The GOP knows they're in trouble over immigration so they are trying to re-write history. They're claiming the bad legislation passed by the House is somehow the fault of the Democrats....that's a pathetic strategy:
At issue is a bill passed by the House in December aimed at strengthening border security and cracking down on smugglers. Critics say several provisions, including one making it a felony to assist illegal immigrants to "reside in or remain" in the United States, could be used to prosecute anyone who offers humanitarian aid — including medical care — to undocumented immigrants.Sensenbrenner's disingenuous amendment failed, in part, because a lot of Democrats in the House didn't want to criminalize the immigrants and those who aided them. Sensenbrenner and the GOP leadership were intent on including punitive measures. The GOP will try to lie and change the facts. It's all they know how to do.
The bill, drafted by Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.), House Judiciary Committee chairman, also would make it a felony for a foreign national to be in the United States without a visa. That provision was designed to equalize penalties for people who enter the country illegally and those who enter legally but stay past their visa's expiration date.
However, before the House approved the legislation, Sensenbrenner offered an amendment that would have reduced the infraction from a felony to a misdemeanor. At the time he said he was making the change at the request of the Bush administration to ease court procedures: A felony would require a grand jury indictment, a jury trial and give the defendant the right to a public defender, but a misdemeanor would not.
The NY Times has a very nice editorial today, People Power, which captures the spirit of the march here in DC on Monday....from my vantage point, it was one of the most moving and patriotic events I've ever witnessed. Any GOPer who looked down the mall in Washington on Monday has to be worried....
