The Fulford File, By James Fulford: Brownback Believes Own Baloney! etc.
08/20/2003
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Brownback Believes Own Baloney! etc.

Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas is trying to learn Spanish, and not doing very well, as you might expect of a middle-aged Kansan. He and other GOP legislators have been taking a course called "Spanish on the Hill" every Wednesday morning for ten weeks.

Why is Brownback taking all these time-consuming Spanish lessons, when he could be attending to the needs of his (American) constituents?

Because, incredibly, he believes his own immigrant enthusiast baloney that the Hispanic vote is going to be a major factor in the Republican Party's future.

"The reason: Spanish is increasingly important to their party's survival. So they're flocking to Spanish classes to communicate, if only rudimentarily, with constituents - in an effort to reach into Hispanic homes and relay political concerns." ["Why Spanish is the favored new language of politics," By Kris Axtman, Christian Science Monitor, August 20, 2003]

Now, I don't know if the GOP leadership knows this, but in order for someone to become a United States citizen, he must be able to read, write, and speak basic English.

Those Hispanics who don't speak English are mostly not American citizens at all, and are thus not allowed to vote.

(Although they are counted for purposes of apportioning seats. As a result, in districts where non-citizens are a majority, a small group of actual voters often controls local politics and patronage.)

Aliens do vote illegally, of course. But that vote is very heavily Democratic.

So:

Those Hispanics who are eligible to vote are mostly not registered to vote.

Those Hispanics who do vote, vote Democratic.

The few Hispanics who vote Republican are fluent in English.

And finally, the Hispanic vote is not large enough to win or lose a national election.

Senator Brownback could find better things to do with his Wednesday mornings than learning Spanish. Say, attending meetings of the Immigration Reform Caucus. Or even taking math lessons.

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"Wretched Refuse" On The Border

In May, I commented on the massive problems illegal immigration is causing the Tohono O'odham (Papago) Indians on the southern border. Here's more: Illegal immigrants are causing major environmental damage to the Tohono O'odham Nation, and Representative Jim Kolbe [R] has just managed to get them $2 million in federal funds, just to pick up trash in the "pristine Sonoran desert."

"An environmental specialist with the tribe, Ken Cronin, says about 1,500 immigrants sneak through the Tohono O'odham reservation daily. Each leaves an average of eight pounds of trash — totaling six tons — a day, he said." ["Illegal immigrants turn desert into trash dump," By Luke Turf, Tucson Citizen, August 18, 2003]

Since Kolbe's approach to illegal immigration is to make it legal, why doesn't he just pass a law declaring the litter left by the "alien crossings" to be not litter at all. He could call it "undocumented waste" or "guest debris" or "migrant rubbish."

Of course, I'm wouldn't want you to think I'm trying to compare human beings to trash.

Who do you think I am, Emma Lazarus?

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