Is it hypocrisy on display? Or is it simply a case of “It’s my idea so it’s a good one?” Despite the furor over an Arizona Immigration Law that would ask citizens to produce identification to prove their citizenship, these same Democrats are now pushing a National I.D. card for every worker in the country. The National I.D. cards would hold biometric information such as your fingerprint.
Amazingly enough, the ACLU quickly jumped on the proposal saying it would violate civil liberties. For once the ACLU and I agree on something. The new National I.D. card would be a part of the “Believe System.” That stands for, Biometric Enrollment, Locally stored information, and Electronic Verification of Employment; what a mouthful.
The ACLU disagrees for once with the Democratic Party, saying that the new National I.D. card would essentially require every American to obtain a government permission slip to work. Talk about Gestapo tactics. Rhetoric from the left in the last several days has ranged from the absurd to criminal, comparing Arizona’s new law to Nazi police state procedures.
In an amazing show of hypocrisy, the left decries the state of Arizona demanding that citizens produce identification during the normal course of a lawful encounter with authorities but are perfectly fine with legal American citizens being required to have a National I.D. card just to hold a job. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Democrats idea of immigration reform.
Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) says that Americans are more comfortable with the idea of a National I.D. card. In this case, immigration reform would constitute imposing more draconian measures on legal, law abiding citizens. True immigration reform would only affect illegal aliens who have already or are in the process of breaking the law. Durbin said this:
“People understand that in this vulnerable world, we have to be able to present identification, we want it to be reliable, and I think that’s going to help us in this debate on immigration.”
Durbin’s right, people do understand it’s a vulnerable world and we should be ready to present identification. Exactly the point of Arizona’s Immigration Law that he disagrees with. I have a drivers license, birth certificate, social security card, credit cards, you name it; I’m ready to show it to prove I belong here. A biometric National I.D. card is not necessary for securing the country. It’s only necessary for securing more power for the democrats over the American people.
April 30th, 2010 at 10:23 am
You carry your birth certificate around to prove you belong here? That’s weird.
April 30th, 2010 at 10:31 am
Amazingly enough, the ACLU quickly jumped on the proposal saying it would violate civil liberties. For once the ACLU and I agree on something.
Well, in this case you and the ACLU are both correct of course. But I think that organization gets a bad rap among the right — sure they stick up for a lot of “liberal” causes, but that’s only because “conservatives” are often actively opposing civil liberties. The ACLU consistently defends the rights granted to people by the Constitution, no matter where the cases fit on the political landscape. They can’t help it if conservatives tend to see civil liberties as dispensable or even malignant.
It’s only necessary for securing more power for the democrats over the American people.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t the Bush administration float the idea of a National ID card as well? It’s not just the Democrats who want to consolidate power while in office; the Republicans do exactly the same thing. This is a liberty versus government power issue, not a red versus blue issue.
April 30th, 2010 at 11:16 am
I think we need to issue ID cards to all Right-Wing Conservatives. Keep track of ‘em, you know. I think we need to build walls around Arizona, Utah, Oklahoma, and Texas, instead of a wall along the border with Mexico. Did I leave any states out?
Shannon, you get the first one.
April 30th, 2010 at 11:22 am
Mike I didn’t say I “carried” my birth certificate around. But I would have no problem producing it if I needed to.
April 30th, 2010 at 11:24 am
Rhayader you’re right. There are factions in both parties that would love to consolidate power. Constitution be damned.
April 30th, 2010 at 11:29 am
It’s interesting how Democrats are worried about their civil liberties only when there is a Republican in the White House. Back when the Bush White House empowered the CIA to tap American phones in their search for active terrorist cells, Democrats went ballistic, fearful for their civil rights, when it didn’t truly affect anyone (unless they were a terrorist). Now, Democrats will likely be in favor of an intrusive national ID card, so long as it is a Democrat idea. The difference between Democrats and Republicans is simple. Democrats are for big government and federal control. Republicans are for individual rights and decentralization, at least to the state level.
April 30th, 2010 at 11:43 am
The difference between Democrats and Republicans is simple.
Democrats are for big government and federal control. Republicans are for individual rights and decentralization, at least to the state level.One pro-government, anti-freedom party is called “Democrats”, the other is called “Republicans”.There, fixed that for you.
April 30th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Klo – how about ID cards for Code Pink. I’d like to know ahead of time the next time they give half a million dollars to insurgents who are fighting our troops. We need to know what they are up to. And Henry Waxman, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, etc. We can keep track of every time they charge anything to tax payers if nothing else.
April 30th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Hey Klo, you ever been to any of those states you’re suggesting walls around? Isn’t it a bit ironic that it’s the Dems that are proposing a “show me your papers” bill, but accusing the Right of being racist.
April 30th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
What I wonder, Shannon, is why promote this now?
I’m not seeing the “win” here for Democrats. Either its a terrible political move. Or it’s a terrible political move.
April 30th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
Instead of avoiding the problem and trying to patch it up with something superficial like a national ID card, why don’t we just enforce the law? What use is an ID card when everyone here should be a legal citizen to begin with and that would render a national ID card useless.
Jail time for employing anyone non-verifiable, give 6 months to allow illegals to get their affairs in order, and then please leave our country, go somewhere else, apply and wait in line like our laws demand. Period.
Everything else is pointless, whether it be ID cards, a wall, a list, etc., etc.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/67_say_illegal_immigrants_are_major_strain_on_u_s_budget
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/nationally_60_favor_letting_local_police_stop_and_verify_immigration_status
April 30th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
P.S. Michael Savage kicks A$$!
April 30th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Tara they’re either trying to NOT get this passed for some strange reason or they’re trolling for Republican votes. Either way, it’s a big crock.
And Ron, agreed about Mr. Savage.
April 30th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Shannon, In an amazing show of hypocrisy, the left decries the state.
Boo hoo, wahhh! The right claims ownership as the lone ranger a shrill defender of “the state” and states’ rights.
Shannon, this article, and your political inbreeding, says that the right will finally internalize and bow to the wishes of the majority, or those who think. This isn’t liberals just talking, this is progress. How nice that you have just called the kettle black.
Shannon: Rhetoric from the left in the last several days has ranged from the absurd to criminal, comparing Arizona’s new law to N*zi police state procedures.
Absurb = Beck, Limbough, Malkin, et al
N*zi analogies = Beck, Limbough, Malkin, et al
The right’s last gasps. Their dying words stealing from left’s dirty play book as they stumble through the last chapters of their tragic folly (ie John McCain et al).
Good luck in Nov…Wait…Corporations are people too! Thank god for justice scalia, or is it roberts, and God Bless America! You’ll probably win. And the rest of us, the other 99%. will suffer disproportionately for it.
April 30th, 2010 at 8:24 pm
disproportionately
dispropotionally
dispro-no rights
…tionally.
May 1st, 2010 at 7:53 am
This card will just end up being one more law enforcement tool we will have to carry around with us. Then we will have to show it to the authorities or police on demand. While its true state drivers licenses have become the defactor federal identity card, it would still add to the illusion we are a free populace to not have one.
May 1st, 2010 at 10:03 am
Raise on high the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star!
Sucession!
May 1st, 2010 at 12:16 pm
It’s interesting how Democrats are worried about their civil liberties only when there is a Republican in the White House. Back when the Bush White House empowered the CIA to tap American phones in their search for active terrorist cells, Democrats went ballistic, fearful for their civil rights, when it didn’t truly affect anyone (unless they were a terrorist). Now, Democrats will likely be in favor of an intrusive national ID card, so long as it is a Democrat idea.
Anne, you totally misunderstand Democrats. They’re coming out against this in droves.
See crooks and liars:
Democrats like Chuck Schumer — the main proponent of this misbegotten idea — need to ask themselves how they’d like to have this kind of system in the hands of the next Dick Cheney, which is probably an inevitability should it pass. [Shudder.]
The framework is an excellent start in many ways, but the biometric-ID proposal is so noxious and unacceptable that any version containing it should be targeted for defeat.
Bob Cesca: (http://www.bobcesca.com/blog-archives/2010/04/youre_not_helpi.html)
Drug war? Drones? And a national ID card that seems eerily close to being “papers?” Okay, so maybe a bunch of hawkish Republicans applied their stink to the bill. But no. This is a fully Democratic bill without any Republican support.
Motherfudger. Utterly tone deaf. The Democrats just can’t help it. The optics of this bill are terrible.
Escheton: (http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/bRuz/~3/ahQ1LmfvUXg/implanting-microchip-in-glenn-becks.html )
I really have no idea what the Democrats think they’re doing with this. Durbin’s reasoning – hey, we’ve embraced other stupid identity verification schemes so we’ll embrace another! – is just idiotic. It won’t actually solve any problems.
dailykos:
What could they be thinking?
I’ll tell you what I think they’re thinking: This must involve money somehow. Some national ID company must be a contributor to Schumer or something.
It’s stupid, politically and practically. The ACLU is right. This is a non-starter and will be gone before the ink dries on tomorrow’s paper.
May 1st, 2010 at 1:12 pm
I don’t think it’s hippocritical at all. I mean, better this than a birth certificate which can easily be stolen or lost and doesn’t even have a picture!
I think the reason illegal immigration has persisted is because the illegals have access to easily-forged paperwork. If we had something that was hard to replicate and people could see if the one you had wasn’t yours, everyone with a forged or fake ID card could be deported! Simple as that! Plus it would be a really effective deterrent because Mexicans, Central Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans would be less likely to come over knowing they have a better chance of being caught.
If you have nothing to hide, what are you so afraid of? I don’t get it. I’M not doing anything wrong, so I see nothing wrong with this. It’s only if you are doing soemthing you should not be, then you should be worried.
May 1st, 2010 at 1:19 pm
well I think a lot of the police state mentality and war on drugs and growth in prison industries has happened with the democrats blessing as well as the republicans. Americans have a real tendency to want to militarize their police in the name of zero tolerance and efficiency. I just want basic law and order over people and property crimes of the biblical sort, not all these new laws on where you go or what you eat, drink, or smoke. I don’t feel safer knowing the police are impounding cars from people smoking this or eating that or engaging in callgirl behavior. That puts everyone on edge when the penalities are so high. IF more things were a mere civil infraction, and diversion programs were used it would be a lot less violent out there. But instead you have militarized police jacking these people and their cars so what do you expect? Just watch Cops tv, or any of those reality policing shows and a disturbing pattern arises and its mostly due to overly proactive policing meets unstable people.
May 1st, 2010 at 8:04 pm
@ #19 AJ,
Schumer or any other democrat for that matter has no interest in deporting illegals. Illegals are an entire voting block for them. This is an intrusion into our privacy. If anything should be considered a N*zi tactic this one sure qualifies.
You had wrote if one cannot produce this authentic card then that person can be deported. Well, if an individual cannot produce proof now without the card s/he should be deported. It would save alot of money not making the cards and give the government less intrusion into our lives!
If you want to make it simple, just send a notice to all employers that they will be severely penalized if they are employing anyone non-verifiable, and that it’s the employers responsibility to verify all employees as of the first of the upcoming month.
May 3rd, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Why do they pitch this as immigration reform? Last time I checked, you’re required to provide a social security number and in many cases a state issued ID to get a job anyway. Some companies just choose to pay no attention to the fact that immigrants don’t have these. How would this change things at all other than causing law abiding citizens further trouble when it comes to gainful employment? Voters be aware when november rolls around…we’ve got to stop this power pull.
May 4th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
You got that right David! A national ID card is against our liberties, gives all our information to Big Brother. No thanks, vote against the democrats now and forever, and I know, forever is a long time!