June 6, 1944

Here, in this place where the West held together, let us make a vow to our dead. Let us show them by our actions that we understand what they died for. Let our actions say to them the words for which Matthew Ridgway listened: "I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.''

Strengthened by their courage, heartened by their value [valor], and borne by their memory, let us continue to stand for the ideals for which they lived and died.

"The Boys of Pointe du Hoc"

President Ronald Reagan

June 6, 1984

Harry Reid: Illegals Are Americans

I just saw this on Michelle Malkin's site. She hits the nail on the head with her opening sentence, "The concept of American citiznship is dead."

Sen. Harry Reid drove the final nail in the coffin with his floor statement yesterday, in which he referred to the 12 million illegal aliens currently in the U.S. as "12 million undocumented Americans." I've heard a lot of stupid euphemisms for illegal aliens, but that one takes the cake.

Michelle provides links to a video clip and a transcript on the Senate Democrats' website.

It would really be nice if this were a misspeak on Reid's part. Unfortunately, I don't think it is. I truly believe he and all those who support this travesty of an amnesty bill see those 12 million illegals as "unofficial" Americans, and the amnesty is just the thing to make things official.

I mean, hey they live here, right? They want to be here, they want to stay here. What more do you want?

You unbelievable bastards.

When I was younger mean, ignorant people used to tease me. They called me a foreigner and would tell me to "go back home". It was hurtful, but I always reminded myself that, no matter what they said, this was my home. I was an American citizen; more than that, I was an American. Although my family had moved here (legally), I had been born here. My heart had neither love for or allegiance to any other country save this one. I never questioned the idea that, as an American, I was part of something grander, bigger, and more special than anything else on this Earth.

Until now.

Citizenship is now a bargaining chip, to be cashed in for the sake of votes. Being an "American" will soon mean nothing more that simply being in the country for a specified period of time. And instead of getting better, things will only get worse.

I hate to imagine what things will be like then.

Obama Alludes To "Quiet Riot" During A Speech

Afterwards, he closes with a rousing rendition of "Cum On Feel The Noize".

Oh, sorry. My mistake.

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Tuesday that the Bush administration has done nothing to defuse a "quiet riot" among blacks that threatens to erupt just as riots in Los Angeles did 15 years ago.

The first-term Illinois senator said that with black people from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast still displaced 20 months after Hurricane Katrina, frustration and resentments are building explosively as they did before the 1992 riots.

Once again, Obama thrills a crowd with platitudes instead of real substance. Is he really saying that, unless he's elected, there will be riots in the streets? How very French of you, Senator. If that's the case, then I'd really love to know what Obama has in mind to prevent this upheaval.

According to him, an overwhelming sense of hopelessness and despair in the black community is threatening to bring things to a boil (I'm assuming the black community. Obama never comes out and says that, but the suggestion is pretty clear).

And now, it's time for another Barack Obama Allegory of Sweetness and Light:

Obama noted that during the [Los Angeles] riots, a bullet pierced the abdomen of a pregnant woman and lodged in the elbow of her fetus. The baby was delivered by caesarian section, the bullet was removed and the child, Jessica Glennis Evers-Jones, has only a small scar on her arm to show for it.

Using the incident as a metaphor, Obama said society's problems are worsening because "in too many places across the country, we have not even bothered to take the bullet out."

For a minute, I thought Obama was going to say that he was the child, and that's why he has such an understanding of the situation. Then I remembered we've already heard his miraculous birth story.

So, what's Obama's solution for diffusing this impending eruption?

Repeatedly, with evangelical zeal, he raised issues that roused the crowd: increasing the minimum wage and teacher pay, funding for public schools and college financial aid for the poor, ending predatory lending and expediting the reconstruction of New Orleans and the Mississippi coast.

God, that's their solution for everything.

20 Loopholes In The Senate Immigration Bill

I saw this earlier on Michelle Malkin's site. Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) has posted 20 loopholes in the Amnesty Bill currently being debated in the Senate. All I can say is, what the hell are these people thinking?

Amnesty benefits do not wait for the “enforcement trigger.” After filing an application and waiting 24 hours, illegal aliens will receive full “probationary benefits,” complete with the ability to legally live and work in the U.S., travel outside of the U.S. and return, and their own social security card. Astonishingly, if the trigger is never met and amnesty applications are therefore never “approved,” the probationary benefits granted to the illegal alien population never expire, and the new social security cards issued to the illegal alien population are not revoked.

Legal status must be granted to illegal aliens 24 hours after they file an application, even if the aliens have not yet “passed all appropriate background checks.”

Instead of ensuring that members of violent gangs such as MS 13 are deported after coming out of the shadows to apply for amnesty, the bill will allow violent gang members to get amnesty as long as they “renounce” their gang membership on their application.

Read the entire list. Unbelievable!

NY Post Slams NY Times For Downplaying JFK Plot

As I've mentioned before here and here, there are those who have a strong desire to downplay the fact (yes, fact) that certain people want to kill as many of us as they can. Which is why I was glad to read about this in the New York Post:

Terror plot? What terror plot?

That's what The New York Times seems to be asking, even as most news outlets are giving front-page coverage to the recently foiled scheme to blow up JFK Airport's fuel pipeline.

The article outlines how the Times piece completely downplayed the story, how they placed it on Page 37 when every other major newspaper had it on Page 1, as well as highlighting what stories the NYT did think were Page 1 worthy (Brick laying in India, anyone?). The Post calls it an agenda, and I agree. They also point out something that I've been stressing since the weekend:

The point is, an unknown number of ruthless actors around the world - some in
our backyard - continue to emerge and threaten the nation. No doubt the 9/11
plot also once seemed like something no one could pull off.

Whether these plots succeed or not, the potential, the threat of danger, is still there. It simply makes sense to be vigilant, to take these stories seriously. Eventually, one of these plots will succeed.

Paris Hilton Jail Watch - Day 2

Good news! Paris has survived her first night in jail!

According to her attorney, she's doing well after spending the first night in her cell:

"She's using this time to reflect on her life, to see what she can do to make the world better and hopefully, in my opinion, to change the attitudes that exist about her among many people," attorney Richard A. Hutton told reporters after visiting Hilton.

My goodness, the spin is so strong I'm getting dizzy!

The only thing Paris is reflecting on is how she can turn this indignity into more money and notoriety for herself. As for making the world better, there are many ways she could do that; the most common ones no doubt involve relocating to extremely isolated locations for the remainder of her life. It's okay, though - Paris is cool with that. I mean, does anyone truly think Paris Hilton gives a shit about what people's attitudes of her are? Please. She has only one mission in life - to perpetuate a carefully crafted image of herself that flies in the face of what most people know to be the truth. Case in point:

"If she was an ordinary citizen she would have been placed in the general population. ... She'd be living in a dorm with 30, 40, 50 other women and the time would pass pretty quick," Hutton said. "She is really being punished because of her celebrity."

You've got to hand it to Hutton; it takes a special man to be able to pull these statements off with a straight face.

Experts Doubt JFK Plot's Potential For Disaster

Apparently, we were all stupid to give it any thought at all.

Once again, nothing to see here.

An alleged plot to blow up fuel tanks and pipelines at New York's JFK airport had little chance of success, according to safety experts, who have questioned whether the plot ever posed a real threat.

According to the experts, the most the plotter could have hoped for was a fire and maybe a contained explosion; certainly not the total destruction of the airport and surrounding areas. The plotters simply didn't have the explosives, the financing or the expertise to pull off anything close to what they had envisioned.

Apparently, that means the story shouldn't have been reported to the extent that it was (wall-to-wall all day coverage).

Neal Sonnett, a former federal prosecutor, told the New York Times there was also a danger in overstating how serious or sophisticated a plot really was.

"There unfortunately has been a tendency to shout too loudly about such cases," he said. "To the extent that you over-hype a case, you create fear and paranoia," he said.

The New York Times on Sunday pointedly avoided giving much coverage to the alleged plot, devoting only a brief on its front page continued on the local section, despite the story breaking in the early afternoon on Saturday.

So, what's the solution? Bury the story on page 37 like the Times did, pooh poohing the whole thing as another exercise in fear-mongering? Were the plotters going to be successful in causing the carnage they desired? Probably not. Should we report that fact honestly? Sure, why not? But, at the same time, let's not overlook the other aspect of the story, which is that certain people are actively trying to think of new and exciting ways to kill a lot of Americans! Just because they didn't succeed doesn't mean they didn't try. More than likely, they will try again. If we're lucky, all we'll ever get are these Keystone Cop jihadists and nothing will ever come to pass. But eventually, one of them is going to come up with a plan that will work. Maybe there will come a time when these homegrown terrorists opt for small, totally doable acts of terrorism rather than shooting for some huge disaster with a high body count.

Reporting on these failed attempts may create fear and/or paranoia in some, but it may also create a heightened state of vigilence, which is certainly a good thing.

All Grown Up!

The 2007 MTV Movie Awards were held over the weekend. I was perusing some of the red carpet shots when I cam across something that made my jaw drop.

All I want to know is, when did this:



start looking like this:



Damn! Life is turning out pretty swell for Amanda Bynes.

Yeah, yeah, whatever! She's 21, so it's okay.

Lawyer Too Sleepy To Defend His Client

Charles Curbo is asking for a new trial due to the fact that his sleepiness prevented him from properly representing his client:

"The court constantly rushed defense counsel, who the court knew had little sleep on account of the hours that the court was keeping for no good reason," Curbo wrote.

Actually, the reason the court was keeping such long hours was to accomodate Tony Wolfe's need for dialysis treatments, which would cause the trial to start late on those days.

The best part? Tony Wolfe is Charles Curbo's client.

Mi Casa Es Su Casa

A great post by James Lewis at The American Thinker perfectly captures the flaw in the administration's thinking on the Amnesty Bill:

So President Bush and Karl Rove have opted for a desperate gamble. They are betting that immigrants can be assimilated, and that the GOP will get its share of their votes. But with the attitude of "Su casa es mi casa," impoverished people from Mexico and elsewhere, indoctrinated in an entitlement mentality, are not likely to become self-sustaining American citizens in large numbers. Why should they, when the welfare state beckons with goodies as long as they vote Democrat?

Read the whole thing - it's spot on.

Paris Hilton Jail Watch - Day 1

Paris Hilton is officially behind bars. She reported to the Century Regional Detention Center is Lynwood, CA around 10:30 p.m.

Hilton surrendered to sheriff's deputies after making a surprise visit to the MTV Movie Awards in the afternoon.

"I am trying to be strong right now," she told reporters on the red carpet. "I'm ready to face my sentence. Even though this is a really hard time, I have my family, my friends and my fans to support me, and that's really helpful."

Courage, Paris. Courage! But wait, it gets better.

With Paris' "people" on image red alert, we get what has to be the quote of the century from Hilton (and she's said a lot of stupid things over the years):

"I did have a choice to go to a pay jail," Hilton said Sunday, without giving details. "But I declined because I feel like the media portrays me in a way that I'm not and that's why I wanted to go to county, to show that I can do it and I'm going to be treated like everyone else. I'm going to do the time, I'm going to do it the right way."

You know, Paris should really think about going into politics; she's positively "Hillaryesque" in her belief that people will believe anything that comes spewing out of her mouth. How do the words "I'm going to be treated like everyone else" come out of Paris Hilton's mouth without her tongue bursting into flame? We already know the judge in her case ruled out the option of a pay jail (Paris must assume we pay as little attention to the details as she does). As for doing the time and doing it the right way - well, I don't know too many people who get half their sentence dropped for "good behavior" before they've had an opportunity to demonstrate any good behavior.

Being housed in a special needs wing and getting the celebrity treatment makes a three-week stint in county jail about as grueling as a camping trip. If incarceration was like that for everybody, it's value as a deterrent would be about 0%.

As for the media portraying Paris as some spoiled, empty-headed, amoral snob with no sense of right or wrong? Well, there's a difference between the media portraying Paris' behavior and the media reporting Paris' behavior. Since I'm sure that subtle distinction would be lost on her, allow me to put it another way: Paris, you are a spoiled, empty-headed, amoral snob with no sense of right or wrong. And no amount of time in "celebrity jail camp" will convince me otherwise.

Considering that Paris will be trying mightily to cash in on this and make it pay off for her, I hope the rest of America stays just as resolute.

Divisive

So, there was another Democratic debate tonight. No big surprises, mainly just more handwringing over Iraq. There was one particular question which interested me:

To a question on whether English should be the official language in the United States, only former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel raised his hand in the affirmative.

But Obama protested the question itself, calling it “the kind of question that was designed precisely to divide us.” He said such questions “do a disservice to the American people.”

Sure, because it's always so divisive to mention any attempt to promote even a semblance of national identity. For Obama, the question isn't whether immigrants will learn English - he takes it on faith that they will. For him, the question is about coming up with a "legal, sensible immigration policy".

For someone who's supposed to be so smart, Obama's clueless when it comes to this issue. First of all, we've made it too easy in this country to get by without a strong grasp of English. Press "1" for English, anyone?. Believe me, there's a difference between being able to get by in an English environment and knowing the language well enough to get ahead. Without strong incentives to gain real competence with the language, future immigrants will never be able to prosper in a society as competitive as ours. Unless, of course, the most we ever want for these people is to cut our lawns and paint our houses. If anything, a language competency requirement should be alogical part of a "sensible immigration policy".

I hate to say it, but at least Hillary had a reasonable argument against English as our official language - it would preclude accomodating non-English speakers by mandating translators in hospitals and government offices and printing voting ballots in multiple languages.

Yeah, I said it was reasonable, I didn't say I agreed with it. In order to vote, one has to be a citizen (at least for now). So, how does someone become a U.S. citizen without learning enough English to read a ballot? How the hell do they even understand the issues they're voting on if they don't speak the language?

Hell yeah, that's exactly the kind of "informed" electorate I want helping to shape the course of this country.

The Paris Hilton Jail Watch

The countdown has begun. Famous layabout Paris Hilton reports to jail next Tuesday to begin serving her 23 day sentence.

They have her cell ready and selected a cellmate. All that's left to do is see if she'll become even more popular after this. If she does, America, you're dead to me!

Thousands Rally In Support Of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela

Only after they were paid and/or forced to attend by the government.

I guess Hugo was bummed about all of his citizens protesting his decision to shut down a popular independent TV station. See, that's the good thing about being ruled by a dictator - you've just got to love him...or else! From Fox News' Adam Housley, who's in Caracas covering the protests:

I see all sorts of government vans and trucks, with paintings on the side with sayings like "Socialism or Die." There are pictures of Chavez and Che everywhere. Most people are wearing red shirts with the logo of their government employer.

There are busses everywhere and some have been taken to a place across the city, as if to hide the fact that most people here were bussed and given a free shirt, hat and lunch. I am also told by several here that they were paid 50,000 bolívar's to attend. That's roughly 25 dollars plus a free lunch, not a bad day for many that were brought here free from the countryside.

EXTRA: Hot Air has video of Adam Housley calling former Black Panther and current NY City Councilman Charles Barron a "son of a bitch". As a good little liberal, Barron dismisses Adam's reporting for Fox News as one-sided. He accuses Housley of cherrypicking a single anti-Chavez protestor when there are thousands of pro-Chavez protestors he could interview. Housley angrily defends his reportage, saying they've covered all of the protests, including the pro-Chavez one's (he also claims they were threatened at those) and accuses Barron of not being informed on the issue. He goes on to encourage Barron to watch Fox News and see the whole story for himself. Barron then gives us the quote of the day, "I don't have time to sit at home and watch T.V., I'm an activist."

Whatever.

Shock! DUers Don't Believe The Plot Was Real

As sure as day follows night, you can always count on the "reality-based" community to refuse to believe...well, reality.

"...after all the administration needs some positive press! I'm sorry but I don't believe most of this stuff anymore. When they have the proof I'll listen."

That's right. It's a publicity stunt.

"I smell more Rethuglikkkan bullshit. There was no plot. These are dupes."

Ah, the name calling, and the absolute certainty that there was no plot. Of course, there's never a plot.

"Four guys with CRIMINAL aspirations were foiled before they could do anything. not really much news there, IMO."

Whatever, dude. Call me when they actually blow something up!

"This plan was more inspirational than operational meaning, they didn't have the resources, skills, manpower, etc. to carry out their acts....But I'm sure the Republican spin bull-shit machine will act like they just prevented WW III."

That's right, the Republicans don't deserve any credit for foiling the plot. But God knows they'll surely deserve the blame if a plot is ever carried out.

The Left's slavish refusal to accept these threats are real never ceases to amaze me. And yet, we should have no problem allowing them to be responsible for the country's security.

I wonder what it must be like to actually be one of those Muslim extremists; to pour your heart and soul into striking at your infidel enemy, only to realize that a sizeable segment of population you wish to destroy thinks you're a figment of some Republican scaremonger's imagination!

Of course, we already know what the Left will say if a plot is ever successfully carried out.

UPDATE: Newsbusters asks "How long before they question the timing?"

Little Green Footballs points out the deafening silence on the Left side of the Blogosphere:

Maybe they’re still trying to settle on the spin. “Question the timing?” or “blame Bush?” Choices, choices...

Not so fast! Daily Kos is on it. Someone posted a diary about the "alleged plot":

Sounds to me like another wanna-be plot, but we'll see.

Once again, nothing to see here. These people simply will not be satisfied until blood is actually spilled. Of course, then it's "Bush's fault". Oh, and make sure you read the comments. otherwise, you won' learn that infiltration by FBI informants = entrapment.

Terror Plot Foiled At JFK Airport

Scroll down for updates.

Pardon me. Alleged terror plot. This is from Fox News, by the way.

Three people arrested and one still being sought in a plot to explode a fuel line that feeds the airport and runs through residential neighborhoods. It seems that, once again, the plot was foiled while still in the planning stages. It also seems that, if executed, the plan had the potential to kill a lot of people:

The New York suspect was identified as Russell Afreitas, a former JFK employee who allegedly planned to attack the airport's fuel supply because he thought he could do more damage than attacking a passenger terminal. Afreitas is a Muslim U.S. citizen from Guyana.

I'm sure that's just a coincidence. Not worth mentioning, really.

Interesting. Here's CNN's report on the arrest. Note how they handle the ethnicity of the suspects:

An official described the suspects as "al Qaeda wannabes."

One suspect, a U.S. citizen who is a native of Guyana and who once worked at the airport, was described by a source as "a very angry Muslim extremist."

Wannabes. Just a bunch of silly little terror poseurs, really. And of course, the suspect is a very angry Muslim extremist.

Also note how the story handles the question of the danger posed by the plot:

Rep. Peter King, R-New York, said law enforcement had had the plot "under control" for some time.

Another law enforcement official said the plot was never "fully operational."

Hey, I'm glad the authorities were on the ball with this, but let's not forget that there was in fact a plot to, you know, kill a lot of people.

But wait, it get's better. Here's the incident as reported by the venerable AP:

The plot, which never got past the planning stages, did not involve airplanes or passenger terminals, according to the two officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the arrests had not yet been announced.

The plot posed no threat to air safety or the public, the FBI said Saturday.

We keep hearing the plot didn't target airplanes or passenger terminals, but we already know from the Fox report that's because Mr. Afreitas felt targeting the fuel line would cause more damage, so that's not all that reassuring. Speaking of Mr. Afreitas, the only things AP tells us about him is that he's Guyanese and a former airport employee. There is, of course, one glaring omission.

Again, we're told the plot posed no threat to the public except that, until the plot was busted, it did. If anything, the AP report lists several recent "home-grown" terrorist plots that have been foiled. With this many plots being hatched, isn't it reasonable to assume at least one will make it past the "planning stages"? And if it does, I'd say the threat posed becomes considerable.

UPDATE: A press conference was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The suspects are named.

According to sources, the suspects have been identified as: Russell Defreitas, Abdul Nur, Kareem Ibrihim and Abdul Kadir.

Sources said a cargo worker at JFK allegedly began to plot attacking the US last July or August. The cargo worker sought help in carrying out a plan and went to an FBI informant, who gathered information about the plot.

It looks like the authorities were on top of this for about a year, which is great. I'm genuinely happy that law enforcement agencies are doing their jobs as far as keeping us safe. And as far as earlier reports stressing that plot posed no threat to public safety? Well according to U.S. Attorney Roslynn R. Mauskopf it was in fact "one of the most chilling plots imaginable." At the 1:00 p.m. news conference, she said "the devastation that would be caused had this plot succeeded is just unthinkable."

So much for that.

MORE: As always, Hot Air has lots more on this developing story. Possible Al Qaeda connection? Check. Oh look, one of the suspects was an imam. Charming.

Looks like Russell Defreitas was quite the piece of shit:

"Any time you hit Kennedy, it is the most hurtful thing to the United States. To hit John F. Kennedy, wow ... they love John F. Kennedy like he's the man ... if you hit that, this whole country will be mourning. You can kill the man twice," Defreitas said in another conversation, it said.

"Even the twin towers can't touch it," referring to the September 11 attacks in another comment that the law enforcement authorities said was recorded last month. "This can destroy the economy of America for some time."

Yeah, nothing at all to see here.

15 Minutes Over For The Sex Blogger

Jessica Cutler, aka The Washingtonienne, is broke and filing for bankruptcy. It appears things didn't work out as planned for the person who ignited a million bloggers' fevered dreams of book deals, fame, and mad blogging money.

In court documents filed in the case Thursday, however, Cutler says she can't even pay her American Express bill, legal fees and student loans. She submitted to the judge a copy of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition filed in New York dated Wednesday.

For those of you who missed the fun the first time around, you can read the Washingtonienne blog archive over at Wonkette. Eh, it seemed better in original blog form. You can also keep up with Cutler's ongoing adventures at her new blog. Kind of sad, really. It's a shame that someone who is as obviously bright as she is just isn't that interesting unless she's kissing and telling.

Blast from the Past! Inspired by her heroic exploits, Ace of Spades decides to get in on the fun. Hilarious!

Finally, what would a post about a notorious sex blogger be without a picture of what all the fuss is about:



Meh.

All Hail Fred Thompson

Just the thing to wash the taste of Betrayer-In-Chief Bush out of my mouth! Fred Thompson formed a Presidential Campaign Committee, bringing himself one step closer to officially entering the race.

The "testing the waters" committee allows Thompson—a former Tennessee senator and actor best known for his film and television roles, including as a prosecutor on NBC's "Law & Order"—to raise money, hire staff and gauge support without officially committing to a White House bid and without having to publicly disclose donations or expenditures.

Frankly, I'm loving this. McCain and Romney just don't excite me, and Giuliani has lost a lot of his appeal with me. I've long thought Thompson would be the ideal "Reaganesque" candidate, which is something the party could use right now. I'll explore his positions on the issues more closely once (if) he officially enters, but I like what I'm hearing so far:



I'm cool with Fred's positions on gun control, immigration, and Iraq (in general). I'm pro-choice, but I agree that Roe v. Wade was bad law. I disagree with his gay marriage position; I'm sorry, but I can't condone denying certain American citizens a basic right like marriage.

I hate to be one of those "single issue" voters, but for me, the deciding factor for any candidate will be his stand on illegal immigration. Like I said, I like what Fred's saying so far:



Unless something major happens (like fred deciding not to run), I think I've found my candidate.

The Backlash Begins

Yesterday, I announced that, after 6 loooong years, George W. Bush is dead to me. The final straw - Bush's turning on Republicans over their criticism of the Amnesty Bill.

Seems like I'm not alone.

LaShawn Barber say's "It's Official - Bush is an idiot":

And I voted for him. Twice. I voted for Clinton twice, too, but I’m more ashamed of voting for Bush.

Ouch.

Peggy Noonan has a great piece at WSJ Online. She's telling the truth, and the truth sucks:

Leading Democrats often think their base is slightly mad but at least their heart is in the right place. This White House thinks its base is stupid and that its heart is in the wrong place.

Hot Air is encouraging people to express their opposition to the Amnesty bill through some very special "donations":

Enough is enough. You can help stop amnesty in its tracks. Send cero pesos to the RNC and DNC headquarters. Include a note protesting both parties’ pandering. Note that open borders create an unacceptable national security problem. Be civil, but firm. Tell them to pare amnistia ahora–stop amnesty now.

Speaking of donations, it seems the RNC is seeing a drop in small-donor donations.

Gee guys, if that's the case, why not hit up you new "base"? I'm sure they'll do the donating Americans don't want to do!

Immigration Reform: This Time, It's Personal

At least it is for George Bush, writes Julie Mason in the Houston Chronicle:

"I feel passionate about the issue. It's something I have felt strongly about ever since I was the governor of Texas," he said.

"Texas is a very diverse state, Houston is a very diverse city, and through that diversity, if you're open-minded, you get a great sense of how it invigorates the society," said Bush, a Houston resident in the 1960s and '70s.

Growing up in Texas, Bush said, "you recognize the decency and hard work and humanity of Hispanics. And the truth of the matter is a lot of this immigration debate is driven as a result of Latinos being in our country."

Or to be more specific, an unhappiness about Latinos being in the country. Bush, for the first time, is putting opponents on notice that he's going to call them out on their xenophobia if he needs to. In last year's failed effort at passing immigration reform, he never went that far.

Again with the name calling! George, can I make it any simpler for you? It's not immigration we're opposed to, it's illegal immigration! It's about hating the idea of rewarding lawbreakers with one of the greatest privileges of all - U.S. citizenship, and all that includes.

Speaking as someone who wouldn't even be in this country if not for immigration, I can assure you I am neither xenophobic or anti-immigrant. What I am is American, and I'm sicked at how easy it is for some to just...give that away.

"People shouldn't fear our capacity to uphold our motto, E Pluribus Unum," Bush said.

Screw you, George! You'll never convince me that all these "manys" will somehow assimilate into one cohesive "one".