Democrat Kucinich Accuses Republican Huckabee of Ethnic Profiling for Political Gain
The following is a press release from December 28, 2007, by Kucinich for President
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.
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