December 28, 2007

Joy Lin/CBS News sneers at Mike Huckabee concern over possible terrorist infiltration (Pakistan)

On the topic of immigration, there are - believe it or not - people who are even worse than Mike Huckabee. One of those is Joy Lin of CBS News, who offers "Huckabee Ties Bhutto's Assassination to Illegal Immigration" (link). While Huck apparently made a few mistakes on other topics related to the situation there, one thing he said should be supported by all those who want to prevent terrorist attacks inside the U.S. Apparently that doesn't include CBS News:

...After Mike Huckabee was done gladhanding with Iowans at the overcrowded Pizza Ranch restaurant, journalists grilled Huckabee on a hard right turn he took from the subject of Benazir Bhutto's assassination to illegal immigration.

In his speech today, Huckabee said it should be of concern to Americans that 660 illegal Pakistanis crossed the American border last year.

One reporter asked if that was ethnic baiting?

Yes, Joy Lin, it's a "hard right turn" and "ethnic baiting" to be concerned about possible terrorist infiltration of the U.S. The fact that he was even asked that, and had to reply "no" is completely preventable: if people went to campaign events and asked real questions about this issue - either of the candidates or of the "reporters" themselves - no "reporter" would dare ask such an incredibly stupid and irresponsible question.

Huckabee went on to send a bit of a secret message, implying that he isn't concerned about illegal aliens just as long as they make some people money:

"The fact is the immigration issue is not so much about people coming to pick lettuce or make beds. It's about people that can come with a shoulder fired missile and can do serious damage and harm to us, and that's what we need to be worried about. And the unsecure borders that we have pose a real national security threat."

Huckabee said he'd been briefed on a study showing that the largest category of non-Latin Americans coming over the border are Pakistanis; Lin apparently asked for the study itself, and mentions that the campaign hasn't responded. While it's good that she wants the study, the inclusion of that point seems to be an attempt by her to imply that no such study exists.

In related news, AlterNet's coverage of this is remarkably similar to that from CBS News. A post from Satyam Khanna of ThinkProgress includes the following (alternet.org/blogs/video/71880/#more):

Huckabee also seized on the Bhutto assassination to tighten up his hard-line anti-immigration stance. Yesterday, he said the U.S. should be on heightened alert from the threat posed by Pakistani immigrants.

It would be extraordinarily easy for someone to discredit the Left/Dems/MSM on this issue, and only corruption prevents the GOP from doing it.

Posted to Immigration2007b at December 28, 2007 11:39 AM