Democrat Kucinich Accuses Republican Huckabee of Ethnic Profiling for
Political Gain
Other Democrats silent
KEENE, N.H., Dec. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Democratic Presidential
candidate Dennis Kucinich today accused Republican candidate Mike Huckabee of
using the tragic assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto
to create anti-Pakistani fears in the U.S. and to advance his own
discriminatory immigration policies.
"I know I'm not running against Mike Huckabee," said Kucinich, who is
campaigning in New Hampshire, "but his remarks were so outrageous and so
representative of the scare tactics and fearmongering policies of the current
Republican administration that someone on the Democratic side of this campaign
needs to speak out."
Kucinich added, "To be silent would be the worst kind of betrayal of the
public trust that voters are being asked to invest in the Democratic
candidates. The other candidates may choose to focus on a narrower political
agenda, but Huckabee's statements are so egregiously provocative and dangerous
that they cannot be ignored."
In comments yesterday and today, Huckabee said the United States should "have
an immediate, very clear monitoring of our border, and particularly to make
sure, if there's any unusual activity of Pakistanis coming into the country."
When asked by reporters to expand on that statement, Huckabee replied, "When I
say single them out I'm making the observation that we have more Pakistani
illegals coming across our border than of all other nationalities except those
immediately south of the border. And in light of what's happening in Pakistan,
it ought to give us pause as to why are so many illegals coming across these
borders."
Huckabee then added fuel to the fire that he himself ignited by adding, "the
fact is the immigration issue is not so much about people coming across the
border to pick lettuce or make beds, it's about people who can come with a
shoulder fired missile and can do serious damage and harm us."
"Implying that Pakistani immigrants, visitors, and even Pakistani Americans
should be singled out as potential terrorists is the kind of unwarranted,
unconscionable ethnic profiling and ethnic baiting that is the hallmark of
Republican thinking - in foreign policy, in immigration policy, and in
so-called homeland security policy. No racial, ethnic, or religious group is
safe from their audacious affronts to human decency and their continued
assaults on Constitutional liberties and protections," Kucinich said.
Earlier today, Kucinich called into question the foreign policy records and
judgments of the other Democratic candidates for President:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-28-2007/0004728588&EDATE=
SOURCE Kucinich for President 2008
Andy Juniewicz of Kucinich for President 2008, +1-216- 409-8992
