Some may recall Harry Reid stating that "Opposition to Obamacare is like opposition to ending slavery." Or "This war is lost." Or … why go on – too many cherries from which to pick. Now it’s the illegal alien kerfuffle that has the shameless Reid back-pedaling from delusion.
It has become painfully evident that Harry Reid, Democrat Majority Leader of the United States Senate, has striven mightily for demagoguery to serve as the cornerstone of his legacy. Due diligence has qualified it as his most significant achievement, but only by a razor-thin edge nearly too close to call.
An innate affinity for incendiary bombast narrowly noses out his abject disdain for his constituency, disparagement of our military, venomous retribution against any who oppose, and utter contempt for the Constitution. In the final analysis, it is indeed his documented history of arrogant disregard for honesty that today causes awe-inspired demagogues the world over to render him homage.
What is it that impels Harry Reid to such heights? Is it merely befuddlement brought about by his too-long immersion in a frenetic, fast-paced environment, or is it something else, something darker, more mean-spirited and petty?
Only God and Harry know the truth of it. Regardless of cause, Harry Reid is now known by a majority of Americans to be morally unsubstantial and more contemptible than any cinematic caricature of a reprehensible politician ever devised.
Reid and the illegals
In order for Harry Reid to continue his dutiful parroting of the Obama regime’s "Comprehensive Immigration Reform" (leftist code for Amnesty) as well as mollycoddling Nevada voters whilst at the same time vilifying Arizona SB 1070, he must repeatedly … ahem … lie suspend veracity. In his latest installment just this week, Reid refuted a 2009 Pew Hispanic Center report that indicated more than 17 percent of the nation’s construction work force was comprised of illegal aliens and that of 50 states, Nevada employed the highest percentage.
The episode was highlighted (with video clip) by the talented folks at I Hate the Media, from which the following is excerpted:
IHTM: Believe it or not, he told KLAS-TV reporter Nathan Baca that no illegal aliens are working in Nevada’s construction industry:
Baca: Why didn’t you allow for a vote?
Reid: That’s the reason we need to do comprehensive immigration reform. We cannot do it piecemeal.
Baca: You go to the unemployment office, though, and there’s many U.S. citizens who are unemployed construction workers and they don’t have specific jobs because, right now, some of those construction companies find it easier to hire undocumented workers.
Reid: I think that any information you have in that regard is absolutely without foundation.
Baca: We told Senator Reid of a Pew Hispanic Center study showing 17 percent of all construction workers are here illegally.
Reid: That may be someplace, but it’s not here in Nevada.
Baca: But their latest 2009 numbers show that Nevada is the state with the highest percentage of unauthorized immigrants in the labor force.
If only this was an isolated instance, Reid’s compulsive disingenuousness could be brushed aside as nothing more than a "verbal slip." If only …
Reid then and now
Americans are now, to their great remorse, aware of the demagogic Harry Reid. It would be interesting, however, to learn just how many Americans remember another version, the Harry Reid of 1993 when he advocated what is considered today by a vast majority of Americans to be justifiable policy buttressed by sound reason — but a policy now toxic to the Democrat Party base and therefore anathema to Reid and his statist ruling class.
According to documented research compiled by VDARE, Reid introduced the Immigration Stabilization Act (S.1351) which cracked down on illegal immigration, greatly reduced legal immigration, and ended birthright citizenship. He reintroduced a slightly watered-down version (e.g. did not deal with Birthright Citizenship and allowed an additional 35,000 legal immigrants) in 1994 as (S.1923). Reid was virtually alone in this fight. He wrangled only three and four cosponsors for the respective bills.
You read rightly. Read it again to let it soak in.
Reid’s idea of "comprehensive immigration reform" is quite different today than it was in 1993. In fact this year, Reid began circulating a detailed "Conceptual Proposal for Immigration Reform" around Capitol Hill. Night and day.
The differences could not be more striking — visit VDARE to read an item-by-item comparison between 1993 Reid and 2010 Reid. What happened to 1993 Harry Reid? VDARE also offers a detailed summation of his conversion to the dark side, but in its most essential form, Reid succumbed to the corrupting influences of power and privilege.
Harry Reid is now considered the archetypical leader of an elitist ruling class, a sleazy career politician that in another time long ago, he himself may have despised.
Hype and Chains for 108 more days.
Discussion
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