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Friday, August 13, 2010

Revelation that should give Angle useful club against Reid. Plus Update from Reid

The issue of "birthright citizenship" — which would apparently require abolishing the 14th Amendment — is viewed on the left with horror and by many on the right as something of a pander, as talking about it can be a way of avoiding any practical measures.

But some believe that the 14th Amendment can be re-interpreted without being repealed. And in 1993, Harry Reid was apparently one of them — a revelation that should give Sharron Angle a useful club next time he calls her extreme.

From legislation he sponsored:

TITLE X — CITIZENSHIP 4 SEC. 1001. BASIS OF CITIZENSHIP CLARIFIED. In the exercise of its powers under section of the Fourteenth Article of Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the Congress has determined and hereby declares that any person born after the date of enactment of this title to a mother who is neither a citizen of the United States nor admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident, and which person is a national or citizen of another country of which either of his or her natural parents is a national or citizen, or is entitled upon application to become a national or citizen of such country, shall be considered as born subject to the jurisdiction of that foreign country and not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States within the meaning of section 1 of such Article and shall therefore not be a citizen of the United States or of any State solely by reason of physical presence within the United States at the moment of birth.

UPDATE: Reid's office notes that he's apologized:

April 2006: Reid Described “The Biggest Mistake I Ever Made” In Introducing Anti-Immigrant Legislation. In April 2006, Senator Reid went to the floor to respond to criticism of his immigration stance. He said, “I don't want this to be true confessions, but I want to relate to the Senate that the biggest mistake I ever made, the largest error I ever made was 15 or 18 years ago, as a Member of the U.S. Congress, when, with my chief of staff, my dear friend Reynaldo Martinez … A group of people came and talked to us and convinced us that the thing to do would be to close the borders between Mexico and the United States; in effect, stop people from coming across our borders to the United States … I introduced legislation. My little wife is 5 feet tall. We have been together for soon to be 50 years. As I said here on the floor a few days ago, her father was born in Russia. He was run out of Russia. His name was

Goldfarb, his family. They were Jewish. My wife heard that I had done this. She does not interfere with my legislation. Only when I ask her does she get involved in what I am doing. I didn't ask her about this. She, in effect, said: I can't believe that you have done it. But I had done it.” [Reid Floor Speech, 4/5/06]

Reid Described Backlash From Friends And Constituents In Nevada’s Hispanic Community:

“To compound this, I held a meeting a day or two after being confronted by my wife, a meeting in Las Vegas. It was a townhall meeting to explain this travesty that I called legislation. My friend, Judge John Mendoza, was there, somebody who, when I lost my Senate race in 1974 by 524 votes, spent all night with me consoling me, but he was in that audience. Larry Luna, Larry Mason, Isabelle Pfeiffer, people I had not talked to about this, in addition to my wife, pointed out the errors of my way. I have done everything since that meeting in Las Vegas, in conversation with my wife, to undo my embarrassment.” [Reid Floor Speech, 4/5/06]

Reid Called His Past Immigration Stance “The Low Point Of My Governmental Career,” Explained His Belief In The Need For Comprehensive Reform: “I have nothing against my friend, the junior Senator from Alabama, for bringing up what I had said those many years ago today on the Senate floor. I have no problem with that at all. But I do want to tell him and the rest of my friends in the Senate, that is a low point of my legislative career, the low point of my governmental career. That is why I believe we need comprehensive immigration reform today. People in America are counting on us to move forward with comprehensive immigration reform. They recognize that this country's national security depends on securing our borders and fixing our immigration system. They all want us to do this, Democrats and Republicans, to come together and do this.” [Reid Floor Speech, 4/5/06]  (Source POLITICO)

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