Youtube Debate Ignores Immigration
07/24/2007
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If you missed the Democratic debates on Youtube you didn't miss much. Read this and you will know everything you need to know about these miserable louts. You can read the transcript at these two links because it's in two parts. . [One,Two] CNN has an online video if you want to watch.

Probably the most important part of the debate is what they didn't talk about—which is just about anything of substance. Listed below are just a few of the topics that were avoided or obscured.

Did they say something about H-1B? No.

How about guest workers, visas, or other issues dealing with our border? No.

Did they say something meaningful about any immigration issue? No, but what they said is worse than terrible, and since it's slightly off topic I'll cover it at the end.

Did anyone connect immigration with declining wages or job opportunities? No, but everyone but Dodd said they would be willing to work for minimum wage.

Good thing, because that's more than they are worth!

Was anything said about offshoring? No.

Not a single question about free trade or offshoring was asked but Kucinich slipped in about a 5 second blurb on the issue of trade. Apparently nobody that uses Youtube cares about free trade.

KUCINICH: So we're not going to be borrowing money from China to fight wars in Baghdad. We're going to lower our trade deficit by ending NAFTA and the WTO and going back to trade based on worker's rights.

What about jobs? Youtube audiences are young, so perhaps it never occurred for them to ask about jobs, or perhaps the Democrats told CNN to screen out all questions about jobs. The dearth of questions is rather odd, especially since so many labor and immigration activists sent questions to Youtube.

About the only platitude we heard was that Obama wants to create millions of jobs by saving the environment, and Clinton thinks energy and global warming will create millions of jobs.

Did they have an excuse why the Democratic majority has looked the other way while Bush continues to give our jobs away by making insane "free trade" agreements? No.

So just what has Trade Promotion Authority got to do with anything? The CNN commentary following the debate was probably more interesting than anything the candidates had to say.

A psycho-analyst talked about why all the guys grabbed the podium (they were nervous), and why Clinton wore feminine colors (she is a woman).

Immigration was totally ignored, except for one thing — Dodd and Richardson want to give universal health care to illegal aliens. The other candidates like Obama and Clinton lucked out because Anderson Cooper somehow forgot to make them answer the question (Ooops!). Cooper's dismissal of this question before the other candidates were required to answer is all the evidence I need to see that the entire debate was scripted. This is an excerpt from Part 2 of the transcript, SO GET YOUR BARF BAGS READY!

QUESTION: Hi, this is Lucia Ballie (ph) for a group of friends on the east side of L.A. And our question is: Does your health care plan cover undocumented workers? QUESTION: Thank you.

COOPER: Senator Dodd?

DODD: First of all, I hope all of us get a chance to comment on this issue. This is a huge issue that deserves the attention and every candidate here ought to have the chance to talk about health care. [snipped Dodd dodging the issue] COOPER: Would your plan cover undocumented workers?

DODD: It would. People who live in this country — children certainly would be covered. And I'm in support of the immigration policy here that requires them to contribute so that...

COOPER: So that's a yes?

DODD: If they're paying part of that thing, then they also get covered. Because, frankly, I don't want them contributing disease problems and health issues to the rest of the...

COOPER: Let's try to answer the question.

COOPER: Would your plan, Governor Richardson, cover undocumented workers?

RICHARDSON: Yes, it would. It should cover everybody. (APPLAUSE) In this country, no matter who you are, whether you're a ditch- digger, you're a teacher, you're a CEO, you're a waiter, you're a maid, every American deserves the right to the best possible quality health care.

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