Trump’s Lawyers Found A Loophole In The Fourteenth Amendment

Ken AshfordElection 2016, Immigration and XenophobiaLeave a Comment

Quote: But Trump insisted he and his lawyers have found some disturbing holes in the amendment, which unequivocally states that anyone born in the United States is in fact an American citizen. The Fourteenth Amendment is a few paragraphs long, but I’ll just cut and paste Section One, the relevant section for this discussion.  Actually, only the first sentence is … Read More

The New Word For “RINO” (And What It Says About Republicans)

Ken AshfordElection 2016, Immigration and Xenophobia, Race, Republicans, Tea Party, Women's IssuesLeave a Comment

In the early 2000s, just as the wars in the Middle East were ramping up, a new word started appearing in the Internet lexicon: RINO.  It stands for “Republican In Name Only”.  It is an insult hurled from Republicans to any member of the GOP who’s more liberal than a Republican “should be”.  Any politician tagged as a RINO — and many … Read More

So How’s That Presidential Race Thing Going, Donald?

Ken AshfordElection 2016, Immigration and XenophobiaLeave a Comment

What a trainwreck: Macy’s is pulling Donald Trump brand merchandise from its stores after the Republican presidential candidate’s recent controversial remarks created a public uproar. The department store has come under intense pressure to cut ties with the real estate magnate and businessman after he referred to immigrants from Mexico and other countries “killers and rapists.” In a statement Wednesday … Read More

Religious Bigots Use First Amendment Protections To Spew Hate…. Again

Ken AshfordConstitution, Gun Control, Immigration and Xenophobia, Right Wing Punditry/Idiocy, Rightwing Extremism/Violence, War on Terrorism/Torture1 Comment

Another crazed anti-Muslim right winger — this one in Phoenix — is planning to hold a ‘Draw Muhammad’ Contest right in front of the Islamic Community Center. The organizer of the event, Jon Ritzheimer, has held two protests in Phoenix since the Texas shootings. The chants and slogans at the protests are brash and hateful. Some supporters wear t-shirts that … Read More

Empty Threat

Ken AshfordImmigration and Xenophobia, Obama OppositionLeave a Comment

John Boehner, at a presser today, warned that if President Obama moves forward with executive action on deportations, Republicans will never, ever, ever act on the legislative immigration reform that Republicans have refused to act on for the last 18 months: “I’ve made clear to the president that if he acts unilaterally on his own outside of his authority, he … Read More

No Danger At All

Ken AshfordImmigration and XenophobiaLeave a Comment

So a bunch of children from Central America are trying to enter this country, and of course, the right wing is throwing fit because 'Merica. The real issue is whether they are seeking asylum from persecution, in which case we have to, by law, let them into the country.  As opposed to them just being some lazy Spanish types who … Read More

Bi-Culturalism and the Right

Ken AshfordImmigration and XenophobiaLeave a Comment

It was just last week when RNC chairman Reince Priebus threw a huge fit of fake outrage and got MSNBC president Phil Griffin to apologize and fire a staffer who tweeted "maybe the rightwing will hate it" about that new Cheerios ad with a biracial family. How dare MSNBC imply that the right wing doesn't support bi-culturalism, screamed the wounded right wing. Flash forward … Read More

Jan Brewer Is Too Crazy Even For Scalia

Ken AshfordImmigration and Xenophobia, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

In an opinion by conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, a 7-2 Supreme Court held this morning that an Arizona law requiring voting officials to reject voter registration forms that are “not accompanied by concrete evidence of citizenship” conflicts with a federal law requiring states to use a uniform voter registration form for federal elections. Scalia once justified an anti-immigrant opinion with … Read More

How’s That Hispanic Outreach Going, GOP?

Ken AshfordElection 2016, Immigration and Xenophobia, RaceLeave a Comment

Pablo Pantoja has an impressive resume.  He served in Iraq and Afghanistan, on tours with the National Guard.  Since then, he's climbed the ladder of Republican politics.  Most recently, he was the State Director of Florida Hispanic Outreach for the Republican National Committee. Until yesterday. Yesterday, he became a Democrat. Why?  Here's an excerpt from his explanation: Yes, I have … Read More

Bachmann Too Crazy For GOP?

Ken AshfordElection 2012, Immigration and XenophobiaLeave a Comment

Is it possible that Michelle Bachmann may have jumped the shark, even with Republicans? Bachmann has been going around muttering about how Hillary Clinton's Dep. Chief of Staff Huma Abedin is probably in league with Muslim extremists. This is a bit much for even John Boehner: I don’t know Huma, but from everything I do know of her, she has a … Read More

Judge Posner Sticks It To Scalia

Ken AshfordImmigration and Xenophobia, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

Posner, as you may know, is generally regarded even by people who disagree with him often as one of America's great legal thinkers.  He was appointed to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals by none other than Ronald Reagan shortly thereafter, and has been there ever since, where he has usually enlightened and sometimes maddened just about everybody with his … Read More

I Love Soledad

Ken AshfordElection 2012, Immigration and XenophobiaLeave a Comment

The Romney campaign thinks they can talk about immigration by not talking about it.  Soledad O’Brien isn’t buying what this guy is selling.  This is typical of the Romney campaign — don't answer, don't stick your neck out, don't say what you would do for president.  

Campos On Scalia

Ken AshfordImmigration and Xenophobia, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

From Salon, law professor Paul Campos writes about Scalia: Newt Gingrich has been described as a dumb person’s idea of a smart person. I’ve heard the same remark made about Antonin Scalia, and until today I would have said that was unfair. Scalia has always had a taste for over-the-top rhetorical flourishes, as well as an unnecessarily high opinion of … Read More