In the dog days of Washington, only the toxic meter is higher than the heat index. The last days before Congress went on recess gave us a taste of things to come - the poison and venom being generated around all things immigrant are being gladly exploited by many, no matter how irrelevant to the matter at hand or fictional in its substance (Ruth Marcus http://www.washingtonpost.com/... has a piece on this unfortunate but not unfamiliar turn of events, which is also alluded to in another piece by David Broder http://www.washingtonpost.com/... , and a more recent NYT editorial http://www.nytimes.com/... ). Sadly, rather than draw a line on the use of these reprehensible tactics, many members of Congress are ducking their head or joining the frenzy. And it gets worse from there.
Follow me below the fold and I'll explain...
Not happy with simply passing the buck to state and local governments when they abdicated their responsibility to grapple with fixing the country's immigration system, many members are eagerly making immigrants (and anyone perceived to be one - read Latinos, for example) the latest accessory: the political punch bag of choice.
But hey, this is the big leagues - the big political calculation leagues, that is. Where short term gain, however misguided, trumps good public policy and it's served at the expense of even your own constituents. So the good folks at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) jumped in with a slew of releases instructing their members on how to "accessorize:" beat up on immigrants, intensify anti-immigrant sentiment, and attack opponents for being soft. It makes you wonder who and what is really behind all this hateful stuff and why fueling persecution and community division in ways that were objectionable not too long ago, are now becoming batches of honor (see latest Numbers USA rant about spreading panic across America).
But back to the NRCC and such tactics - behind the press releases, the how-to manual for its members probably looks something like this and should start by cautioning about the need for a strong stomach...
NRCC Handbook for Members
In the fight to stay in Congress, recapturing or maintaining a majority, all bets are off.
That is why it's important to create buzz words and diversionary tactics.
Here's the buzz word of the season "ILLEGALS" - and here's what you need to do:
- Is there a piece of legislation you do not like? Say it benefits "illegals." Yes, we know that these immigrants are already ineligible for most benefits you can come up with, but you are missing the point.
- Is there an opponent you want to attack? Say he or she is an "illegal-lover." You don't even need corroboration; just say it often so it sticks.
- Is there an issue you are trying to avoid? Talk about the "illegals" or better yet, blame it on them. You are likely to incite a heated discussion and this may just help you avoid whatever you were about to get jammed up for.
- How do you define "illegal" or benefits to "illegals"? Again, you are missing the point. It does not matter, it's not about the facts.
- Have a controversial issue you don't want to explain? Say you did it to stop the "illegals." We are sure somehow you can fabricate a connection.
- Are you running for office AND DON'T HAVE A PLATFORM? Bash "illegals." It does not matter if you disagree, if you have to exaggerate, if you are concerned about unintended consequences, or even if you think that the politics of fear are affecting communities and obstructing a discussion on real solutions and actual public policy. This is about you.
For flip-floppers - ways to mend or justify your flip-flopping:
a. Say you did not know how bad "illegals" really were until now.
b. You have to appear extra zealous if you supported immigration reform before - we mean it, you have to overcompensate for your previous "soft ways." You could try to partner up with a real zealot. If you are in the House, do something with Tancredo or King. If you are in the Senate, Sessions, DeMint, or Cornyn come to mind.
c. Say you voted for it until you voted against it.
d. Say you were under a spell - cast by an "illegal." The sympathy vote is a great ally.
Then say God and your spouse have forgiven you for your flip-flopping ways.
- If you feel you have to support your arguments: you can always take a quote from Lou Dobbs (he's been proven to make up facts, but he is on TV and people watch him), or take a page from the handbook of previous generations - plenty of quotes there for stuff that was said about German, Italian, and Irish immigrants (heck, maybe these were your grandparents) that sounds exactly like today. Remember the good old days!
- If all else fails... On any issue that overlaps with Latinos, you can tag it as being for "illegals." Most Latinos are actually not immigrants, but many people confuse that and actually think Latinos are all immigrants, and "Illegals". It may create some pretty nasty and divisive rhetoric, but this is politics. Whatever works.
REMEMBER: Make sure you check the papers of all the laborers working on your house remodeling projects funded by oil company lobbyists and overseen by your staff.
DON'T FORGET: Keep these tips close to the vest - some Democrats are trying to use them as well.