently Tan Nguyen is claiming that the real problem is not the alleged criminal behavior of his campaign, but rather the investigation into that alleged criminal behavior.

A Republican congressional candidate whose campaign is being investigated for sending intimidating letters to Hispanic voters lashed out at his Democratic rival, saying she was fueling the uproar over the mailings.

Tan Nguyen on Sunday rejected calls to drop out of the race to unseat longtime Rep. Loretta Sanchez (news, bio, voting record), and implied the popular congresswoman was behind the probes into the letters warning immigrants they could be deported or jailed for voting in next month's election.

"There has been no crime committed so why is there a criminal investigation three weeks prior to a very important election?" Nguyen asked. "What is going on? Who is fueling this investigation?"

Here's a little background:

Nguyen said Sunday he did not authorize or approve the letters, which warn in Spanish: "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time."

In reality, immigrants who have become naturalized U.S. citizens are eligible to vote.

California Department of Justice investigators searched Nguyen's campaign headquarters on Friday, as well as his residence and a home listed as belonging to one of his staffers. Investigators are looking into possible voting rights violations.

So who sent these mailings? His campaign office manager! And get this: He fired her last week, but now wants her back.

In other words, he's endorsing intimidating voters, and complaining that criminal investigations into this are the problem.

Nguyen said Sanchez was "fueling this hysteria" and investigators were "terrorizing my family and volunteers" and violating his right to free speech.

If he wants to put this behind him, he should own up and take responsibility for his own campaign. He should apologize. Of course, taking responsibility and apologizing aren't things Republican politicians do these days. But if he can't find it in himself to do this, then he should withraw altogether.

So could someone please tell me what the hell this is about?

Dobbs: "I was asked the other day about whether or not the American people had the stomach to stand up and stop this nonsense, this direction from group of elites in absolute contravention of our laws, our Constitution and every national value.... This is beyond belief!"

Pretty scary when Lou Dobbs has a problem with what the Bush Administration is doing.

The Republicans have done it again. While they spend the nation into bankruptcy while neglecting the critical challenges that we face -- porous national security, politicizing intelligence, declining education, a broken healthcare system -- they rush into this election year whipping up fear over trivialities and appealing to depraved and reactionary emotionalism.

We're talking nativism.

Since they seem to have gotten away with treating the Mexican border as a crisis while ignoring the Canadian border -- which, by the way, we know terrorists have crossed -- they're pushing even further in their anti-Hispanic efforts by voting not once, but twice, to establish English as the national language.

As if that were going to achieve any meaningful improvement.

"We are trying to make an assimilation statement," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., one of two dozen senators who voted Thursday for both English proposals.

Given his past, Mr. Graham seem to intend for everyone to submit to his arch-conservative views.

"What the president has said all along is that he wants to make sure that people who become American citizens have a command of the English language," Snow said. "It's as simple as that."

Of course, the president demonstrates poor "command of the English language" himself. But we have to remember, he's above the law. He says so over and over again.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., disputed charges that making English the national language was racist or aimed at Spanish speakers.

Sure. It's just a coincidence that this measure is taken up at the same time they're working up other nativist laws and policies directed against Hispanics crossing the Mexican border. Mr. Inhofe's real beef is with waiters in Chinese restaurants.

The provision makes exceptions for any language assistance already guaranteed by law, such as bilingual ballots required under the Voting Rights Act or court interpreters. It also requires immigrants seeking citizenship to demonstrate a "sufficient understanding of the English language for usage in every day life."

Let's see if we can come up with a list of phrases....

"Where's the bathroom?"

"Glass of water, please."

"I vote for Republicans only."

"When the government spies on me, I feel patriotic."

That oughta do it.

When it comes to anything relating to international relations and security, nobody can accuse the president of playing a game of Risk. That would take nuance. No, Mr. Bush is a simpler man -- a "decider"!

And he likes to play with his army men.

Anyone who knows anyone in the military, whatever his or her political views, knows that our armed forces are what you might call over-extended. We have soldiers and Marines, young and old, serving multiple tours of duty in Iraq. We have people long retired who've been called back to help the United States follow a foreign policy with no real plan, no sense of strategy, and certainly no intelligence (except for, of course, what they glean from tapping your phone).

Now President Bush is facing criticism from the xenophobic wing (or is it the core?) of the Republican Party regarding immigration policy.

So what is the president thinking of deciding to do?

Send in the National Guard.

One defense official said military leaders believe the number of troops required could range from 3,500 to 10,000, depending on the final plan. Another administration official cautioned that the 10,000 figure was too high.

The officials insisted on anonymity since no decision has been announced.

The president was expected to reveal his plans in an address Monday at 8 p.m. EDT. It will be the first time he has used the Oval Office for a domestic policy speech — a gesture intended to underscore the importance he places on the divisive immigration issue.

The key questions Friday were exactly how many National Guard troops might be deployed, for how long and at what cost to taxpayers — as well as the problem of possible disruption of upcoming deployments to Iraq and elsewhere overseas.

Welcome home, soldier! You survived Baghdad! Congratulations! Now get your butt into that Hummer and report for duty on the Mexican border! There are more brown people there to keep in line!

So is this really about national security? Not likely:

Southern lawmakers met with White House strategist Karl Rove earlier in the week for a discussion that included making greater use of National Guard troops to shore up border control.

Ah! The Architect is hard at work! No wonder the GOP is busy trying to whip up fear and anger. Funny that, in the name of defense and national security, they aren't talking about sending armies to the Canadian border, where terrorists have been crossing. I wonder why that is....