by: the Common Constitutionalist
We all, at least us conservatives, know Harry Reid is a despicable human being – assuming he is human. There seems to be no lie he won’t tell, no depth he won’t sink to in order to win, to smear us or belittle what we hold dear.
But has he always been this way? Well, you be the judge, as I present just one example of Harry Reid, then and now
As Mark Levin discussed Reid’s stance on immigration a few days ago, that seems like as good a topic as any to demonstrate Harry’s “growth”. It seems Dirty Harry’s position on this topic has “evolved” over the years. If he were a conservative or even a Republican in an election year, one would say he flip-flopped – but liberal Democrats don’t do that – they “evolve”.
In 1994 Senator Harry Reid penned an op-ed in the L.A. Times where he pushed to severely limit legal immigration and end illegal immigration. Yes, you read that right.
He wrote that, “Taxpayers simply cannot continue to sustain new populations the size of San Diego or the state of Nevada every year. California is sending up the red flag that Washington should heed. Unprecedented demands are being placed on job markets, schools, hospitals, police, social safety nets, infrastructure and natural resources. Unlimited new arrivals pressuring these systems threaten to overwhelm them.”
Well, since then, it seems California has ditched the red flag and has raised the white flag of surrender instead. Is there a flag that denotes suicide?
He continued: “Most politicians agree that illegal immigration should end. My legislation would double border patrols and accelerate the deportation process for criminals and illegal entrants. Opponents of immigration reform cry racism or point toward our historic role as a nation of immigrants. Charges of racial bias are unfounded… The real injustice to future Americans would be to do nothing. America is proud of its immigrant tradition. This tradition should be reconciled with our responsibility to create a better country in which to live. If we do not take responsible steps today, we will be forced to take radical and sadly preventable action only a decade from now.”
I’d vote for that guy! He gets it, or at least he did. Now let’s fast-forward to the dirty Harry of today.
This, from Reid’s own website: “Senator Reid is a longtime supporter of the Dream Act, which insures that young people brought to America through no fault of their own have a chance to legalize their immigration status… Senator Reid believes they should have the same shot at the American dream as any other child.”
Now how could he be a “long time” supporter of the Dream Act? It was just recently concocted. Oh that’s right. The low/no information folks who read this (providing they can read) won’t ever question it.
Also from Harry’s site – on immigration reform: “Senator Reid has been a champion for responsible, comprehensive immigration reform that strengthens our immigration laws and secures the border. He also believes we need to provide undocumented workers the opportunity to come out of the shadows, get right with the law and have the opportunity to earn citizenship.”
Okay, so what happened? Reid went from a reasonable public servant with a good plan to end illegal infiltration and curb legal immigration, to a political weasel who would likely allow in all comers.
Mark Levin claims that the reason is a demographic shift in Nevada and that he had to change his position or be gone. No doubt, this is true, but I think it goes beyond that. I think it’s even more a matter of insulation.
Like almost everyone else, he has succumbed to the corruption of Washington DC. The longer he remains in DC, the less he cares about the rest of the country. He doesn’t reside in Nevada. He lives at the Waldorf in Washington DC. He can no longer relate to those in his district or the rest of Nevada. And he’s not the only one. A lot of the old hacks that inhabit the House and Senate didn’t start out as rabid statists. Heck, Al Gore was pro-life when he started in Congress.
I don’t know of a single official that has spent 20 or more years in Washington and not sold his soul to the devil. That’s what happened to Dirty Harry.
Anyone for term limits?
