Associated Press
Shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on Arizona's anti-immigrant law, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R), who represents Arizona, issued a curious press release.
"I note that in his response to today's Supreme Court ruling, President Obama called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. I also note that the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill I helped draft in 2007 was killed -- in part -- by then-Senator Obama."
Clearly, expectations for honesty are low when it comes to the politician who made "not intended to be a factual statement" famous, but even by Kyl's low standards, this is unnerving.
First, Obama, as a U.S. senator in 2007, didn't vote to kill comprehensive immigration reform; he voted for it. Kyl's version of reality is the opposite of the one the rest of us live in.
Second, though Kyl bragged yesterday about the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill he "helped draft" five years ago, if we actually look back at the Senate record, we see that the Arizona Republican voted to filibuster the bill. Jon Kyl is falsely accusing Obama of doing what Jon Kyl actually did.
Maybe yesterday's press release wasn't intended to be a factual statement, either?
Kyl's Arizona colleague, Sen. John McCain (R), meanwhile, had his own take on recent events yesterday, which was nearly as ridiculous.
By way of Benjy Sarlin, we see that McCain was on Fox News last night, talking about politics.
Sen. John McCain says President Barack Obama is motivated by "political calculations" in supporting the repeal of Arizona's controversial immigration law.
"In order for the president of the United States to be reelected, he has to have very solid support amongst the Hispanic community," the Arizona Republican told Fox News's Greta Van Susteren, hours after the Supreme Court struck down three provisions of the law. "I cannot believe that political calculations are not a major part of this. Otherwise, he would have proposed comprehensive immigration reform back in 2009 when he was first president of the United States."
Let's unwrap this a bit, because it's kind of hilarious.
For one thing, Obama supported comprehensive immigration reform "back in 2009," but was a little busy cleaning up the catastrophic mess left behind by McCain's buddy, George W. Bush. For another, even if Obama had pushed for comprehensive immigration reform "back in 2009," McCain would have tried to kill it -- as Rachel noted on the show last night, McCain announced his opposition to the immigration bill he helped write in 2008.
And finally, if we're really going to talk about politicians making "political calculations" on immigration policy, let's talk about John McCain. He is, after all, the guy who championed comprehensive immigration reform until he flip-flopped to make right-wing activists happy; he co-sponsored the DREAM Act until he flip-flopped to make right-wing activists happy; and he opposed building the "danged fence" until he flip-flopped to make right-wing activists happy.
And now McCain wants voters to think Obama is making "political calculations" on immigration? Sure, senator, tell us another one.
There is, however, a larger and more substantive point to all of this. Over the last few days, Republicans -- not just Kyl and McCain, but other prominent officials throughout the party -- have said President Obama's new immigration policy short circuits any efforts at a comprehensive reform bill. Given that the GOP has opposed any and all efforts at a comprehensive reform bill over the last five years, the rhetoric is, to put it mildly, odd.
But perhaps it's worth putting the oddities, contradictions, lies, and hypocritical nonsense aside. The New York Times had a very interesting item yesterday.
The elements of an overhaul are broadly agreed on: tougher border security and stronger enforcement of laws prohibiting the hiring of undocumented workers, looser rules on visas for highly skilled or educated immigrants, a guest-worker program for sectors like agriculture that are plagued by labor shortages, and some response to the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country.
Democratic leaders maintain that any changes must be done comprehensively. If business interests get what they want on educated immigrants and guest workers, for instance, Democrats fear that a key Republican constituency will be lost when it comes to less popular measures, like providing some path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Most Republicans say they want to toughen border security first, and they refuse to move forward with other measures until they are satisfied that the borders are all but sealed.
But that stalemate may be weakening. Last month, four senators -- two Democrats and two Republicans -- introduced legislation to overhaul the rules on visas for highly skilled workers. Both Democrats, Mark Warner of Virginia and Chris Coons of Delaware, said they were prepared to move forward without a comprehensive immigration effort.
Republicans have spent a week talking about how awful it is that Obama didn't push comprehensive immigration reform sooner. Well, it's not too late. If GOP officials are serious and sincere about getting something done, they can step up right now, and put their legislation where their mouth is.
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Here is the real and biggest hypocritical issue that is occurring. When Jesus walked the earth to teach, he said all he needed to say and no more. But we keep having these hypocrites that want to twist things beyond what Jesus said, the end result is groups of people that get persecuted and put into misery, despair and death. There is churches that condemn and persecute LGBT people, women, and people of different religious faiths, while they are outright abusers of others and just all for the power and control over people. Plus condemn people of different color. You have Republicans looking to persecute Black and Hispanic people, because they may look different than themselves or these Republicans think they are better than others are. And on top of it, you have these Republicans that are outright deceivers and liars. You have extreme rich people who think they deserve to have more than others do and need to dictate what they want which by the way was one of the types of people Jesus disliked. And when you get down to it these people are nothing more than craving power, hypocrites, greedy, arrogant, corrupt, and deceivers which is the very opposite of what Jesus was. But when you really get down to it, these are the very people who are causing the majority of all the violence, misery, despair and death in the world. And you cannot get down to the real truth of it all than that by Jesus’ teachings. So if you think you cannot change what it is to be Christian, you are wrong, because it is one of the very things that Jesus looked to teach and that can never be denied.
So the truth is that you are over two thousand years old and therefore know these facts. I mean you witnessed the so called Christ saying things?
Nope, but all you have to do is look at what the statements were that Jesus' said and read them.
Dang it! You people need to focus on what these slugs are saying and doing now not what they said yesterday or even earlier today!
I am curious as to what constitutes a lie in the right winged world though.
To those on the right, whether or not something is a "lie" or the "truth" obviously has nothing to do with objective reality.
It's a lie if a Democrat?liberal?progressive says it and Republicans?conservatives?libertarians can say anything they want, as long as it is good for Republicans and hurts Democrats.
It never fails to crack me up when politicians clutch their pearls about other politicians being motivated to do things "for political reasons." And McCain has the least credibility of all of them in this regard after nominating Sarah Palin for VPOTUS despite the fact that the only choice that would have been more ridiculous was Larry the Cable Guy.
Kyl has introduced the lowest common denominator for his fellow travelers reveling in their Obama Derangement Syndrome - Impeachment! Yes, the dear ol'Kylster has floated the idea that President Obama needs to be impeached on this issue of immigration.
Watching Kyl project his wicked political idiom is like being on a bad acid trip! -Kevo
I do not believe that, most of the time, these politicians are speaking to an audience who watches Fox News and, who, backed by poll results, are some of the least informed citizens. This audience will not know or care that Kyl filibustered anything and that McCain flipflopped on anything. They will believe what they are being told now and in November.
Rachel is a model of civil discourse that is sadly lacking now.
The thing is the GOP has already filibustered the DREAM Act, and yet NOW, the GOP have the nerve to pretend that it was never sent to them, HUH?!? Both John McCain and Jon Kyl really need to retire - McCain because he's a doddering old fool that's still licking his wounds from losing the election to this President; and Kyl because well - he's an idiot, period!
The GOP have shown they only care about the rich & corporate, and the democrats have shown they haven't a spine! Exactly who does "democratic messaging" because they suck at it! The GOP has shown that they are liars, psychopathic even and don't live in the real world, and yet the corporate owned lame-stream librul media continue to give them a pass on their lies and dream world! It's time to vote the GOP out because they surely have their own interests and it's not to favor the American people!
In my previous post, remove the word not from the first line.
The character and intelligence of the Congress -- well, Republicans in Congress -- has fallen to such disastrous levels that we now have members openly lying and fabricating events that never occurred. Perhaps the reason Mitt Romney and his Republican colleagues are so tongue-tied is because they have no good answers on immigration that won't permanently alienate Hispanic voters. Just instinctively blaming Barack Obama for everything is not going to get them far with Hispanics or any group of swing voters this election season. Lying is their only option to prevent an extinction event for the GOP. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
Today's GOP - taking projection to a whole new level.
Dduring debates and interviews, all poitical candidates should have to wear some type of lie detecting device that goes off when they are lying. Would it not be refreshing if they had to really tell us what their intentions are? All candidates should be required to put out detailed plans that we can pour over to see how they would handle situations that are currently on our minds. Why would anyone want to vote for some one who won't tell us what they are planning? I remember when they used to mail voting records of our congressional leaders to us, would be nice to have those in hand when listening to their rhetoric at their next re-election campaigns. I am fortunate to have a very good Congressman and two good Senators at this time. I fear the next election might bring me a horrible new Senator as one is retiring this year. I fear if Mitt Romney wins the presidential election, there will never again be a middle class. My daughter will never again have the right to say what happens with her body. I'm afraid we will be further put in harm's way as we will be involved in more wars for money and power, which will create more fanatical terrorism and hatred for the U.S.
@henry-6224410: I pray that you will never have any woman you love, be it your wife/sister/daughter/niece or whomever you care about have to go through the painful choice between her own life or the life of the child she is carrying. Or to choose between being able to afford giving birth to a very sick baby or continue caring for those you already have alive. I pray that you never have any women you love be raped and have to live through a pregnancy she doesn't want. I hope that you never see any woman you love have to go through the agony of knowing that something she is carrying inside her for 10 months is going to die the second that fetus is out of her womb because it has an incurable defect.
But to be fair, I have to tell you that as I'm using both hands to type, I am not able to cross my fingers for you, and that I am also an atheist, so my prayer might or might not be heard anywhere.
You're going to get a hernia, henry! Hahahahahahahahaha...
You'll need to make a run for some more Prep-H after you get through here, henry. Me, grow up? You've been running around blowing your stack and referring to people with calm, objective, reality-based, unconfrontational posts as "dipshhits."
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha..., hypocrite.
Understand this: it's not for you or anyone else to make a woman's decision on something like abortion. And if you are so obtuse as to insist otherwise, then drop dead.
It is so typical of the trolls to get all p!ssy about the way they are treated, when this site practically allows them to spewverbalvomit at will.
With henry's last post, you can see what the country is up against: a Wall of Stupidity. A discussion is impossible because the wall is congenitally constrained intellectually to express lucid thoughts.
It does means something to me: It means that when it comes to your own child you are open for options, but when it comes to other people's child, without knowing their conditions, you just assume that if only they cross their leg, they won't have to make any choice.
And before you read me wrong, good for your daughter and your family that you all can be "brave" and can afford to raise your grand daughter or son without having to sacrifice your daughter's life or risking that other grand daughter/son you already have might have to go through life without their mother to save her unborn child. But you failed to realize that not everybody are that lucky.
And why is it that conservative always make it sound like those women who have an abortion all choose to do so just like the way they choose their latte at Starbucks?
Just...,
I realized years ago that they do that because they enjoy being callous and cruel.
Senator Kyl:
Great... now I'm gonna have that jingle in my head for a while!
;-)
One hopes that people realize that Republicans are most likely to be lying whenever they bring up any historical tidbit. Republicans absolutely excel at rewriting history to their advantage whenever they mention anything politically historical. The point these days is to never, ever believe anything any Republican has to say about anything in any situation. They lie all the time about everything and anything as they tout their moral superiority. The GOP, as a party and as a political institution is pathological in nature. There is no question that Republicans are pathological liars.
You mad, henry? Hahahahahahahaha...
Disgusted...,
His sort of reaction is very common among those on the right when they don't get the respect they (mistakenly) think they deserve. They stamp their tiny feet, shake their tiny fists, and get really shrill.
Yeah. I wouldn't mind discussing something with a conservative, but when you can't even get a wingnut to accept CBO, BLS, OMB, etc. figures, or they refuse to accept climate science data or refuse to accept the greenhouse effect, or refuse to accept that the U.S. health care system takes 17% of the economy or ..., you realize it's just not possible. So when you get a clueless, in-eloquent, obvious buffoon and near-illiterate like henry or this Shooter granite-head, it's just more effective to start blasting the idiots.
Okay Kyle said he supported the Comprehensive immigration legislation in 07 when in fact he filibustered it and siad that Obama voted against it when he voted for it. I think this would count as Kyle rewriting History. You're a jerk by the way.
You're a jerk Henry. And Kyle lied about his and Obamas positions and tried to rewrite history.
Read the article, henry. Follow links if you have to. You know what a "link" is, right?
Those on the right seem to be quite fond of demanding information that has already been presented or is obvious.
Oh yeah. It's even worse than that. They like to come up with a bogus explanation for explaining something and that fits their bogus ideology, and then actually DEMAND you prove their bogus explanation wrong. This is a universal tactic among wingnuts. I believe it comes from Limbaugh. What they don't understand is that the burden of proof is ON THEM.
Every one of them does this. Check out the buffoon, Shooter in Steve's "corporate profits" post from yesterday. The stooge was just throwing shhit up against the wall hoping people would tire out of cleaning up his stinky mess so he could conclude in his own mind he won.
Pathetic. Just pathetic.
Some folks are just unable to stick with the topics and name calling is their last resort. Next they say general stuff like you must be on welfare.
In case anyone didn't know already, I worked over 41 years and I am retired, yes. I earned my money back when corporations and small business could hire and retain a loyal employee base after training their employees. They paid livable wages and offer pensions (which got raided by Wall Streeters in their criminal scams-now unions are declared the villains- HA)
Only people that wish to imagine how it the fault of those responsible for consuming goods an services should have to be cut. Then vote for an outsourcing venture capitalist that raided said pensions and pocketed the money after laying off workers.
I'd like to "vote this up" +1000 at least...
Congratulations, Sandy! For now, "retirement" is my "dream job" - literally - I'm pretty sure all I'll ever be able to do is dream of it.
:(
I really hope you can reach your dream job in real life, along with everyone else. I think I was very fortunate to have an agreement fullfilled. I retired a wee bit early, but my vacancy leaves a spot for someone else. I am not rich, but I saved in a 401k and didn't lose it all in 2008, due to my aversion to stock risk.
Unions can do that for you, as long as Wall Street is held in check and doesn't take crazy risks with pension funds.
Hey, folks -- don't feed the troll -- remember? He's not adding to this discussion; he's just distracting us.
You're right. Sorry. I tried to have a debate, but I should not have engaged.
http://www.newsvine.com/_nv/cms/info/codeOfHonor
What I'd like to know is why those on the right are not held to any standards or at best are "held" to far more lenient "standards" on this site than other people are. It seems painfully obvious to me that there is a definite double standard benefitting those on the right in operation here. Liberal Guilt strikes again.
Yeah, I noticed it too. I try to engage a real debate, but it seems the trolling type never really wishes to debate.
This is why we can't get anywhere, the nasty hurling of verbal attack is the result. How can we get people on the right to debate issues?
I understand the liberal guilt point, but I try to play by the rules and it seems others do not.
Practically each and every day, Steve Benen chronicles the distortions, mendacities and outright fabrications of the Republican Party. It really blows my mind that so many Americans still subscribe to their antics. It's a very sad statement. Is there anyone at all on the Republican side that can be counted on to be "fair and balanced?"
The myth of the ineffable wonderfulness of the Amurrican Peepul is exactly that...a myth.
The American people are destroying the world.
Political note about paying money politics in the Era of "Citizens United":
When under the influence of excess monies from "Citizens United", act according to profit motive.
Application:
Then a party's "body politic" has among its members many whose standing has fallen to such unpopularity or have been excoriated under ample and just criticism or who have flipped flopped into grotesque configurations as the cannot recognized as human.
It is among these members who may be trotted out to perform some negative, underhanded, dastardly, cowardly, sneaky outwardly political act of public distraction.
If the observant political savants are watching closely, they should observe that these members may appear "whack-a-mole" fashion in sound bites, video clips. These acts of earnest self-sacrifice and posturing are merely intended to be compensated in some fashion out of the public eye.
These members when collecting the political token or poker or casino chips, for exchange for those excess monies that may be construed as buying silence, appearing in unprofitable settings, and making claims of loyalty to the "body politic" and favoring the impression that the discredited and marginalized member is truly loyal to the cause of said "body politic". Anyone, political savant, or naturally perceptive to apparent lies, should recognize the situation.
If the members on your team have denigrated other team members, because that are political animals, those abused members may be purchased and rewarded for performing circus acts, as if they had no core values and were just commodities for purchase.
For the right price politicians can be bought, that is because they are for sale, for sale not as good citizens but for sale for the wrong reasons. Purchased loyalty is a discounted commodity.