Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
Appearing on CNN This Morning Thursday, liberal CNN contributor Bakari Sellers complained that it was "disgustingly brilliant" for Republicans to bus illegal immigrants to blue cities to draw attention to border security.
As a panel discussed the upcoming presidential debate to be televised on CNN, host Kasie Hunt pointed out that, when Republicans helped bus illegal immigrants to a number of large blue cities, drawing public complaints from prominent Democrats, that it was an effective strategy. Sellers complained:
Yeah, it's been one of the more disgusting, brilliant political ploys we've seen in recent history. It's one of the Atwater-esque type of political ploys. I mean, even in Shermichael's (Shermichael Singleton) elocution right there, you hear the fear that Republicans perpetuate when they're talking about immigration. I mean, that is their talking point, that is their theme, and it appears to be working decently.
He then repeatedly claimed that Republicans do not have a "policy" for dealing with border security even though they most certainly do:
I mean, per Harry's (Harry Enten) numbers and people talking about the issue of immigration, they don't talk about it from a perspective of policy, though. They only talk about it from the fact that migrants are "poisoning the blood of this country" or they're highlighting crimes that have been committed by illegal immigrants. And so they are perpetuating this fear.
Later on, he reiterated: "The problem that I have is that it's absent policy depth. And if Donald Trump gets on stage tonight and just invokes fear, that may or may not work. If he couples that with policy and some things he wants to do going forward, that may be a successful blow."
Alex Thompson of Axios also jumped in to agree that some are racially motivated on the immigration issue:
Well, Bakari, to your point, there are two reasons why this is turning out voters. One is because they feel that there are resources going to some of these people ... And then there's also -- there are also some people that really, you know, I think are motivated by some of this race-based rhetoric that you (Bakari Sellers) are talking about. And the thing is, is some of these appeals by Trump -- when you have these angry rallies -- where you're having people shout, "Send them back, send them back," is that going to turn off enough independents and enough people in the suburbs that maybe don't like or approve of Joe Biden's job, but are a little bit worried about ... (inaudible)?
Sellers further asserted:
I just want people to understand that the talking point that Republicans are used are -- they are using -- are rooted in fear, right? It is a fear that a lot of white Americans have of being replaced. And that is what you are seeing -- when you have that fear of being replaced -- when you have that fear of what is eventually happening -- which is the browning of this country -- you begin to see that become a political issue.
Transcript follows:
CNN This Morning
June 27, 2024
5:43 a.m. Eastern
KASIE HUNT: I mean, Bakari, I think you could argue that some of the tactics that border state governors have used to bring this crisis more front and center to voters in different states has been politically effective for their aims.
BAKARI SELLERS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Yeah, it's been one of the more disgusting, brilliant political ploys we've seen in recent history. It's one of the Atwater-esque type of political ploys. I mean, even in Shermichael's (Shermichael Singleton) elocution right there, you hear the fear that Republicans perpetuate when they're talking about immigration. I mean, that is their talking point, that is their theme, and it appears to be working decently.
I mean, per Harry's (Harry Enten) numbers and people talking about the issue of immigration, they don't talk about it from a perspective of policy, though. They only talk about it from the fact that migrants are "poisoning the blood of this country" or they're highlighting crimes that have been committed by illegal immigrants. And so they are perpetuating this fear. And when you look at -- I had to pull up where sanctuary cities are. You know, there are sanctuary cities in Kansas. But Governor Abbott's not dropping off any buses in Kansas, right? He's taking them to Chicago -- he's taking them to Baltimore -- he's taking them to these cities that are these big cities --
HUNT: New York City.
SELLERS: -- and utilizing them as a -- and New York City -- utilizing them to galvanize fear amongst individuals and drive a wedge between brown voters.
SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: But I wouldn't say that is fear, Bakari. I think that is attempting to get voters in other states -- mostly blue states -- to recognize what red states in the South have been dealing with for years now.
ALEX THOMPSON, AXIOS: Well, Bakari, to your point, there are two reasons why this is turning out voters. One is because they feel that there are resources going to some of these people that --
HUNT: Some of it's the economy.
THOMPSON: Well, yeah. And then there's also -- there are also some people that really, you know, I think are motivated by some of this race-based rhetoric that you (Bakari Sellers) are talking about. And the thing is, is some of these appeals by Trump -- when you have these angry rallies -- where you're having people shout, "Send them back, send them back," is that going to turn off enough independents and enough people in the suburbs that maybe don't like or approve of Joe Biden's job, but are a little bit worried about ... (inaudible)?
SELLERS: I mean, I agree with you, but I just want people to understand that the talking point that Republicans are used are -- they are using -- are rooted in fear, right? It is a fear that a lot of white Americans have of being replaced. And that is what you are seeing -- when you have that fear of being replaced -- when you have that fear of what is eventually happening -- which is the browning of this country -- you begin to see that become a political issue. The problem that I have is that it's absent policy depth. And if Donald Trump gets on stage tonight and just invokes fear, that may or may not work. If he couples that with policy and some things he wants to do going forward, that may be a successful blow.
HUNT: I mean, I think the challenge for Democrats is people -- a lot of people, when they think about Donald Trump, they think about "build the wall." They think, "Well, that makes sense to me" as a policy. And we're in a different place now than we were even, you know, four or eight years ago.
SELLERS: But only build it if Mexico is going to pay for it.
HUNT: There, that's the rub, okay.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
On Thursday's Fox & Friends First, co-host Carley Shimkus devoted a segment to shining light on some of the deadly consequences of Vice President Kamala Harris's history of being soft on crime as a prosecutor in San Francisco. Setting up a segment with Don Rosenberg of Advocates for Victims of Illegal Immigrant Crime, Shimkus recalled:
...she (Kamala Harris) is also facing questions about her record as a San Francisco district attorney. And one case that's bringing this into focus is the 2010 death of law student Drew Rosenberg. Now, Drew was hit and killed at a stoplight by an illegal immigrant driver who was arrested just months earlier for driving without a license and let back out on the streets after Harris's office dropped a charge against him. Drew's father wrote to Harris shortly after, saying he and his son actually supported her bid to become California's attorney general, and writing, "For my son Drew, it would be the last vote he ever placed. My son is dead because the DA did not believe that driving without a license is a big deal."
Rosenberg told the story of how his son Drew, when he was a law student in 2010, was in an accident with an illegal alien, Roberto Gallo, who made an illegal turn, and who then ran over Drew several times, killing him, while trying to flee the accident. Shimkus then recounted that, several months earlier, Gallo had been caught driving without a license, but Harris's office declined to prosecute him, which was in line with liberal policies to protect illegal immigrants by letting them break some laws:
So, Don, five months before this happened, this illegal immigrant was arrested for driving without a license. And as San Francisco district attorney, Kamala Harris's office dropped that charge. And some people might be wondering why, and it's political. If you -- it was seen as, if you charge an illegal immigrant for driving without a license, that's seen as anti-illegal immigrant, so this guy was let go.
Rosenberg surmised that, if Gallo had been fully prosecuted for driving without a license, his vehicle would have been impounded, which, in many cases, leads to the car being abandoned permanently by the owner.
Wrapping up, Shimkus also informed viewers that, after killing Rosenberg's son, Gallo was only held in prison for 43 days: "The other part of this that I do want to bring up before I let you go is that this illegal immigrant was charged with felony vehicular homicide, and then the charges were reduced, and he served just 43 days in jail. As a father, I cannot imagine how you handled that outcome as well."
Transcript follows:
Fox & Friends First
August 8, 2024
5:15 a.m. Eastern
CARLY SHIMKUS: Vice President Harris must answer to voters for her record as border czar, but she is also facing questions about her record as a San Francisco district attorney. And one case that's bringing this into focus is the 2010 death of law student Drew Rosenberg. Now, Drew was hit and killed at a stoplight by an illegal immigrant driver who was arrested just months earlier for driving without a license and let back out on the streets after Harris's office dropped a charge against him. Drew's father wrote to Harris shortly after, saying he and his son actually supported her bid to become California's attorney general, and writing, "For my son Drew, it would be the last vote he ever placed. My son is dead because the DA did not believe that driving without a license is a big deal."
Joining me now is Don Rosenberg, Drew's father and the president of Advocates for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime. Don, the details of what happened to your son and how his case was handled range from tragic to infuriating. I gave a brief summary, but, in your own words, tell us what happened.
DON ROSENBERG: Well, in November of 2010, my son was in law school. He was coming home that evening on his motorcycle riding through San Francisco's streets, so they were -- he was going very slowly -- a lot of traffic in rush hour. Gallo was going in the opposite -- Roberto Gallo, the illegal alien -- was going in the opposite direction. He tried to make a last-second left hand turn. My son was still in the intersection, and they collided. He was knocked out -- my son was barely moving -- he wasn't going very fast at the time either, but, instead of stopping -- had he stopped, my son would be alive.
They collided, my son flew over the front of his car, and then he tried to flee. So he accelerated driving up over my son's body. My son's helmet had come off, so he backed, and it wedged under Gallo's tire. He backed up, driving over him a second time, then went forward a third time. Another motorist had jumped out of his car, stood in front of Gallo's car. He stopped. Gallo's rear tire was on my son's abdomen, and five men had to lift the car off of him. He was dead on the scene.
SHIMKUS: So, Don, five months before this happened, this illegal immigrant was arrested for driving without a license. And as San Francisco district attorney, Kamala Harris's office dropped that charge. And some people might be wondering why, and it's political. If you -- it was seen as, if you charge an illegal immigrant for driving without a license, that's seen as anti-illegal immigrant, so this guy was let go. If that charge hadn't been dropped, would he still have been in jail at the time he killed your son?
ROSENBERG: He wouldn't have been in jail, but what would have happened, his car would have been impounded. It has to stay by law impounded for 30 days. You know, what I've learned after the fact is typically when illegal aliens' cars are impounded and they sit for 30 days, it costs them too much money to pay the fines and get the car out, so they just abandon it.
(...)
SHIMKUS: The other part of this that I do want to bring up before I let you go is that this illegal immigrant was charged with felony vehicular homicide, and then the charges were reduced, and he served just 43 days in jail. As a father, I cannot imagine how you handled that outcome as well. Really quick, final word to you on that.
ROSENBERG: Well, that's why for the past 13 years, I've been out with other victims, you know, trying to fight illegal immigration. Her office -- the DA's office at the time -- she was the DA -- they bungled the case massively. And I've come to believe now that it wasn't incompetence. They did it on purpose. Illegal aliens have become a protected class in this country, and, you know, as far back as 2010, San Francisco and California in general -- they were already protecting them.
