Promises Broken: Recruited Immigrant Teachers Lied to by NY Leaders!

NEW YORK — New York City teachers recruited from Jamaica, Trinidad and other Caribbean countries a decade ago said Wednesday that the city needs to do more to help them and their families obtain permanent U.S. residency. Some 500 Caribbean teachers were recruited in 2001 when the city faced a teacher shortage. The teachers say they were hired with the understanding that New York City officials would help them regularize their immigration status. But teachers who attended a news conference Wednesday on the steps of City Hall said they are here on H-1B work visas they need to keep renewing or risk deportation; meanwhile, their adult children are not legally able to work.

Special education teacher Antoinette Nesbitt said her 27-year-old daughter went to culinary school but can't use her degree. "It's killing her," she said. Kevin Lowe, a 26-year-old whose mother is a music teacher, said he has no choice but to stay in college. "It's hard to wake up every morning not knowing what your future will be like," he said.

Advocates for the teachers said that until recently, New York City officials have not shown a commitment to help with the teachers' immigration status. "For over a decade, these teachers and their families have been in a legal struggle, fighting to stay in this city and build a life," said City Councilman Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn.
But they said the city is now on board. Said Fatima Shama, who leads Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Office of Immigrant Affairs, "We are committed to identifying and working for practical solutions that will provide permanent residency for our international teachers." Shama did not elaborate on what help the city would provide. But supporters of the teachers say what is needed is a unified lobbying effort to secure special immigration status for the teachers and their families.

"This is now a federal issue and we need to fix this in Washington, D.C.," said teachers union President Michael Mulgrew. "It's going to require us going together to Washington and saying enough is enough."

Similar issues have arisen in other U.S. communities that recruited foreign teachers. Hundreds of Filipino teachers in Maryland's Prince George's County fear they could be sent back to the Philippines after school officials said they would no longer request work-visa renewals for "non-critical workers" such as elementary, music and language teachers.

Proud Patriotic Georgia Mayor Paul Bridges Stands Strong in support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform!

Uvalda, Georgia Mayor Paul Bridges, a 58 year-old Republican Conservative Southerner, used to HATE MEXICANS before he met one. He thought "they were just low-class people," he recalls. "They weren't even able to speak English." That changed one afternoon in 1999 when he was looking for lasagna ingredients at a Soperton grocery store. A brown-skinned couple caught his eye. From the way they leaned toward each other, he knew they were deeply in love. Words tumbled from their mouths -- a series of sounds - in a foreign language - without meaning for Bridges. He listened anyway, wishing he could understand. He spotted them walking outside the store, plastic grocery bags in hand. "Do ya'll wanna lift?" he asked. They looked at him quizzically, so he tried again, "Do ya'll wanna ride?"

The couple and another man piled into his car, pointing the way to their destination a few miles away: two rundown trailers in the middle of a cotton field. Bridges dropped them off and went home to make dinner. But he couldn't get what he'd seen out of his mind. Nearly 30 people lived in the two trailers. A few hours later, Bridges went back to the cotton field, carrying lasagna and his daughter's Spanish-English dictionary. It was the beginning of a whirlwind journey into a new world that would change his life.

People he had never noticed before embraced him. They taught him new words, served him soup and showed him the pictures of their children taped to the trailer's walls.
"It made me realize that I need to take another look at myself. ... It really brought out the 'me' in me," he says. He spent New Year's Eve that year with a family in Mexico. When he returned to Georgia, he started teaching English as a Second Language classes to immigrants. He introduced himself to his students as "Pablo Puentes," a literal, Spanish translation of his name.

Some people didn't understand his transformation. When Bridges first introduced the immigrant friend to his family, his brother-in-law turned around and walked away. Bridges refused to close his social circle. "I thought, 'Well, he just doesn't know" he says.

Immigrants had been strangers, almost non-human in his eyes. Then he met and got to know many of them. He realized they were Human Beings. Once he got to know them, he became good friends with them. He realized they were Christian, Hard Working, Family Loving, Just Like Him. And eventually, they became family.

As Bridges attitudes evolved, the archaic, racist and ANTI-Latino views of many of his friends did not change. Then, before he knew it, Georgia passed a heinous Racial Profiling bill, one that Bridges knew he could NEVER support. Panic arose about the new law as rumors spread. On a Friday afternoon, at the height of onion season, workers streamed into a South Georgia convenience store, eager to cash their paychecks from a week's work in the nearby fields. The smell of fresh fruit and the sound of Spanish small talk fill the air.

Regardless of the heinous bill, Bridges continued to greet customers from behind the counter, his words punctuated by the cash register's steady ring. "Buenas tardes," he says. "Pasenle" -- Come in.

Occasionally tourists stop to snap a photo of this store in Santa Claus, Georgia, a tiny town near Uvalda founded in the 1940s by a farmer hoping to boost pecan sales. But store OWNER Chris Wiggins says the influx of immigrants has been a far GREATER boon for his business. He operates the kind of gas station convenience store that only sold beer, potato chips and beef jerky a decade ago. Now limes, corn husks and dried chili peppers are part of the inventory. Calling cards behind the counter bear pictures of the Mexican flag. "I arranged for him to get some tortillas," says Bridges, who VOLUNTEERS at the store on Friday afternoons. It gives him a chance to practice different Spanish vocabulary, he says, and chat with friends.

"Gracias a usted," he tells one customer after ringing up his purchases. "Nada mas firma tu nombre abajo" -- just sign your name below -- he tells a man waiting to cash a check. Some people make a point of stopping by when they hear he's working. They are old friends or former English students who know him as "Don Pablo."

Bridges adds, "Now, the reality of the Racial Profiling law (sb9) that Georgia has passed will hit the farmers, businesspeople and every day people of Georgia like a 2 by 4 right between the eyes. It's going to get hard, and there will be a lot of people stung by it, I mean the farmers here rely on a skilled labor force, and when I say skilled, it is truly skilled (farm workers). You can't just take someone off the street and go out there and do what these hard working people do (Latino Migrant Workers). They have a rhythm, a timing, they have smoothness that is with practice. That is NOT something you do the first time. They didn't come here to steal our food stamps or welfare (as the extremists say). They didn't come her to take over ANYTHING! They (Latinos) came here to make a LIVING and SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES and to MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR THEMSELVES!"

Georgia Mayor Paul Bridges wants the Federal Government to come up with a solution that gives the millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States a chance to work here legally. He and other supporters have filed suit against this racial profiling bill and a Judge has blocked parts of it. "You get me an invite to that Tea Party meeting and I'm going ... I'd like to give the contrary viewpoints. Surely one person in the audience is going to be sympathetic." Mayor Paul Bridges is standing strong in support of Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Migrant Workers are Bolstering Social Security With $Billion$

In addition to paying BILLIONS in Sales Taxes (as reported by the TX State Comptroller) Migrant Worker contribute BILLIONS of dollars in Social Security Taxes and they will NEVER COLLECT A DIME of Social Security! So much for the Lies told by the Right Wing Extremists!
NYTimes.com: Since crossing the Mexican border into the United States six years ago, Ángel Martínez has done backbreaking work, harvesting asparagus, pruning grapevines and picking the ripe fruit. More recently, he has also washed trucks, often working as much as 70 hours a week, earning $8.50 to $12.75 an hour.

Not surprisingly, Mr. Martínez, 28, has not given much thought to Social Security's long-term financial problems. But Mr. Martínez - who comes from the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico and hiked for two days through the desert to enter the United States near Tecate, some 20 miles east of Tijuana - contributes more than most Americans to the solvency of the nation's public retirement system.

Last year, Mr. Martínez paid about $2,000 toward Social Security and $450 for Medicare through payroll taxes withheld from his wages. Yet unlike most Americans, who will receive some form of a public pension in retirement and will be eligible for Medicare as soon as they turn 65, Mr. Martínez is not entitled to benefits.

He belongs to a big club. As the debate over Social Security heats up, the estimated seven million or so illegal immigrant workers in the United States are now providing the system with a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year.
(Read complete article HERE)

Judge blocks key parts of Georgia's Racial Profiling Bill!

Atlanta (CNN) -- A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Monday temporarily blocking key provisions of a new Georgia law that aims to crack down on illegal immigration. Most parts of the law, known as HB 87, were scheduled to go into effect Friday.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Thrash Jr.'s ruling blocks enforcement of two of the most controversial sections of the law, while allowing other parts of it to move forward. "State and local law enforcement officers and officials have no authorization to arrest, detain or prosecute anyone based upon sections 7 and 8 of HB 87 while this injunction remains in effect," Thrash ruled.

Those sections allow police to inquire about immigration status when questioning suspects in certain criminal investigations. They also would allow the imposition of prison sentences for people who knowingly transport or harbor illegal immigrants during the commission of a crime.

"The apparent legislative intent is to create such a climate of hostility, fear, mistrust and insecurity that all illegal aliens will leave Georgia," Thrash wrote. In his 45-page ruling, Thrash cited a previous court decision that said preliminary injunctions were in the public interest "when civil rights are at stake."

Although his ruling was a victory for the plaintiffs, he also tossed out some of their arguments at the state's request, a point stressed by Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens soon after the decision. "I appreciate the speed with which Judge Thrash ruled, given the complexity of the issues. I am pleased with the dismissal of the 4th Amendment, 14th Amendment, 'Right to Travel,' and Georgia constitutional claims by the plaintiffs -- even after this ruling, 21 of the 23 sections of HB 87 will go into effect as planned," he wrote in a statement.

Olens said his office will appeal the judge's ruling regarding sections 7 and 8. The office of Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, which supports the law, also weighed in on the decision. "Beyond refusing to help with our state's illegal immigration problem, the federal government is determined to be an obstacle. The state of Georgia narrowly tailored its immigration law to conform with existing federal law and court rulings," said Brian Robinson, the governor's deputy chief of staff for communications. "Georgians can rest assured that this battle doesn't end here."

The Georgia lawsuit is the latest battle in a nationwide skirmish between state and federal officials over who controls immigration enforcement. Arizona's controversial law aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration catapulted the issue onto the national stage last year, drawing a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice, which argues the law is unconstitutional.

In April, a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Justice Department and against Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who signed Arizona's law last year. Brewer announced last month that the state would appeal directly to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Senators Introduce S1258: Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill

U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Harry Reid (D-NV), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) John Kerry (D-MA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) re-introduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill aimed at addressing the broken immigration system with tough, smart, and fair measures.
The bill titled: S.1258 - A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform.
The bill includes measures to:
1) strengthen border security, 2) enhance worksite enforcement of immigration laws, and 3) requirements that the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants present in the U.S. register with the government, pay their taxes, learn English, pay a fine, pass a background check, and wait in line for permanent residence.
“This legislation signals to the American people that we are serious about fixing our broken immigration system,” said Menendez. “We stand for a complete solution - a real solution - to end undocumented immigration and restore the rule of law. This is common-sense legislation that addresses the realities of the situation, stops the flow across our borders, and contributes to our economic recovery. If we can put political grandstanding aside and come together on a comprehensive, pragmatic bill like this one, we can bring resolution to a great national need.”

“Effective reform of our immigration system will only come about as the result of a good-faith bipartisan effort, and this legislation is a very strong starting point for that process,” said Senator Leahy. “But one thing we should all support is a civil debate about how best to update our immigration laws to curb the tide of illegal immigration, continue to strengthen our borders, and create a system that works best for America.”
“Today we are living with a broken immigration system that weakens our national security, hurts our workers, and falls short of the most basic standard of justice,” Durbin said. “To fix this system, we need a comprehensive approach that is tough, fair, and practical. Senator Menendez has drafted a good bill and I’m proud to support it.”

The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2011 includes both a mandatory employment verification system and a program to require undocumented immigrants in the U.S. as of June 1, 2011 to register with the government, learn English, and pay fines and taxes on their way to becoming Americans.
The bill promotes effective and accountable enforcement within the U.S. through measures such as: additional resources for the Border Patrol; expanded penalties for passport and document fraud; new requirements for the Department of Homeland Security to track entries and exits at the border; common-sense rules governing detention to ensure U.S. citizens are not unlawfully detained; and new criminal penalties for fraud and misuse of Social Security numbers.
A Standing Commission on Immigration, Labor Markets, and the National interest would be created as part of the bill to evaluate labor market and economic conditions and recommend quotas for employment-based visa programs to the Congress that would protect American jobs.

To read the full text of S.1258 on Thomas (Library of Congress), read HERE.

Intolerant, Rude, Abrasive TX Republican State Sen Chris Harris: "Spanish is Insulting to my Ears!"

During hearings in Austin this week, TX State Sen. Chris Harris rudely interrupted Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition Antolin Aguirre during his testimony with his views against Texas sb1070 look-a-like Racial Profiling bill sb9.
Two minutes into Mr. Aguirre's testimony, Sen. Harris, a very radical/restrictionist Republican from Arlington, rudely interrupted asking Aguirre's interpreter, "Did I understand him correctly that he has been here since 1988?" Harris asked. "Why aren't you speaking in English then?"
Mr. Augirre (an American Citizen) who immigrated to America in 1988, knows and speaks English, but as a man in his 50's, and Spanish as his native language, chose to speak in Spanish since it was his first time speaking in a legislative hearing and felt more comfortable. His interpreter immediately relayed his words, so there was never an issue for Harris or his like-minded cohorts understanding what he was saying; instead Harris chose to be abrasive and unyielding, ranting and yelling about Spanish language being insulting, very insulting to his ears.

Mr. Augirre was very polite and during his testimony who spoke very positively about America and about Texas.
It is too bad that Harris was too intolerant to listen.

Demented Huggin' Bear Chris Christie IN DENIAL he is Abrasive to his Constituents!

On Meet the Press today, demented Huggin' Bear Republican Gov Chris Christie stood in DENIAL that he is Abrasive to his Constituents, even though the host replayed a video of his Abrasiveness:
David Gregory: Critics say.. You Don’t like to be questioned…
Christie: .. I’m happy to be questioned
Gregory: ..in a format like this. (shows Video: go to minute 14:18)
Gail: You don’t sent your children to public schools you send them to private schools, I was just wondering why you think it’s fair to be cutting school funding to public schools
Abrasive Christie yells: First off its none of your business. I don’t ask you where you send your kids to school don’t bother me with where I send mine.
David Gregory: ..Should a chief executive talk to people this way?
Chris Christie: Damn right. You know why? Because this is who I am and the public knows they are getting straight from me. What I said to her was, 'don’t question my wife and my parenting decision' (that was NOT the question she asked; she asked about his cutting public school funding)…and you know what, I'm blunt and very direct and so is she. … I wish more people would respond the way I did!
David Gregory: Authenticity is one thing... Are you too abrasive? Too stubborn, too tough when it comes to people questioning you?
Chris Christie: (in denial) I’m huggable and lovable, David. I’m not abrasive at all. I’m honest.

Instead of admitting the truth, Christie made a FOOL of himself, as he imitated Toy Story 3's demented "Lot's-o-Huggin' Bear" when Christie responded, "I'm not abrasive at all! I'm huggable and lovable!" Watch the video at minute 14:18 to witness his demented actions:

Racist POS Gov Rick Perry Thinks ALL Latinos Are Stupid, with Short Memories! Calls Latino Politico "Jose Cuervo"

This week, during the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (in Austin), Racist Idiot Texas Governor Rick (Evil Racist) Perry said it was perfect to appoint Jose Cuevas to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission because his name is similar to the tequila brand Jose Cuervo (as a poorly veiled smack at ALL Latinos being Alcoholics). Perry, this IDIOT RACIST, who supports the very racist ANTI Latino HATE Bills, was PANDERING to the Latino Vote at the conference. (Question: How STUPID does the racist, idiot, pos Rick Perry think Latinos are?)

If I were there, I would have KICKED THE POS in the GROIN and asked him, "How can an Idiotic Racist POS like you, with such limited knowledge of the current political situation, who panders to the EVIL, Racist, Neo-Nazi, White Nationalist Restrictionists, how do you have the BALLS to come to our Meeting? You Slimy Piece of Pandering Knucklehead????" And I would have recorded his "Mealy Mouth" response on video.

For now, The KNUCKLEHEAD is HIDING behind his paid, Neo Nazi protectors.

I ask ALL LATINO AMERICANS, especially those in Texas, to Give Ole Boy (idiot racist) Perry the BOOT! What A Knucklehead!!!

I'm going to start posting all of his affiliations to his Cronies including:
. Private Prisons
. Neo Nazis
. White Supremists
. Political PACs

I am NOT going to relent on this until EVERY Latino in Texas and across America knows what a POS this IDIOT Governor we have in TX is. It saddens me. I hope, in the years ahead, we elect a good, positive, Governor who cares about ALL of us, regardless of race, color or creed. Not someone like Perry, who had DEEP pockets and who accepts contributions from the likes of Hate Groups and others who Hate the principles our forefathers believed in, including Equality for ALL of us regardless of race, Color, creed, gender, age, or sexual preference!

God Bless America
God Bless our American People
God Bless our President, Barack Obama

Crops are ROTTING on the Vine in Georgia Thanks to Racist ANTI Latino Immigration HB87 Bill!

Translation: No one to pick crops....Now the crops are ROTTING on the Vine!

Mexican Man Shot in Eye and Killed by Border Patrol. Mexican Prez Calderon Asks Clinton for Apology!

Americans who DO NOT live in Southern Border Towns just don't get it. Tens of Thousands of Mexicans and Americans cross the southern borders, both ways, coming and going. It is called Commerce. It happens EVERY DAY. It is called "Living in a Border Town."

Families live on both sides of the border, cousins, nephews, aunts, uncles, moms, dads, grandparents, boyfriend, girlfriend, live on BOTH SIDES of these Border towns. This has been going on for HUNDREDS of years. I witnessed this myself when I visited a few border towns.

Border Cities ENCOURAGE this type of activity. IF it didn't happen, then these cities would die -- on BOTH sides of the border.

That is why what happened to Jose Alfredo Yanez Reyes is so sad. Jose was a long time resident of Tijuana. He lived in the western area of Tijuana with his pregnant wife. He and his friends frequently visited the local hangouts in Tijuana to visit, party and have fun with relatives and friends in bordertown San Diego. Jose helped his father as a laborer. Jose's wife was five months pregnant.

On Tuesday night, Jose was killed. He was shot in the left eye by a border patrol agent. Jose and two of his friends tried to enter a local San Diego neighborhood to visit a local watering hole with two of his friends (as he had done for years and years). However, on Tuesday night, San Diego border patrol spotted them. This was not unusual. This had happened before. However this time, one of Jose's friends was detained by the border patrol. Jose and his friends tossed pebbles at the Border Patrol agents to attempt to detract them so his friend could get away. One pebble happened to catch one of the Border Patrol officers and this pissed him off.

The agent shot Jose in the left eye and left him bleeding to death at the foot of the tree on the Mexican side of the border. Jose was left, bleeding from his eye until he died...dead. Now Jose's child will never see his father. His wife will never see him again. Jose is dead. Never to return to his family again.

President Jose Calderon tweeted Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today, in frustration. Such disparate treatment to a new father. The border towns are different than other towns. Deaths like these should not happen. However, in this political arena, sometimes they do. This is the FOURTH disparate death in months. Pebbles for Bullets.

Americans who DO NOT live in Southern Border Towns just don't get it. In American newspapers covering this story, commenters (who are American) are chastising Jose for tossing pebbles and they say he deserved to be shot in the left eye and killed. I say: Americans who DO NOT live in Border Towns JUST DON'T GET IT!

The ISSUE: WE NEED COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM .... NOW!!!!

Message to President Obama:Replace Dan Pfeiffer.Yuppies Like Him JUST DON'T GET IT! You willLOSE Latino Votes IF You Don't Resolve These Dream Issues!

Dream Student Felipe Matos of the Trail of Dreams blog talked to White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer (obviously out of the loop in understanding Minority issues) about two lies, yesterday:
(1) Obama "hears from DREAM Act Students all the time," and
(2) Apparently President Obama believes he "does not have the executive authority" to stop the deportations of DREAMers. (This is WRONG! He DOES Have the Authority)

Mr. President: YOU NEED the Latino Vote. We need a President who will support us from:
1. HATE CRIMES against ALL Latinos
2. Supports the DREAM ACT and is willing to stand Up to Republicans opposing it.
3. Staffs people who study and understand Immigration issues. (Hint: Pfeiffer CLEARLY does not!)

My suggestion to President Obama:
1. FIRE Pfeiffer. Find someone who understands the issues!
2. ACT NOW TO ENACT THE DREAM ACT!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!

Guest Voz - Pulitzer Prize Winner Jose Antonio Vargas: "My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant"

Guest Voz - Pulitzer Prize Winner Jose Antonio Vargas: "My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant" -- from the Phillipines
One August morning nearly two decades ago, my mother woke me and put me in a cab. She handed me a jacket. “Baka malamig doon” were among the few words she said. (“It might be cold there.”) When I arrived at the Philippines’ Ninoy Aquino International Airport with her, my aunt and a family friend, I was introduced to a man I’d never seen. They told me he was my uncle. He held my hand as I boarded an airplane for the first time. It was 1993, and I was 12.

My mother wanted to give me a better life, so she sent me thousands of miles away to live with her parents in America — my grandfather (Lolo in Tagalog) and grandmother (Lola). After I arrived in Mountain View, Calif., in the San Francisco Bay Area, I entered sixth grade and quickly grew to love my new home, family and culture. I discovered a passion for language, though it was hard to learn the difference between formal English and American slang. One of my early memories is of a freckled kid in middle school asking me, “What’s up?” I replied, “The sky,” and he and a couple of other kids laughed. I won the eighth-grade spelling bee by memorizing words I couldn’t properly pronounce. (The winning word was “indefatigable.”)

One day when I was 16, I rode my bike to the nearby D.M.V. office to get my driver’s permit. Some of my friends already had their licenses, so I figured it was time. But when I handed the clerk my green card as proof of U.S. residency, she flipped it around, examining it. “This is fake,” she whispered. “Don’t come back here again.” Confused and scared, I pedaled home and confronted Lolo. I remember him sitting in the garage, cutting coupons. I dropped my bike and ran over to him, showing him the green card. “Peke ba ito?” I asked in Tagalog. (“Is this fake?”) My grandparents were naturalized American citizens — he worked as a security guard, she as a food server — and they had begun supporting my mother and me financially when I was 3, after my father’s wandering eye and inability to properly provide for us led to my parents’ separation. Lolo was a proud man, and I saw the shame on his face as he told me he purchased the card, along with other fake documents, for me. “Don’t show it to other people,” he warned. I decided then that I could never give anyone reason to doubt I was an American. I convinced myself that if I worked enough, if I achieved enough, I would be rewarded with citizenship. I felt I could earn it.

I’ve tried. Over the past 14 years, I’ve graduated from high school and college and built a career as a journalist, interviewing some of the most famous people in the country. On the surface, I’ve created a good life. I’ve lived the American dream.
(Read his Complete Article HERE)

Republican Pervert Diaper-Boy Vitter Attempts to BRIBE Latino Interior Secretary Salazar!

A watchdog group filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee on Tuesday against Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) over allegations that he attempted to “bribe” the Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar.

The complaint, filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), cites a letter that Vitter wrote to Salazar last month. In the letter Vitter said he would continue to oppose increasing Salazar’s paycheck by $19,600 until the secretary issued permits for new exploratory deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico.

In a five-page letter to committee Chairwoman Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Vice Chairman Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), CREW’s executive director Melanie Sloan detailed the allegation of Vitter’s “quid pro quo” and recommended that the committee refer matters to the Justice Department if they found the senator guilty of wrongdoing.

“Our country’s criminal laws apply to everyone, including senators,” said Sloan in the letter. “There is no exception to the bribery law allowing a senator to influence a department secretary’s official acts by withholding compensation.”

A spokesman for Vitter defended the senator’s actions and blasted CREW for not filing a complaint against Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) for his role in negotiating the Senate’s health care overhaul measure. As part of the bill, several senators were given state-level exemptions and federal funding increases in an effort to gain their votes.

“CREW has a clear track record of filing frivolous, political attack complaints,” said Luke Bolar, a spokesman for Vitter. “But that certainly won't deter Senator Vitter from using every tool available to reopen the Gulf and defend Louisiana jobs.

“If CREW thinks this is bribery, then it should file complaints against Harry Reid for buying votes with the Louisiana Purchase and Cornhusker Kickback,” Bolar said.


After receiving Vitter’s letter, Salazar immediately wrote to Senate leaders and depicted the senator’s actions as, “attempted coercion.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) slammed Vitter’s attempt and said it was “wrong.”

Sloan took it one step further and cited Vitter’s association with a well-known Washington prostitution service, which was made public in 2007.

“Perhaps given that Sen. Vitter escaped accountability for soliciting prostitutes, he also thinks he can evade responsibility for violating the bribery laws,” said Sloan in a statement. “At some point, the Senate Ethics Committee needs to make clear to Sen. Vitter that he has to follow the same rules and laws as everyone else.”

Interior’s offshore drilling arm — the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) — has issued more than a dozen deepwater permits in the months since the administration lifted its post-spill moratorium on oil drilling in the Gulf.

It’s not the first time Vitter, a vocal opponent of the administration’s energy policies, has put his foot down over offshore drilling. In February, he blocked lawmakers from approving the nomination of a key Interior Department official over BOEMRE’s pace of approving drilling permits.

Drunk Breitbart Admits Vitter a Sleazy Pervert for his Diaper-Fest with Prostitutes! Could have been Blackmailed!Will Repubs Force Vitter to RESIGN!

Republican Senator Vitter, the diaper clad pervert who dallied with Prostitutes was on the top of Breitbart's list!

"I tend to think all these guys who behave this way put themselves in a position to be blackmailed," said Breitbart in a phone video recording of his chat.

He also mentioned former Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) (naked on Craig's List), ex-Gov. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) (Affair - Deserting his wife for married woman) and former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.)(who sexted young boys who worked as Congressional pages) as politicians who could have been extorted.

So will Vitter RESIGN SOON??? Or will the Republicans CONTINUE to be Duplicitous?!?

Guest Voz - Ruben Navarette: Immigrant hunting? What's happening to my country?

San Diego, California (CNN) -- What is it about immigration? It brings out the best in America. And yet, talking about it brings out the worst in many Americans. The United States is becoming withdrawn and bitter, and the national mood is becoming uglier.

It's nothing new. We live in a country that has -- for more than 220 years -- held the curious distinction of being a nation of immigrants that doesn't like immigrants. Our national motto isn't really "e pluribus unum." It's more like: "There goes the neighborhood."

Whether they come legally, illegally, or with a letter of reference from the Queen of England, every batch of foreign arrivals to these shores is instantly considered inferior to those who came before. It helps Americans feel better about their lot. Whereas they have always tended to think of immigrants as less than them, nowadays some go for broke and consider them less than human.

And, in the 21st century, it's open season on immigrants from Mexico and Latin America. I don't mean that literally. But unfortunately, these days, some folks might take it that way.

Some examples:

In Racine, Wisconsin, the owner of a local gas station began selling a bumper sticker that read: "Illegal Immigrant Hunting Permit." He apparently didn't find it the least bit offensive, but local immigrant activist Maria Morales did.

"It's clearly hate," the grandmother told a local TV reporter. "So people will see this and they'll say, 'Hey, we have the right to kill them.' " Morales planned a protest at the gas station, but the owner backed down and pulled the stickers from the shelves. End of story? No such luck. A few days later, someone went to Morales' house and lit a fire outside her bedroom window. A police officer called to the scene put out the blaze, and the Racine Police Department is investigating the incident, which some local residents are calling a hate crime. Morales does not believe in coincidences.

"I thought right away, 'It's that darn sticker that I'm fighting against,' " she told the TV reporter. Morales said a few days before the fire she got an anonymous letter in the mail accusing her of violating the First Amendment and attacking her crusade to ban the bumper sticker. It was signed, "Uncle Freaking Sammy."

The First Amendment only prohibits government from making laws infringing upon individuals' free speech rights. And, as long as we're talking about rights, if the person who created that bumper sticker had the right to make it, and the store had the right to sell it, then Morales had the right to be offended by it. But no one has the right to commit an act of violence or attempt to destroy private property as an act of retaliation or intimidation.

Meanwhile, at the Newark Liberty International Airport, what you might call an arm of "Uncle Freaking Sammy" has also, according to an internal federal report, been improperly hunting immigrants. I'm not talking about the U.S. Border Patrol or Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That would make too much sense. After all, that sort of thing is practically in the job description of those agencies.

The immigrant hunters in question worked for the Transportation Security Administration. Their specific job title is: Behavior Detection Officers. These officers are trained to detect suspicious behavior and they have the authority to pull air travelers aside for additional questioning. They're supposed to use that specialized training and extra authority to look for terrorists who might appear nervous or jittery.

Instead, according to TSA officials who blew the whistle and additional documents obtained by the Newark, New Jersey, newspaper, The Star-Ledger, some of these behavior detection officers would regularly single out passengers who were Mexican or Dominican in order to check their visas and passports.

The internal TSA report that looked at all this (the Star-Ledger said it was dated January 2010), found that those passengers who, once pulled aside, didn't have their paperwork in order would be questioned again and have their bags re-checked. Then they'd be sent along to immigration authorities, supposedly because of suspicious behavior.

According to one whistle-blower, TSA supervisors knew about and condoned the practice; in fact, the officers were jokingly called "the great Mexican hunters." The TSA said in a statement that it does not profile passengers based on race, ethnicity or religion and that, in this case, "TSA's policies were overstepped."

Interestingly enough, no attempt was made to single out passengers with invalid paperwork who might have been Irish, Swedish, Russian or Belgian. Light skin has its privileges.

And not just at the Newark airport. All over the country, law enforcement agencies are being empowered to profile Latinos as a shortcut way of looking for illegal immigrants. Arizona sparked a disturbing national trend when it passed SB 1070, deputizing local and state police to enforce federal immigration laws. According to the National Immigration Forum, an immigration advocacy group, in the past year, lawmakers in at least 20 states -- most recently, Georgia and Alabama -- have tried to follow Arizona's lead.

What has happened to my country? Our nation's soul has been coarsened by the immigration debate. Americans now say, do and believe the most cruel and outrageous things when it comes to immigrants -- both legal and illegal, and especially those with dark skin who speak Spanish. Anything goes. There is no shame and no punishment.

Is this the America that nativists are so desperate to preserve? If so, is it even worth the effort?

With no Evidence or Proof, Republican John McCain Blames the Wildfires in AZ on "Illeegals!"

John McCain (R-AZ) has officially "GONE OFF HIS ROCKER!" He says "illeegals" are to blame for the massive wildfires in Arizona. Although he has no proof or evidence, he makes these blatant claims.

At a Republican Press Conference, he said, "There is substantial evidence that some of these fires are caused by people who have crossed our border illegally. They have set fires because they signal others, they have set fires to keep warm, and they have set fires in order to divert law enforcement agents and agencies from them." However, McCain did not provide ANY evidence to support his claim.

On Sunday, Tom Berglund, a U.S. Forest Service spokesman, told ABC News that there is NO EVIDENCE that illegal immigrants had caused the Wallow fire. "Absolutely NOT, at this level,” Berglund said. "There's NO evidence that I'm aware, no evidence that's been public, indicating such a thing.”

Berglund did say, however, that the cause of the Wallow fire, now the largest wildfire in Arizona history, had been determined to be human -- specifically an “escaped campfire.” Two persons of interest (AMERICAN CITIZENS) were questioned, but no arrests were made.

Latino groups sharply criticized McCain for his remarks. "With the LACK of evidence, he might as well also blame aliens from outer space for the fires,” Angelo Falcon, the president of the National Institute for Latino Policy, told CNN.

Randy Parraz, whose organization Citizens for a Better Arizon, is trying to recall the senator who sponsored the state's controversial anti-illegal immigration law, called McCain's remarks “careless and reckless.” "It's easier to fan the flames of intolerance, especially in Arizona," he said.

Republican Leadership Conference has President Obama Impersonator Tell Racist Jokes!

Republicans have SUNK to new lows! During their "Republican Leadership Conference" they have a President Obama impersonator tell Racist Jokes, including portraying the President and the First Lady as Fred Sanford and Aunt Esther. (See Video at minute 2:36 and watch the Republican (all white audience) SCREAM with laughter!

Jon Stewart puts Republican Fox News Pundit Chris Wallace in his Place!

The Daily Show's Jon Stewart entered the proverbial lion's den, appearing live on Fox News Sunday to debate "media bias" with host Chris Wallace. Early in the interview, Wallace flashed a previous quote of Stewart's calling Fox News a "relentless agenda-driven 24 hour news opinion propaganda delivery system," and asked Stewart, "Where do you come up with this stuff?"

Stewart responded, "Uh, it's actually quite easy."

Later, when Wallace argued that a clip about Sarah Palin from the Daily Show was political commentary, Stewart told Wallace, "You're insane... Here's the difference between you and I. I'm a comedian first. My comedy is informed by an ideological background, there's no question about that. But the thing that you will never understand...is that Hollywood, yeah, they're liberal, but that's not their primary motivating force. I'm not an activist. I am a comedian."

"Do I want my voice heard?" Stewart continued later. "Absolutely, that's why I got into comedy. Am I an activist, in your mind? A partisan ideological activist?" Wallace responded, "Yeah." "Okay, then I disagree with you," Stewart said. "You can't understand, because of the world that you live in, that there is not a designed ideological agenda on my part to affect partisan change because that's the soup you swim in. And I appreciate that, I understand it. It reminds me of in ideological regimes, they can't understand that there is free media other places because they receive marching orders."

Christie "It's NONE of Your Business" when a Constituent Asks: Why do you send your kids to Private Schools when you CUT FUNDING for Public Schools

Republican Governor Chris Christie responds to one of his constituents "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" The Constituent Asked, "You don't send your kids to private schools, why do you think it's fair to cut funding for Private Schools!"
Blowhard Christie DIDN'T ANSWER the question. Instead he responds "It's none of your business where I send my kids to school."
Christie's Answer: See Video Here

Republican Multi Millionaire Mitt Romney Jokes to Poverty Stricken UnEmployed Americans: "Hey, I'm UnEmployed Too!"

The Unemployed Respond: May he STAY UnEmployed in 2012!

Beautiful, Multi-Cultural Maria Aragon PROVES We Should ALL Embrace All Culturals, All Ethnicities! We are ALL Born This Way, as HE Created Us!

A beautiful, talented, multi-cultural child PROVES that HE made us ALL!
Let the Children tell us....ACCEPT each other, for WHO we are! Here are the lyrics to Lady Gaga's song, "Born this Way" May we LEARN from the Lips of Children to ACCEPT One Another. May we LEARN from the words of our Country's Founders and by the Declaration of Independence:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.:
Here are the LYRICS to the Lady Gaga song that young, multi-cultural Maria is singing:

"Born This Way"
[Intro:]
It doesn't matter if you love him, or capital H-I-M
Just put your paws up
'cause you were Born This Way, Baby

[Verse:]
My mama told me when I was young
We are all born superstars

She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
In the glass of her boudoir

"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are"
She said, "'Cause he made you perfect, babe"

"So hold your head up girl and you'll go far,
Listen to me when I say"

[Chorus:]
I'm beautiful in my way
'Cause God makes no mistakes
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way

Don't hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you're set
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way

[Post-chorus:]
Oh there ain't no other way
Baby I was born this way
Baby I was born this way
Oh there ain't no other way
Baby I was born-
I'm on the right track, baby
I was born this way

Don't be a drag -Just be a queen [x3]
Don't be!

[Verse:]
Give yourself prudence
And love your friends
Subway kid, rejoice your truth

In the religion of the insecure
I must be my self, respect my youth

A different lover is not a sin
Believe capital H-I-M (Hey hey hey)
I love my life I love this record and
Mi amore vole fe yah (Love needs faith)

[Repeat chorus + post-chorus]

[Bridge:]
Don't be a drag, just be a queen
Whether you're broke or evergreen
You're black, white, beige, chola descent
You're Lebanese, you're orient
Whether life's disabilities
Left you outcast, bullied, or teased
Rejoice and love yourself today
'cause baby you were born this way

No matter gay, straight, or bi,
lesbian, transgendered life,
I'm on the right track baby,
I was born to survive.
No matter black, white or beige
Chola or orient made,
I'm on the right track baby,
I was born to be brave.

[Repeat chorus]

[Outro/refrain:]

I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way hey!

I was born this way hey!
I was born this way hey!
I'm on the right track baby
I was born this way hey!"

Texas Dems Recall Racism in the Past and Racism in the the Future with TX Repubs New Racist Hate Bill!

Dems Blast Sanctuary Cities Bill, Hispanic Senators Cite Personal Expriences with Discrimination
Toward the end of Sen. John Whitmire’s speech against sanctuary city bill, he said that a Republican senator had asked him, “Why do you want to talk when you know the outcome?” Whitmire’s answer to the question thundered through the Senate chamber. “Because it’s our moral obligation.”

It was in that spirit that Democrats — badly outnumbered in the Senate with little hope of being able to block the sanctuary cities bill — continued their campaign against the legislation with speeches that featured the personal stories of Hispanic members and the discrimination they’ve experienced as well as the policy implications of potentially turning local police into immigration agents. “You will never, ever be confronted with the measures of this legislation,” Whitmire told his white colleagues. “We have to slow down and think about what we’re about to do.”

Whitmire, D-Houston, recounted a story of a single mother who’s in the U.S. illegally and is afraid to try to collect child support from her American husband, who abandoned her because she could lose her son and be deported. “Sometimes you have to do the right thing and suffer the consequences,” Whitmire said, finishing his statement with a last minute quote from Sam Houston, in a bid to sway Republicans.

Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, told his fellow Senators that he had experienced discrimination throughout his life. When he was in school, Uresti said his name was changed to Charlie because they were forbidden from speaking Spanish. He told the Senators that when he was in the Marine Corps, he was called a wetback by his fellow white Marines. He called the legislation “mean,” “vindictive,” and “wrong” and said that the bill “strikes at the heart and the soul of Latinos of Texas.”

“All that matters, all of a sudden, is the color of your skin,” Uresti said. “[The bill] opens the doors to discriminate against… anyone who looks like me.” Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, recounted that his son was pushed up against the wall by an immigration officer who demanded to know if he was an American. Democratic Senate Caucus Chair Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, said the fact the Senate is going to pass this bill, broke her heart.

“Today we are going to pass legislation that would treat my children differently, because I have children with blue eyes and sandy hair and they look like their Belgium ancestors. And I have sons with the proud brown skin and eyes and hair and they look Mexican-American.” said Van de Putte, her voice cracking. “And if we’re passing legislation that treats brothers so very differently, how can that be right?”

Racist Georgia Governor Plans Chain Gangs to Pick Crops! Farmers say "I Don't Want Bad People 'Roun My Young'ns!"

Atlanta (CNN) -- With Georgia's new law cracking down on illegal immigration only weeks away from going into effect, the state's governor proposed a new solution Tuesday for growers worried about labor shortages: hiring people on criminal probation. Gov. Nathan Deal said in a statement Tuesday that he had asked the state's agriculture and corrections commissioners to connect unemployed probationers with farm jobs.

"I believe this would be a great partial solution to our current status as we continue to move towards sustainable results with the legal options available," he said. Deal outlined results from a recent survey data indicating there were more than 11,000 positions currently available on Georgia farms. Growers in Georgia have expressed concerns about labor shortages since Deal signed a law last month aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration.

The law, known as HB 87, allows police to ask about immigration status when questioning suspects in certain criminal investigations and asserts that workers convicted of using fake identification to get jobs could be sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined $250,000. The law goes into effect July 1, but already some growers say they've noticed an impact.

Grower Roscoe Hutcheson said no one showed up Tuesday to pick blackberries at his farm in Baxley, Georgia -- a labor shortage he blamed on HB 87. Late last month, growers reported they were getting only 30% to 50% of the workers they needed, according to the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, which represents mostly medium- and large-size operations in the state's $1.1 billion fruit and vegetable business.

Labor needs have diminished since then as the end of the harvest season approaches, but concerns from growers have not, said Charles Hall, the association's executive director. "The information we're getting form harvesters is they (workers) don't want to come to Georgia because they're afraid of the enforcement of this law," he said.

Deal said about 25% of the 8,000 probationers in southwest Georgia -- where many of the state's farms are located -- are unemployed. The farm job data stems from results of short, unscientific survey of 233 farms that Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black sent to Deal last week. His department is also leading a long-term study about Georgia's agriculture labor needs that must be submitted to lawmakers by January 1.

"Responses suggest a degree of unmet labor needs this season," Black wrote in a letter summarizing the survey. The survey report did not mention the immigration law or provide an explanation of what was causing the labor shortage.

This week, several farms are scheduled to begin pilot programs to test out Deal's propsal of hiring people who are on probation, Hall said. "We're hopeful that there will be some people who will try that. Then we can record the data and determine whether it's worth pursuing on a long-range basis," Black said.

"I don't think it's a total solution, but we're more than happy to have all the help we can get from the state of Georgia," Hall said. But some growers say they're concerned that workers who are on probation won't be reliable or could put their farms at risk. Hutcheson said he has three young children and doesn't want probationers working on his farm.

"I don't want bad people around my young'n's," he said.

Whether or not growers sign on to the proposal, Hall said they need a stronger long-term fix: a guest worker program to bring in laborers that are skilled at harvesting crops in hot weather.
"You can't necessarily just take somebody off the street and put them out there and they do a great job with harvesting," he said. "But we need harvesters right now, and growers are willing to do whatever they can to help and try to train people."

Black, the agriculture commissioner, also said the need for an improved guest worker program is clear.
"While we're going to be looking at what we can do at the state level, it's still incumbent upon our federal leaders to step up and help our farmers in this area," he said.

GOP Candidates in Lockstep EXCEPT....

All of the GOP Candidates were in Lockstep in the following Areas:
1. Lower Taxes for the Rich
2. Reduce or End Regulations for Big Business
3. No New Jobs Ideas
4. Repeal Obamacare
5. No Gay Marriage
6. No Pro Choice

After that, NOT ALL were asked the same questions. Their answers as follows:
No Auto Bailout: Romney, Bachmann, Santorum
Privatize Space Program (No NASA): Romney, Pawlenty, Gingrich
Do Not Continue Medicare: Pawlenty, Paul, Santorum Gingrich, Cain
Support Teaparty: Bachman & Santorum
Return Offshore Jobs: Paul

ANTI Immigration Reform: Pawlenty, Santorum; Gingrich said Path to citizenship

The Winners: American People for Seeing the Republican Agenda for themselves
Who Came out on Top:
1. Romney: although Detroit will hate him for his ANTI-Auto Bailout Comments.
2. Bachmann & Santorum: Someone took away their "Crazy Juice" last night.

The Losers:
1. Pawlenty: What a Wimp! On Sunday, he coined the term "Obamneycare," YET when given the chance to 'splain and challenge Romney on his MA Healthcare plan, Pawlenty WIMPED OUT!
2. Paul: As in 2008, Paul looks like the token kook. He hates Government period. The more and more he talks, the more the rest of the pack distances themselves from his craaaazzzy ideas!
3. CNN -- NO TOUGH QUESTIONS! No follow through. They made it a Fan's Q&A -- "NO Debate" Last night!
4. Gingrich & Cain: Were they even there last night? If so, they went unnoticed.

LIVE BLOGGING REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE

I'm LIVE BLOGGING the GOP Presidential Debate tonight. Look for LIVE updates from me as the Debate Continues!
The Candidates:
Romney, Pawlenty, Bachmann, Ron Paul, Santorum, Gingrich, Cain.
Question: What would you do about Jobs?
Cain: Lower taxes; lower capital gains tax (Sold to Big Business)
Santorum: Bashing Obama. Oppressiveness of THAT Bill, what it will do to BIG BUSINESS. REGULATION is wrong. WE NEED TO DRILL.
Pawlenty: Cut TAXES, REDUCE REGULATION. We need a PRO Growth agenda. We are NOT an average nation. Cut spending. Reduce Regulation. End Healthcare.Cut spending.
Romney: President slowed economy. long term unemployment. Housing Crisis. Foreclosures. President Failed. Need Jobs in this country.
Gingrich: Reagan recovery (I participated) created 25M new jobs. raised revenue. Obama anti business, anti jobs. Should repeal sarbains oxley, dodd-frank.
Bachmann: repeal dodd-frank. i introduced it. make an announcement: filed paperwork to seek presidency of the US. want you to be first to know.
Paul: (asked has obama done one thing right?) cant answer that question. we need to unwind a keynsian bubble we need to liquidate bad debt. need new jobs. 30M new people and no new jobs. people don't understand monetary policy and free markets.
Audience Question: Concerned about overage of Healthcare legislation. What would each candidate do to repeal and defund obamacare.
Bachmann: promise - i will not rest til i repeal obamacare if i'm elected prez. obamacare kills 800K jobs. Seniors get this. Took 500K - shifted to obamacare. Seniors most to lose.
Romney: Obamneycare? - I will repeal Obamacare. Grant waiver to all 50 states obamacare. Spends 50M. Raises 500B in taxes. Takes 500B in medicare. Romneycare was a state plan, state solution. Replace it with state centered solutions.
Pawlenty: Obama broke promise. (didn't answer obamneycare question) Then re-asked: prez obama - looked to MA - blueprint - obamney care reflected on obama's words. (Pawlenty CHICKENED OUT!!)
Romney: I would FACE the President and ask him directly. Obamacare would NOT work.
Gingrich: Should NOT Have a mandate. This campaign not only about Prez. Need to pick up seats in Senate and House. It's about American People.
-----
Audience Question: Convince me - How will you solve problems.
Sanctorum: Look at my record. Drafted welfare reform bill. End Federal Entitlement. Like Paul Ryan's plan. Tea Party is great backstop for america. Backbone to republican party.
Bachmann: I'm chairman of teaparty caucus. Wants to take country back. Create jobs. Turn economy around. Prez obama can't tell that story. Failed. Republicans have awesome story to tell. Prez Obama 1 term Prez. (All White Audience applauds)
Cain: Talks about his career as businessman. Sez he will surround himself with good people. Get people involved.
---
Audience Question: Return manufacturing jobs to US.
PAUL: Important. We've exported jobs in the past. Have to invite capital. Have strong currency. Entice individuals to repatriate offshore money back into the US.
Pawlenty: Restore manufacturing. Fair Trade. Don't be stupid or chump. Lots not following rules. We need strong prez. Takes rocks out - end Obamacare. Taxes too high. Regulations too heavy. Get government off BIG BUSINESS' back.
Bachmann: Lower Taxes. Bring tax rate down. Get rid of job killing regulations. Get rid of EPA.

THEY ARE TAKING A BREAK. -- OMG.
IT IS OBVIOUS. THESE GOP'ERS ARE PANDERING TO BIG BUSINESS. ALL THEY ARE SAYING IS:
. CUT TAXES, END REGULATION, HATE OBAMA. (WHAT A BUNCH OF ....)
--
QUESTION: What standards do you have for govt assistance to private enterprise?
Paul: None.
Cain: Didn't agree with Tarp. Does not agree with Too Big to Fail. Should not have helped car companies.
--
Question: Auto Industry - was bail of auto industry a success?
Romney: No. It was not a success. We should have let the car companies fail.
Santorum: No Tarp. No Bailout. Let them FAIL.
Bachmann: Wrong Vote! No Tarp. No Bailout. Let them Fail.
--
Question: Space Program - What role gov't play in Space Program?
Gingrich: Do not support it. No more bureaucracy! NASA in the way. Encourage the private sector. Decentralize it.
Pawlenty: Partner with private sector.
Romeny: Private sector.
--
Question: Homes - Right the housing shift?
Pawlenty: Get government out of capitalism. Market will adjust. Obama programs didn't work. Get economy moving again. His way failed.
--
Paul Chose Blackberry vs iPhone (LOL -- Old Guy!)
--
Question: Medicare Solvent?
Paul: Won't be solvent. We need competition so people can opt out of Medicare.
Pawlenty: Not Solvent. Need to fix it. Have my OWN plan. DIFFERENT than Paul Ryan's. Medicare WILL BE AN OPTION.
Gingrich: I supported Ryan's plan. Words taken out of context. "Maybe it's not a good idea." Maybe things I would do different on Medicare. Outside current system.
Santorum: We have a big deficit. Wholeheartedly support Paul Ryan's plan. (Then he went crazy and said Ryan's plan was IDENTICAL to Medicare Part D -- the Prescription Drug program-- )
Cain: You won't get money back Doctor (questioner). We got to restructure those programs. I support Paul Ryan program. You know those mediscare programs.. it's going to be our grandkids in those commercials and we will be throwing our kids off that cliff.
--
Question: What is your Social Security plan.
Cain: Restructure social security.
Raise retirement age?
Cain: I don't have to. Congress decides to do that. WE've got to restructure program.
--
Question: Credit Limit August 2.
Romney: We won't have to raise the debt limit. We have ideas here. But what are the Presidents ideas? No job creation or scale of government. That's the problem.
--
Question: Price Tag - Cuts
Bachmann: No. Raise debt ceiling is failure of leadership.
--
Question: Sep Church & State
Pawlenty: blah blah blah
Santorum: Faith & Reason - same place.
--
Questions: Muslims in Admin?
Cain: I don't believe in Shariah law in America. Need Loyalty Test. But won't ask Christian or Jew. Look at their work record/resume.
Romney: No shariah law in american courts. Muslims accepted.
Gingrich: If you are not loyal to US you won't serve in my admin period.
--
Question: Gays Marry?
Bachmann: Believe in marriage man and woman. Children - believe in man and woman marriage. Nothing. Nada. Not Fed issue.
Cain: State
Pawlenty: Marriage man and woman.
Paul: Church.
Romney: Constitutional
Gingrich: Constitutional
Santorum: Constitutional
--
Question: Don't Ask Don't Tell
Cain: Never overturn don't ask don't tell. Won't turn it over though.
Pawlenty: take queues from military commanders
Paul: Shouldn't take it away
Romney: should have been kept in place but won't change it
Gingrich: up to military.
Bachmann: leave it.
Santorum: should be repealed.
--
Question: Pro Life
Santorum: Look at authenticity of their view. (dig at Romney) Taking pledge/bullets. I am strongly PRO LIFE. All life respected.
Romney: Pro Life.
Case Closed.
--
Question: Abortion - Abortion even if Raped?
Bachmann: 100% pro life. 23 foster children. Conception to natural death. Govt cannot take those rights away. Stand for LIFE! Conception to natural death.
Pawlenty: Look at records. I'm pro-life.
--
Question: Illegal Immigrants - Stop Them!
Santorum: Son of legal immigrant. Cannot continue to provide govt services. Voted against it. Not guaranteed govt benefit. Not offering to people gov't benefits.
Paul: Shouldn't have mandates. No easy benefits. Protect our borders, not iraq, afghanistan. No care. Shouldn't penalize Catholic Church, that is wrong. Related to economy. Ecomonic issue. If you have an understanding, No.
Cain: Birthright citizenship - NO. Solve real problem - secure borders, enforce laws, promote path to citizenship by cleaning up bureaucracy, empower the states to do what feds can't do. Of course care - but fix problems.
Pawlenty: sb1070? each state decide? if feds won't do it, let states do it. they will. State Guard reinforce the border. Birthright citizenship: appointing conservatives to supreme court. NO birthright citizenship. Question: those here - path to citizenship?
Gingrich: never pass comprehensive bill. didn't even try. First control the border. 2nd: take half of homeland security, transplant to border states, have more than enough people to control the border. No serious person should be asked yes or no answer. need humane answer. not mass deportation vs legalization.
Question: bill - restrict power to seize private land - emminent domain - for oil.
Paul: No, No emminent domain for this purpose. Property should be owned by people.
Romney: Do not believe in emminent domain. We need to develop own energy in our country. Need prez who cares.
--
Question: Abolish ethanol tax.
Santorum: Phase out ethanol tax. Voted against ethanol subsidies.
--
Question: Afghanistan. Bombing in Yemen?
Romney: Get out. Wait for Generals to say when.
Paul: No Wars. As commander in chief, get them out NOW! Security not enhanced by being there. No bombing in Yemen.
Pawlenty: Yemen bombing yes.
--
Question: Libya
Bachmann: No. Flawed Policy. Bad Intelligence. Don't know how many al qaeda.
Gingrich: Price tag always a factor. Bad Intelligence. Don't know how many al qaeda. Talk to generals. Need to strategy. Bad intelligence.
Cain: Understand the problem. Is it in vital interest. Paraphrase grandmother: "It's a Mess."
--
Question: Support Military, but in debt. Shut down unvital military bases?
Santorum: Failure of leadership. no strategy. Need ability to confront threats. Need bases. Allies need to know we have thier back. (Israel) "Americas Fecklessness" Question: Polls bad for Republicans
Cain: As they get to know us, this is a good field.
--
Question: Who made best choice for VP in 2008?
Pawlenty: Obama. Likes Palin. Hates Biden.
Romney: Anyone better than Obama. Failed! No foreign policies. Throw friends under bus.
Bachmann: who would be your VP. Need American Idol contest. Let audience decide.
Paul: All. Need more quizzing.
--
Question: What have you learned?
Santorum: Great field of candidates.
Bachmann: Learned more about American People.
Gingrich: 1st in nation as primary.
Romney: NH proven need to get economy growing again
Paul: We can talk and be civil.
Pawlenty: Future is bright.
Cain: All candidates share -- its about the children and grandchildren. Not that far apart on issues.

School Has Amazing Success! Teacher and Blogger Nick Contreraz Educates Students and helps them to "Code Switch" (The Value of Both Worlds!)

Nick Contreraz is a Latino, Role-Model Teacher and a Blogger. Recently, Minnesota Public Radio News (MPR) did a story on the school where Nick teaches. He was interviewed for the story. Here are some excerpts:
MPRNews.com reports: St. Paul, Minn. — Minnesota's first Jesuit high school graduates its first class on Saturday. Minneapolis' Cristo Rey High School puts low-income, inner-city youth through an education based on faith, diligent school work and a mandatory corporate job. Administrators say that combination has resulted in nearly all of this year's graduates going on to college. Cristo Rey credits its success to the combination of school and work, which they say breeds confidence... Cristo Rey is part of a national network of more than 20 high schools. They recruit low-income, urban kids, putting them through a rigorous high school experience with long school days and long school years. Each student must work after school one day a week in professional settings, like law firms and hospitals. The jobs come from the schools' corporate partners. The students' earnings go directly to the schools and pay for about half their tuition. The schools also put an emphasis on faith, although all faiths are accepted...

Cristo Rey High School opened four years ago in the diverse Phillips neighborhood About 270 students are enrolled. Of the 60 students in its first graduating class, more than half plan to attend a four-year college. Luis Nava Torres received a full scholarship to attend the University of St Thomas. Most other graduates will attend two-year schools. Four students joined the Marine Corps...

Religious studies teacher Nick Contreraz said kids also worry the school's asking them to be something they're not. He said they call it "acting white." "I think one of the key successes we have here is to show that it's not a matter of 'acting white,' it's how to navigate the professional world and how to be successful in the professional world, while also being true to yourself."

Contreraz said it's important for students to understand different behaviors work in different environments. Principal Jeb Myers said businesses are looking for diverse candidates who can move between both worlds. "For them, it's a win," Myers said. "They know they're getting someone who's worked before. They know they're getting somebody that's college-educated and then they know that they're diverse. I know it sounds kind of utopian but really, if we can keep this rolling, it can really change what's happening in the United States." Myers said the school is on strong financial footing, with several major benefactors committed long-term. He said Cristo Rey will soon add a position to help guide graduates who've gone on to college. Myers hopes in another four years, Cristo Rey will be there to help its first class of graduates find permanent jobs.

Nick is one of those very special teachers that truly believes in and supports his students, teaching from his heart, with conviction, gaining their trust, thereby enabling them to want to learn and want to be a success. He helps them understand their own personal value, the importance of appreciating your home life/heritage while understanding the importance of understanding and adapting to your working environment. BOTH HAVE VALUE! And this is ALL discussed Openly!
I read Nick's blog which led me to the MPR article. His Blog is funny, honest and risky in the sense he is not afraid to tell the truth. Here are some excerpts from his Blog. I'm including a link to his Blog. I'm sure some of the ANTIs will be offended because they are not reading the intent of his words. Humanitarian readers will clearly understand Nick's very positive message:
Nick's Blog: Are You Sure You're Mexican?
Topic: I Lean Like a Cholo, But Talk Like A Guerro
Big topic of conversation this week: "Talking White." Since I have been at my predominantly Latino school, teaching, this has been a claim not only against myself, by students, but also a claim against the school that we are trying to make our students talk and act white. Now, to be fair to my educated readers, I will refer to "talking white" as such, as this is the terminology my students use not realizing the potential danger of *gasp* offending a white person.
Racial identity, as I have said in an earlier blog, is something I often times obsess about. Sure, its always been an issue, growing up in the state of Montana where I felt like a raisin in a box of corn flakes, but didn't become a serious point of contention until recently. My first year at my current school, my students caught on right away to the fact my last name was Latino, so wanted to know what my first name was. Now, we have a lot of Joses, Luis's, Eduardos and the like. They didn't expect for me to say my name is Nick. This then naturally lead to questions about my middle name. I told them it is Jerome. Then the laughter ensued. They asked so eloquently, "What the hell are you Maestro (this is the Spanish word for teacher)?" I asked what they meant. And one brave student said, You have a white first name. A black middle name. A Mexican last name. What are you? Another student then chimed in: Well he looks sorta Mexican. He listens to black music. He talks like a guerro. He's Mr. Globo (translates to globe). So for about a week, this was my nick-name. Also, this was the start of a roller-coaster ride of emotion over the issue of language vs. racial identity...

So, ultimately, the difference between teaching our students to "act white" and to code switch, is that we are teaching them that there is value in both systems. To teach our students to act white, would mean that we are negating not just their culture and experience, but who they are as human beings. To code switch offers value to both systems (professional/white & their home/street life). It teaches them there is an appropriate way to act in both settings.
(read the rest of Nick's Blog here)

Guest Voz - Immigration Clearinghouse: Alabama Passes Repressive State Immigration Law

Guest Voz - Porter Corn from Immigration Clearinghouse: La Ley de Jaime Cuervo alive in Alabama as State passes repressive immigration law
Alabama’s xenophobic governor on Thursday signed a tough and repressive new illegal immigration crackdown that contains provisions requiring public schools to determine students’ immigration status (in violation of Federal Law) and making it a crime to knowingly give an illegal immigrant a ride, or for that matter, being “brown” and alive in Alabama. George Wallace must be dancing a jig in hell over this one.

Earlier in this legislative session, the Republican-led Alabama Legislature — with the help of some white Democrats — passed the bill that guarantees trial lawyers will be employed in future litigation in Alabama, with many of them working at taxpayer expense. There’s no telling how many trial lawyers that legislation will affect.

Then, after making Alabama businesses happy with reforms that would limit people’s ability to sue companies, the Republican-led Alabama Legislature — again with the help of a few Democrats — passed this bill that would further burden companies with regulations that must be followed if they intend to do business in this state.

So once again, the state of Alabama comes from behind to declare itself king of regression last week. Alabama legislators often get really antsy when other states are stealing the spotlight over being the most racist in America.

The societal misfits at ALIPAC, and their leader, the reprehensible William Gheen, is claiming this so-called “victory” as his own, as he is scrambling to find money to support his lifestyle from supporters who are increasingly becoming fedup with his fraudulent claims. Hearing him beat his chest, you would think he ushered this racist piece of legislation through all on his own, from his donor provided McMansion in Youngsville North Carolina.

Let’s see how long it takes for the lawsuits to fly and the injunctions given against this law.

I’m going to be in Alabama this weekend and I think I’ll look for an illegal immigrant to give a ride to. It’d be my own little protest against the terrible immigration bill passed by a xenophobic Legislature and signed by an equally xenophobic Gov. Robert Bentley.

Statistics Show: Latino, Youth & Minority Votes will be a HUGE FACTOR in the 2012 Election! Right Wing Extremists DON'T STAND A CHANCE!

Demographics are changing and statistics make it abundantly clear that the Latino, Youth and Minority Votes will be a HUGE Factor in determining who will be elected President in 2012.

Leading Republican Pundit Mike Murphy agrees: "As I wrote in this space two years ago, Republicans need to learn that we no longer hold our presidential elections in Ronald Reagan's America. Here are the numbers: in 1980, white voters cast 88% of the total presidential vote; by 2008, the percentage had shrunk to 74%. Which is why, though George W. Bush in 2000 and John McCain in 2008 both won 55% of the white vote, McCain lost by 7 points and Bush essentially tied Al Gore. Worse for the GOP, the proportion of overall votes cast by white voters will decline even more in 2012. Latinos are rapidly redrawing the demographic playing field. In 2008, Obama won the Latino vote by 36 points. His massive fundraising machine is preparing to spend millions registering even more Latinos to vote. This will have a powerful impact in the vital Western swing states of Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, all of which have rapidly growing Latino populations. Obama carried three of these states in 2008, losing only McCain's Arizona."
The Pew Research organization said, "Hispanics voted for Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden over Republicans John McCain and Sarah Palin by a margin of more than two-to-one in the 2008 presidential election, 67% versus 31%, according to an analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center of exit polls from Edison Media Research as published by CNN. The Center's analysis also finds that 9% of the electorate was Latino, as indicated by the national exit poll. This is higher, by one percentage point, than the share in the 2004 national exit poll."
Both Murphy's analysis and the Pew statistics make it very clear. Latino Votes will have a major impact on the election. So who will win in 2012? If the Republicans hope to have a shred of chance, they must do as Murphy suggests: they MUST SHED their Nativism and attract more Latinos, or the Electoral College math becomes prohibitive."
Looking at the the Republican Candidate field, the Tea Party Favorites, the extreme right wing candidates, DO NOT HAVE A HOPE of attracting a single Latino Vote! Look at them! Look at their agendas! Republican's only hope is a Centrist Republican. However, the Tea Party calls the Centrists RINOs and refuse to back them. Instead, they stand behind the far right wing extremists who don't stand a shadow (or white hood) of a chance!