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Friday, February 2, 2007
Congressman Vows to Make Immigration Amnesty a “Trail of Tears”
With the Iowa caucus a year away, here’s what one congressman from the state had to say Friday on immigration reform: “I’m determined to see to it that the path to amnesty will be a trail of tears for those who haven’t been deported,” said Rep. Steve King, the ranking Republican member of the House Immigration Subcommittee at a three-day Republican retreat in Baltimore.
King’s hard-line stance contrasts that of Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, a 2008 Democratic presidential candidate, who has supported a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
King said $65 billion worth of illegal drugs enter the country from Mexico each year.
“I mean, if you put $65 billion down there to defend that border, you can lock that down so there wouldn’t be any cockroaches getting across.”
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Romney Takes Shot at Clinton on Iran
Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney criticized Sen. Hillary Clinton Friday for showing “a troubling timidity” toward the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran.
Speaking at a conservative members retreat in Baltimore, Romney singled out his potential 2008 rival for remarks she gave a day before at a dinner held by the nation’s largest pro-Israel lobbying group.
Clinton said Thursday she supports diplomatic engagement with Iran “to understand better” how to defeat enemies of America and Israel.
“Someone who doesn’t understand Iran hasn’t been paying attention,” Romney said. “At this point, we don’t need a listening tour about Iran. Engaging with Iran is not the right policy.”
Romney, eagerly positioning himself as the conservative choice for president in 2008, proposed tougher economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation on Iran while strengthening the American military and engaging moderate Muslim countries.
“Someone who wants to engage Iran displays a troubling timidity toward the terrible threat of a nuclear Iran,” Romney said.
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Bush Talks Hurricanes
That’s Carolina Hurricanes, as in your National Hockey League Stanley Cup champs from last season.
The team was the latest in the long line of champions honored in the White House East Room.
“It’s a pretty big deal for a guy who doesn’t know how to ice skate,” said Bush, who, polls indicate, is on thin ice with many Americans.
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Pop Goes The Governor
Former Gov. Tom Vilsack of Iowa, one of nine presidential candidates trying to get attention at the Democratic National Committee’s winter meeting, got people lining up at his campaign booth - for popcorn.
Corn is one of Iowa’s biggest exports, so Vilsack decided to serve it up in a special way. And the aroma of the popcorn filled the hallway outside the DNC meeting room, drawing Democratic activists straight to the governor’s exhibit.
At the bottom of the popcorn box was a “Meet Tom Vilsack” brochure that, among other things, touted his role in making Iowa “a national leader in renewable energy.” That would be ethanol, made with corn.
“This isn’t the corn that makes gas,” the Vilsack popcorn dispenser assured the Democrats.
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DeLay Sees Conservatives’ Future in the Blogosphere
Instead of twisting arms on the House floor, he spends his days pecking computer keys at home.
“The Hammer” is a blogger now.
And former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay felt right at home Friday at a conservative members retreat in Baltimore, giving interviews with other conservative bloggers and chatting excitedly about the medium’s political potential.
DeLay’s foray into cyberspace comes as Congress’ presence in the blogosphere is swelling quickly.
Aides for House Speaker Nanci Pelosi are holding “new-media training sessions” this weekend for Democratic lawmakers in an effort to expand the use of blogs.
“The speaker will be blogging,” Karina Newton, Pelosi’s director of new media, told the Associated Press last week.
DeLay said conservatives have been “outranked by the left” in the blogosphere, a place where he can communicate directly with his audience without the mainstream media “pounding the crap out of me.”
“It’s a free-market of ideas,” DeLay said. “And it goes directly to people that are interested in what you have to say. It’s an incredible medium.”
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DNC Meeting Blogorific
How important have bloggers become to the political process?
At the DNC winter meeting, there are about as many “Blogger” credentials as “Press” credentials.
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Dean Kicks Off DNC Meeting
The Democratic National Committee’s winter meeting had the atmosphere of a min-convention: the candidates’ supporters were out in full force, handing out literature and waving placards.
The Democrats appeared so excited that when Chairman Howard Dean asked the members and guests to take their seats so they meeting could begin, he got a rousing round of applause.
The Democrats were expecting the same kind of lightning that occurred four years ago when Dean, with a rousing speech, vaulted to the front of the 2004 presidential pack.
Dean recalled that speech in his brief remarks this morning. Four years ago, he said he represented “the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.” It was a criticism of efforts by others to move the party to the political center. This morning, though, Dean said he was proud simply “to be a Democrat.”
Dean has gotten criticsm as the DNC chair for his 50-state strategy, an attempt to rebuild the party in states that are overwhelmingly Republican.
But at today’s DNC meeting, the parade of Democratic presidential candidates, as well as other major party officials, all praised the chairman for his 50-state strategy.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, for example, noted that Dean “got a lot of flak” in the party from people who thought he should spend his time “hustling money.”
But Reid said the Democratic victory in last year’s congressional elections was due in part to Dean’s efforts to revitalize the Democratic Party in states where Democrats have not been competitive.
Similarly, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois said that thanks in part to Dean and the DNC’s efforts, progressives “can compete anywhere” in the country.
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White House: The Earth is Moving
White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto (the office’s other Tony) handled the morning briefing chores this morning and offered this piece of news:
“The president has said since June of 2001 that the earth is moving and that humans are playing a large role in warming.”
The earth is moving?
“DId I say moving?” Fratto replied. “It is also moving. It is moving and spinning and warming, and humans are playing a role in warming.”
And, coincidentally, Fratto and the press corps were up and moving moments later as part of an evacuation of the White House Conference Center and other nearby buildings after a bomb scare. After a half-hour or so, everybody moved back in.
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