GOP Congressman: DREAMers Cannot Be Trusted To Serve In The Military
Once again, Republicans demonstrate why they have problems with Latino voters.
In addition to his comments that the Democratic Party was waging a “war on whites,” Alabama Republican Congressman Mo Brooks also says that children of illegal immigrants should not be allowed in the U.S. military because they cannot be trusted to be loyal:
Republican Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama says DREAMers should not be allowed to join our military because they’re possibly disloyal to the United States and would have access to weapons of mass destruction like nuclear weapons.
“We are hired to represent American citizens,” Brooks said in an interview with the Will Anderson Radio Show last month. “I don’t want American citizens having to compete with illegal aliens for jobs in our military. Particularly when you take into account that, what does our military do: It defends our country.”
Brooks was speaking about the ENLIST Act, a proposal by Republican Rep. Jeff Denham of California that would allow undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children to gain permanent residence, and eventually citizenship, in the United States for serving in our military.
Brooks said the loyalty of DREAMers serving in the U.S. military would have to be questioned.
“These individuals have to be absolutely 100% loyal and trustworthy, as best as we can make them, ’cause they’re gonna have access to all sorts of military weaponry — even to the point of having access to weapons of mass destruction like our nuclear arsenal. And I’m gonna have much greater faith in the loyalty of an American citizen than someone who is a citizen of a foreign nation.”
Much like his comments about the so-called “war on whites,” Brooks’s comments here demonstrate an incredible lack of knowledge about the contributions of immigrants, both documented and undocumented, in the United States military. I wonder, for example, if Brooks is aware that men who are undocumented immigrants are required to register with the Selective Service just like American citizens and legal residents are required to do? Is he aware of the stories of immigrants who have served in American wars for virtually our entire history? Is he aware that there are presently some 35,000 immigrants serving in the United States military? Does the fact that the people he is referring to here, who were brought here as children by their parents, have grown up knowing the United States as their home, not some foreign country? What evidence, exactly, does he have that they would not be loyal to their adopted country, especially if they were volunteering to join the military to begin with?
It’s easy to dismiss Brooks’s statements here, as well as the other things he’s been reported as having said recently, as the inane ramblings of a single GOP Congressman. However, as Steven Taylor notes in his discussion about Brooks’s racially tinged remarks, these types of comments are most assuredly not helpful to Republicans in general when it comes to reaching out to minority voters. Even though the DREAMers cannot vote, their cause is one that polling has demonstrated to be very important to Latino voters, and to younger voters in general. Showing this kind of contempt for people who have spent their entire lives in the United States and who, in this case, would want ot do nothing more than serve that country in the most direct way possible, is inexplicable on several levels, but it is not surprising.
Ever since the President issued the regulations known generally as Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals, it has been a target of Republican attacks. Most recently, the House voted to repeal the changes that the President made that allowed certain children of illegal immigrants want amounts to a temporary form of legal status and to prevent him from expanding the program, and Ted Cruz has sponsored a similar bill in the Senate. Neither bill has any chance of becoming law, of course, but the Republican Party has laid down its marker on this issue and it’s one that Latino voters are likely to remember for some time to come. Republicans, meanwhile, continue to wonder why they have problems with Latino voters.
I suppose it’s a given that he doesn’t think women and gays shouldn’t be in the military either.
It does sometimes appear that staff writers for The Daily Show or the Colbert Report are his “speech” writers, doesn’t it?
Honestly, on the one hand, guys like Brooks, in the larger sense, really do help the Democratic Party. On the other hand, it’s not as if those comments do significant harm to him in Alabama.
You really need to see your boy Rand gag on his sandwich and run away from a Dreamer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI8rCleTbSo
He wants to be leader of the free world…but he’s scared $hitless by this woman.
And of course Steve King lies about what he thinks when actually confronted by a real live Dreamer. But she’s “very good at english”.
Is this guy one of those”traditional Republican” candidates that proves the Tea Party is a spent force, Doug?
Because if he is now the face of the traditional, middle of road Republican, then the Tea Party has won. The Republican Party is now the Tea Party in all but name, in terms of ideology.
Actually, this is not true. Republicans have made a cold calculation that it is better to solidify itheir appeal with the base-older, white, xenophobic, Southern voters-rather than try to reach out to minority voters. Time will tell whether this is a good decision, but short term it’s looking pretty good-the Republicans have a slightly better than even chance of taking the Senate because of their hard line anti-immigration stance.
I await the Republican condemnation for this insult to our brave service members.
Let me save Jenos the effort:
God, OTB’s hinged attacks on Republicans continues! Seriously Doug, don’t you know that somewhere a Democrat said something offensive?! Why are you not covering that?! Most. BIASED! site. evah.
Heck, that stupid thing that Democrat said might even had to do with something about race (of course, we’ll ignore the fact that the Democratic party tends to police and disavow those comments).
This is particularly irritating. Legal immigrants waiting for their citizenship have been active duty military for decades; I’ve served with several. Don’t they realize that security checks are made against anyone coming near a nuclear weapon?
And of course there’s the chance they could infect the US Army with Ebola! Can’t forget that!
Like your average serviceman can just stroll right on up to the WMDs whenever they want a peek. Any ole’ body can just sign up for that important duty – they’re taking all comers, no vetting or BGs needed! Moron.
I was unaware enlistment was such a hot market! Damn, they must be turning people away right and left due to all the illegals jonesing for Basic! I had absolutely no idea we had such a surplus of willing soldiers there was dreaded competition from an outside market – the things you learn…..
How many generations does it take to get to the core “trustworthy” American? Grandchildren, great-grandchildren? Till further notice? I wonder how far back Rep. Brooks can go – better be to Red Coat days….
I’d say if you’re willing to fight and possibly die for a country, you’re mostly likely really loyal to them – especially if it’s one you’ve chosen yourself and not one you happen to be born to. Like all families of choice, they have a deeper meaning since they go beyond accidents of genetics and fate into true choice and willpower – they choose to be a US soldier out of anything else they could be. They choose the uniform, the duty, the life. Give them the damn respect it deserves and they’ve earned by willingly assuming that burden.
@KM:
His ancestry probably includes some Southern traitors that fought against the very military he speaks of. Where does his loyalty lie? Sounds like the Confederacy if anything.
Just like Red White and Blue, Lockport NY natural born citizen, US Army veteran (and innocent American baby murderer) Timothy McVeigh.
Brooks is a Mormon…does he wear magic underwear? Baptize dead people? Have more than one wife?
This will only help them in the next election which is likely to be a low turnout event. Getting one’s base out to vote is key, and this plays well with them. Does not bode well for presidential elections for the GOP.
Steve
BTW, it should surprised no one that Brooks never served in the Armed Forces.
http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3397/rascon-alfred-v.php
http://projects.militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=3655
Both noncitizens when entered service and awarded Medal of Honor and Navy Cross, respectively. Mo Brooks never served a day.
God I wish I could vote in Alabama, but that would require living there.
@Scott: Bingo.
You let these illegals cook your food in restaurant kitchens and use chainsaws to trim your trees, and you’re worried about WMDs?
Hell, these folks can’t even do paranoia right.
I mean, you’re pissing on about the military while Estellita is taking care of your baby?
Have there always been Congressmen this dumb, or is this a relatively recent development? It’s a serious question — I would think that in the bad old days of smoke-filled rooms and back-scratching, the machine would have spit out the truly stupid pretty quickly…
@DrDaveT:
I read something a long time ago about how popular democracy will inevitably lead to government by the lowest common denominator. When “who would you rather have a beer with” becomes a standard for leadership…you can’t hope for too much.
Depends on how you measure dumb.
Meet US Rep. John Shimkus of the 19th Dist. in IL.
‘The planet won’t be destroyed by global warming because God promised Noah,’ says politician bidding to chair U.S. energy committee
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1328366/John-Shimkus-Global-warming-wont-destroy-planet-God-promised-Noah.html
I am grateful that I live in IL 12 next door.
Totally incoherent, they are.
As am I, right now, but I’m hoping that’s just temporary in my case.
@DrDaveT: I think the house has always been full idiots. I think the advancement in technology(cellphones, twitter etc) has just made it more noticeable.
@stonetools:
Doug: “Republicans, meanwhile, continue to wonder why they have problems with Latino voters.”
Stonetools: “Actually, this is not true. Republicans have made a cold calculation that it is better to solidify itheir appeal with the base-older, white, xenophobic, Southern voters-rather than try to reach out to minority voters. ”
To be fair, *Doug* wonders why, and probably will continue to do so.
If the Tea Party got their wishes, he’d probably continue to do so as he drove down the highway past the lynched bodies.
@KM: “Like your average serviceman can just stroll right on up to the WMDs whenever they want a peek. Any ole’ body can just sign up for that important duty – they’re taking all comers, no vetting or BGs needed! Moron.”
To be fair, the Air Force seems to be running on that principle recently :0
@DrDaveT: “I would think that in the bad old days of smoke-filled rooms and back-scratching, the machine would have spit out the truly stupid pretty quickly… ”
Probably not, so long as he voted as they wanted.
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