Texas immigration bill has big exception

To their credit, Texas is trying to tackle illegal immigration by going after those who employ them. Which, considering the usual Republican plan, which is to criminilize brown folks in general, is pretty enlightened.

That said, there is a catch. The only employers who won’t get punished are those who hire undocumented maids, lawn guys and houseworkers in general. In short, rich people are immune from the law.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I get the logistics of it. Busting a lot of households in Texas gated communities is gonna take a lot of work. But come on! Make it a two tiered punishment system. If a big employer gets two years in jail and a $10k fine, make the guy with three maids, a gardener, and a pool guy from Guatemala do 100 hours of community service and a $2k fine. Or something. Anything.

Once again, we let the rich go. I’m sure businesses will keep employing illegals. Hell, my dad once worked at a shop in Texas that was half full of undocumented machinists owned by a Republican state legislator who was supposedly anti-immigrant. You know, except for the ones who worked for him.

The Vizzini Doctrine

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates warns against the future use of our military might in land wars in other parts of the world.

Now, he’s done a great job in his role. How Bush picked someone competent for a government job just amazes me, but I guess he had to after Rumsfeld.

I know he’s being serious here and wants to save American lives and treasure, but I just get giggly thinking about how much this sounds like The Princess Bride:

“You only think I guessed wrong! That’s what’s so funny! I switched glasses when your back was turned! Ha ha! You fool! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders – The most famous of which is ‘never get involved in a land war in Asia’ – but only slightly less well-known is this: “Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line”! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha… ” – Vizzini

Is Obama a Muslim? Birthers, bigots, and Boehner’s cowardice. – By William Saletan – Slate Magazine

Embracing bigotry to earn votes has been a Republican mantra for years. Yes, Democrats have been just as bad at it too, but ever since the Civil Rights era of the 1960s, the GOP has really been letting this go. I mean, Jesse Helms, Willie Horton ads, Trent Lott, David Duke, the state of Aryzona.

And now this whole “the President is a Kenyan, Muslin (sic) socialist” BS that the Republican leadership refuses to address, much less correct.

So, the party that demands to tell women what they can and cannot do with their bodies, that aired an ad the last election telling Latinos NOT to vote, that insists gay shouldn’t have the right to legally declare their love…they have a problem addressing racists?

Get real. You do it because a part of you believes that crap, or just hate that the President is a black man.

FLASHBACK: Gov. Walker Promised To End Late-Night Votes Because ‘Nothing Good Happens After Midnight’ | AlterNet

“I have two teenagers and I tell them that nothing good happens after midnight. That’s even more true in politics.”

– Scott Walker, Dictator of Cheeselandia

At least we agree on something. Walker ran on a promise not to have bills passed after 10 pm because nothing good can come from legislation passed that late.

He’s right. The Wisconsin Assembly voted to take the rights from public workers in that state at 1:17 AM this morning. Dear Leader might be a lying snake, but he knows the truth about bad legislation when he sees it.