Congressman Thompson decries U.S. Supreme Court Decision

From a press release today:

Thompson Decries Supreme Court Decision

June 23, 2008 (WASHINGTON) – Today, the United States Supreme Court denied a plea in the Defenders of Wildlife case against the Department of Homeland Security (No. 07-1180). The case pertains to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's use of questionable waiver authority to skirt numerous federal laws in order to construct fencing along the southwest border. The petitioners allege that the use of the waiver is unconstitutional.

Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and 13 other Members of Congress, including six Committee Chairmen, submitted an Amicus Curiae brief to urge the Supreme Court to grant certiorari in the case.

Chairman Thompson issued the following statement in response to the decision:

"I am extremely disappointed in the Court's decision. This waiver will only prolong the Department from addressing the real issue, their lack of a comprehensive border security plan. Without a comprehensive plan this fence is just another quick fix," said Thompson.

"Despite this decision, Secretary Chertoff still has a responsibility to act prudently and to consult with all stakeholders."

Political Ad on Immigration

There hasn't been much chatter on the site the past few days, but this will surely stir something up.

Political Ads Blame Immigration for Black Unemployment



WLBT covered it, and below is some information on the source of the ad.

The ads are paid for by the Coalition for the Future American Worker. The Coalition is an umbrella group that includes trade groups and immigration reform advocates. The claim contained in the ads -- that "'studies show immigration accounts for 40% of the decline in the employment of black men" -- stems from a working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a private research group.

The NBER describes itself as a non-partisan group, but the liberal group SourceWatch cites conservative sources for the Bureau's philanthropic funding.

A report by KMBC-TV of Kansas City, Mo. found the statistical claim to be misleading, given the actual portion of legal and illegal immigrants within the American workforce. The CFAW ads ran in Missouri and in other states like Mississippi where immigration reform is a key political issue.

Governor's Statement

Below is Governor Barbour's statement on signing SB 2988. This bill, which many to the far right, including JT & Dave and Phil Bryant, have applauded, is causing serious headaches in the business community. The Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance (MIRA) has been aggressively fighting this bill and the heavy, and sometimes racist, remarks and actions against immigrants in recent weeks.

Is it too much, too little? Is Barbour going to pay for this in the business community?

STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR HALEY BARBOUR
ON SENATE BILL 2988

MARCH 17, 2008

“Today, I have signed into law SB 2988, a bill designed to discourage illegal immigration in Mississippi by creating new penalties for hiring illegal immigrants. I appreciate the efforts of Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant and others in the House and Senate who have worked so hard on this issue.

Any employer who knowingly hires an illegal alien should be held accountable, and that is the goal of SB 2988. While I have signed this legislation into law, I have serious concerns about specific provisions of the bill that could have unintended negative consequences. I urge the Legislature to make the necessary technical changes to ensure this bill will have the intended effect.

Senate Bill 2988 mandates that employers utilize the federal E-Verify program administered by the Department of Homeland Security. I am concerned about andating the E-Verify system as the sole source from which an employer in Mississippi can verify a potential employee’s eligibility, especially since the federal government itself has said E-Verify is not a reliable system. According to a 2006 Report prepared for the United States Department of Homeland Security: “The accuracy of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) database used for verification has improved substantially since the start of the Basic Pilot program. However, further improvements are needed, especially if the Web Basic Pilot becomes a mandated national program – improvements that USCIS personnel report are currently underway. Most importantly, the database used for verification is still not sufficiently up to date to meet the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) requirements for accurate verification, especially for naturalized citizens. USCIS accommodates this problem by providing for manual review that is time consuming and can lead to discrimination against work-authorized foreign-born persons during the period that the verification is ongoing, especially naturalized citizens.” Mississippi’s economy is growing; we have record employment. We don’t want American citizens or others legally here to lose jobs because the verification system is technologically flawed. I urge the Legislature to add other reliable verification systems beyond E-Verify to confirm the hiring eligibility of potential employees.

The requirement to use E-Verify to determine the eligibility of potential new employees is phased-in, depending on the businesses’ number of employees. Smaller businesses are not required to use the federal program until July 1, 2011; however, SB 2988 establishes employers’ use of E-Verify as an absolute defense against suits brought by a former employee, as it should. But the bill does not make plain that the smaller employers are immune from these private suits until the mandate to use E-Verify goes into effect for employers in their size category. It should be made plain that small employers are exempt from and will be held harmless from the private litigation referred to in Section 2(4)(e) until such time as they are required to use the E-Verify system under the statue’s timetable in Section 2(7).


Also, while the intent of SB 2988 is to hold employers accountable for their actions, the term “employing entity” is used in certain places without being defined. I ask the Legislature to clarify that an “employing entity” in this bill is the entity that is the employer of the employee found to be an illegal immigrant.

Employers are understandably concerned when government applies new regulations to their businesses, especially when these new regulations provide for powerful penalties, even including loss of current contracts or of a license to do business in our state. Employers, therefore, can be expected to be very cautious in hiring with the sword of these penalties hanging over their heads.

It is, therefore, very important that the law be written clearly and be interpreted predictably. SB 2988 falls short of that standard, and it also limits compliance to a system of verification that even its provider, the U.S. Government, says is insufficiently reliable.

I look forward to working with the Legislature this session to make these greatly needed technical amendments.”

David Landrum Attacks Obama And Other Democrats In New Ad

He conveniently forgets that President Bush, (soon to be) Republican nominee John McCain, and longtime "conservative" Mississippi Senator Trent Lott all support some or all of the things he attacks Democrats for.



David Landrum has the money and the strategists so he may just win this district, but it won't be because he's the best or most honest man for the job.



David Landrum is one of the top two Republicans in the race according to polling data. Former State Senator, and Club for Growth supported candidate, Charlie Ross is the other.

David Landrum has a significant fundraising lead and higher cash on hand than his opponents.

Xenophobia at the Capitol

JT and Dave, two talk radio personalities, had an all-call to the Capitol yesterday to show support for several anti-immigrant bills floating in the legislature this year. Wearing bright yellow stickers that said "STOP ILLEGALS," they listened to their fearless leader, Phil Bryant (a favorite of JT and Dave) and trolled the halls of the Capitol.

From Clarion Ledger article (visit the website for photos):

"This is a homeland security issue, a jobs issue, an education issue," Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant said after speaking to a group of more than 100 Mississippians at the Capitol on Tuesday.

The group urged lawmakers to consider the legislation. Addressing illegal immigration was one of Bryant's campaign promises.

Jerry Jones of Sandhill, who wore a "STOP ILLEGALS" sticker in the crowd, said she's "not aware of an influx" but that "it's only a matter of time."

"We have to get a handle on this, or eventually it is going to collapse the nation," said Bryant, who as state auditor had audits conducted to gauge the effect on taxpayers.

"We have to get a handle on this, or eventually it is going to collapse the nation," said Bryant, who as state auditor had audits conducted to gauge the effect on taxpayers.

From the Sun-Herald:

Several people said they went to the anti-immigration rally because they're worried about the security of the country. Among them was Charity Hohm-Whaley of Vicksburg, a nurse who said she believes people who slipped across the border are now filling the Mississippi schools and getting taxpayer-subsidized health care.

"We want our legislators to know we want them to stand up for us, not for the illegals," said Hohm-Whaley, who brought her four home-schooled children to the Capitol for their civics lesson. She and the children - ages 16, 13, 11 and 6 - wore the yellow stickers, as did a baby doll her youngest daughter pushed in a toy stroller.

Derrick Johnson, state president of the NAACP, leaned against the scrolled iron balustrade of the Capitol's fourth floor and shook his head as dozens of people - all white - walked past him wearing the large yellow stickers with the slogan: "Stop Illegals."

"I can't help but think that 40 years ago, those stickers would have said, 'Stop n-----s,' " Johnson told a reporter and a small group of people.

Country Club vs. Revival Tent

Doncha just love how the illegal immigration brou-haha cleaves the Republican Party right down the middle?

From the CL:

Back in 1966, it took a high profile raid of a Mardi Gras party at the Jackson Country Club to break the back of the nation's last statewide prohibition law.

After lawmen raided the party - attended by many of the state's social elite and several statewide elected officials - the Legislature repealed the statewide liquor ban and stopped winking at illegal liquor sales and consumption.

Now, 42 years later, federal officials have for the second time in two years caught the Jackson Country Club knowingly employing illegal immigrants. In September 2006, the feds arrested 18 illegal immigrants employed at the swanky private club.

Later that same year, as many as 43 illegal immigrants were shown to have been in the club's employ. Even after being caught, the club continued to employ the workers - saying their presence was "necessary for business."

The Jackson Country Club situation points up the hypocrisy and political grandstanding that the illegal immigration issue produces in this state and nation. During the 2008 legislative session, another spate of punitive bills has been introduced - including some downright silly ones - to make the state appear "tough" on illegal immigration.

But at the same time, legislators know as did the golfers and socialites at Jackson Country Club that immigrant workers likely to be illegal were serving their food and drinks, mowing their lawns and performing any other manual labor they didn't want to do for themselves.

So the Federales are fining the ole CC of J $214,000 (that's thousand) for their second offense. And according to the WAPT story, U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton has agreed not to prosecute the club for 2 years.

That's pretty sweet for them. I wonder if Dave The Democrat's Lawn Care & Upholstery Service would get the same cavalcade of second chances.

Well, okay. I don't really wonder.

Republicans Promise To Kick Out The Immigrants...

... from this nation of immigrants.

Gregg Harper:


David Landrum:


It would be refreshing if a candidate would actually show support for LEGAL immigrants in their ads. I fear that when they don't they rely on many voters who aren't as concerned about the law, but in the kind of people who are immigrating here.

David Landrum attacks Democrats for "amnesty" for the same bill President George Bush and Senator Trent Lott supported.


At least Wicker isn't attacking the plan while he runs for Lott's seat.

Eaves' Ad on Barbour's Immigration Record

Rickey Cole in the Hattiesburg American

The Hattiesburg American:
On Lester Spell criticizing him:

Told that Spell earlier on Wednesday had called him a "liberal Democrat who's misleading the voters," Cole replied, "He and I were both delegates for Al Gore to the Democratic National Convention in 2000. He and I both signed a pledge of support to John Kerry in 2004."

On the Beef Plant:

"Had I been commissioner, knowing what they knew then, I would not have been supportive of the beef plant," he said. "It was a huge investment in a business that was at the very bottom of the market."

With a realistic approach to immigration:

Asked if Mississippi industries should be punished if they hire illegal workers, Cole said, "I don't believe any right-thinking government official in this country would tell employers we're coming to fine you today for hiring illegal aliens and we're going to shut your operation down. ... The economy would grind to a halt."

The Hattiesburg American

Bill Minor On The New "Brown" Racism

Bill Minor:

Straw men in Mississippi politics used to be only blacks. Now it's also the browns, Hispanics. Both handy tools for demagoguery.

Many Democrats in Mississippi's era of one-party politics were elected by hitting the "n-word" harder than their opponent. But Democratic pols dropped race after the 1965 Voting Rights Act gave blacks access to the ballot box.

Republicans, of course, were not dumb. They saw race still a useful tactic, if done subtly to inflame emotions of Southern white voters. When Ronald Reagan spoke of "welfare queens," whites got the message.

The message: "I'm like you" and "They aren't"

When Barbour entered the governor's race in 2003, he didn't forget some of the old tricks. Barbour played the race card, donning in his lapel a miniature state flag with its Confederacy stars and bars while attacking Democratic Gov. Ronnie Musgrove for trying to change it. The flag gambit, most analysts agreed, turned some 50,000 voters and assured Barbour's win.

Now in 2007, the black race card for the moment has been replaced with a brown race card, namely undocumented Hispanic immigrants.

The "Keep the Flag, Change the Governor" people seemed to be at a lot of Barbour's rallies. I've always wondered what coordination they did.

State Auditor Phil Bryant, who won the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor against state Sen. Charlie Ross on Aug. 7, has pushed the immigrant "issue" as his prime plank. His questionable "study" shows illegal Latinos cost the state $25 million in education and health services.

But notably, Bryant's study was heavily based on input of the Federation for Immigration Reform created by several white supremacy groups, among them the Council for Conservative Citizens, successor to the old White Citizens Councils.

I don't think Bryant is personally racist; for the record.

Black or brown, racial politics that rekindle voter fears have no place in Mississippi. What we need to worry about is the recent statistic showing we have the nation's highest percent age of population living below the poverty line.

Real issues like lowering the cost of living (grocery tax cut) should dominate the discussion, not those intended only to inflame.

Bill Minor's Full Article

John Eaves' New Ad "Ideas"

"I've got so many ideas to move Mississippi forward I've got to talk fast"

- Raise Teacher Pay
- Cut Grocery Tax
- Health Insurance for Children
- (Push Companies to) Pay Claims
- Cut (Reconstruction) Red Tape
- Get Tough With Employers (Who Hire Illegals)
- Create Jobs (By Investing In Mississippi Companies)

Barbour Ad's Facts Twisted - Eaves Campaign

On unemployment they had this to say:

According to the Department of Labor’s Current Population Survey, Mississippi has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation at 6.7%. In his commercial Barbour says that “Tennessee and Alabama are going to be out hustlin’ to business too,” and indeed they have been, along with the rest of the South. Mississippi’s jobless rate is higher than all of our neighbors – higher than Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, even higher than Louisiana.

Since January 2004, Mississippi has had a full 1.0% increase in unemployment (up from 5.7% to 6.7%) – that is the largest increase in unemployment percentage in the nation.

Barbour supporters often say defend Haley by saying that at least our disaster response wasn't in itself a catastrophic failure. Wow, he did what he was supposed to, amazing. Well how about Louisiana rebounding on employment FASTER than Mississippi?

What explains the discrepancy in the number of jobs Barbour claims to have created versus the true total?

Part of the difference can be explained by population growth and double counting of individuals holding multiple jobs, but could also come from business owners unknowingly reporting illegal immigrants on their payroll. As Barbour said at the Mississippi Press Association’s convention at the Beau Rivage Casino on June 22, 2007, before Katrina there were hardly any illegal immigrants. “Since Katrina there’s been a gigantic influx and, candidly… I hate to think where the coast would be if they weren’t here.”

Audio is available at StarkvilleNow!, the comment begins at 34:10 in the recording.

Legal Mexican Workers Claim Policeman Kidnapped and Threatened Them

The Sun Herald:

On Wednesday, after showing up on the steps of the federal courthouse in New Orleans, the group outlined their allegations. Here's their account:

On the night of Aug. 2, Tillman was in uniform, armed and in his police patrol car accompanied by an unidentified recruiter with Black Hawk when they showed up at the workers' homes.

Tillman, they said, told them that Black Hawk owned them and that they had to go with them or they'd face possible prison time or deportation.

"We resisted," the workers said in a written statement. "But we were forced to pack our bags and get into vans. We were transported to a new location. Tillman and the others packed all 30 of us into three rooms... "

Police kept watch, according to the workers, and the following day the recruiter returned, this time taking mug shots and video footage of them. With outside help, the workers escaped to an undisclosed location in New Orleans, where they've been living without work or money.

As I say in the comments; Weird.

Illegal Immigrants and our Gulf Coast

Coast citizens, like myself, may find it more difficult to harbour ill will towards the many undocumented Hispanic workers on the Coast. In addition to the church groups, they have played an incredibly helpful role in our recovery efforts.

Roof work is hard work as any roofer will tell you, but just days after the Hurricane hit there were crews repairing roofs from a place south of Texas. We were happy to have them. Now that more people are back others want to do those jobs and they should be allowed to, but we should not demonize the illegal immigrants.

My father made an observation about new immigrant workers, legal or otherwise, and local reaction to them. In Texas, where he worked in the grocery business, the most frequent complaint he heard about Mexican workers was that they worked too hard and made local employees look bad. He heard the same complaint about the Vietnamese when he moved here.

When I hear politicians attack illegal immigration, it often sounds awful close to attacking illegal immigrants. It is not right. They come here due to economic opportunity to make life for them better back home. They don't intend to stay. We do need to strengthen our security, but we needn't do so by sacrificing our humanity and attacking people who are only doing what many of us would do under the same circumstances.

News Roundup

Politicking in the Park Northeast Mississipi Daily Journal

“I’ve been blind for 26 hears due a hunting accident, but I have a vision for the state of Mississippi,” he said. Several other candidates from the same race also spoke, including Joseph Jones, Marilyn Richmond and Phil Brown.

Jamie Franks of Mooreville, a candidate for lieutenant governor, lambasted high grocery taxes and the practice of fully funding education only in election years. He got a laugh when he declared, “I’m happy to be speaking where I don’t have to explain where Mooreville is.”

La., Miss. cotton acres to be about half of last year AP / Sun Herald

In Louisiana, for example, cotton acreage is expected to total 340,000 acres, down from 635,000 last year and 11 percent below farmers' intentions last spring, USDA said. In Mississippi, cotton acreage is projected to hit 680,000 acres, down from 1.2 million in 2006.

Immigration superhighway The Sun Herald

The state Department of Transportation officially says it requires all contractors to follow federal immigration laws, but the recent arrests of dozens of undocumented workers on the Coast and the words of a top-ranking MDOT official suggest otherwise.
...
"We don't check for Social Security numbers. We don't check citizenship. We don't check for anything because we're not required to," Hall said.

Laws Take Effect Today The Clarion Ledger

Beginning today, dozens of new state laws will change the way some Mississippians drive, protect their credit and even buy medicine.

They include:

Paying for tuition, room and board for active military servicemen.

Requiring doctors to give sonograms to women considering abortion and offer them a chance to listen to the fetal heartbeat.

Allowing state, city and county leaders to build toll roads as long as a free alternative route exists.

Phil Bryant's First 4 TV Ad's

Bio Spot #1

Bio Spot #2

Illegal Immigration

Testimonial

1. It's odd to put them all out at once. He could get more free coverage if he staggered the placement. (Ex. Bio Spots launch on a Friday, Immigration on the next Monday, Testimonial on Thursday) This would generate more buzz and stories.

2. Same piano background music in all 4.

3. His name is repeated far more often in his ads than Charlie Ross' even though he has higher name ID. I'd say it's sound strategy.

The Immigration Bill is Dead

Thad Cochran did the right thing and voted NO on this bill.

Trent Lott, unable to herd enough goats in favor of the bill, voted in favor siding with corporate interests.

The Washington Post Article

I Oppose The Immigration Bill

There are many reasons to oppose the immigration bill being considered in the Senate right now. Here are a few of those reasons:

- It doesn't secure our borders.

- It doesn't give us a long term solution the the problems around immigration legal and illegal.

- It establishes a guaranteed lower class robbing those people of dignity and creating a permanent underclass.

- It does not provide a more streamlined and straightforward path to citizenship that is necessary.

- It will help destroy the last remaining skills training base this country has by farming out skilled labor jobs like carpentry by lowering wages and declaring that those jobs are now "jobs Americans won't do."

- It's a sham of a mockery of a mockery of a sham.

George Bush is wrong on this bill. Ted Kennedy is wrong on this bill. Trent Lott is wrong on this bill.

I'll end by quoting blogger "Trapper John" in saying "Mend it, or we're going to end it."

Trent Lott Immigration Roundup: "Goats"

First, Trent's "Goats" remarks have made the rounds appearing accross the net:
The story that started it all

Laura Hipp has it up at the Clarion Ledger

We put up our original post. (I read it in the Sun Herald at breakfast.)

This influential political website (PoliticalWire) picked it up from us.

So did influential progressive blogging hub Daily Kos

A simple search of Google shows many more results."

My favorite response so far though is this: Photoshop of Lott's book on RightOfMississippi

And I might as well show my support for NAVY with Billy the Goat:

Notable Quote: June 21, 2007

"If the answer is 'build a fence' I've got two goats on my place in Mississippi. There ain't no fence big enough, high enough, strong enough, that you can keep those goats in that fence."

"Now people are at least as smart as goats," Lott continued. "Maybe not as agile. Build a fence. We should have a virtual fence. Now one of the ways I keep those goats in the fence is I electrified them. Once they got popped a couple times they quit trying to jump it."

"I'm not proposing an electrified goat fence," Lott added quickly, "I'm just trying, there's an analogy there."

- Trent Lott 6/20/07

From The Sun Herald