"Mass Deportation"

While it is rare for Espresso Pundit to wade in on the CD-5 race, when he does, I must admit, he always has something interesting to say. Today's post is no different:

If I say it enough, will you believe it's True?

Harry Mitchell's proposal for an "open border" with Mexico is unrealistic
and should be not even be considered in the Congress. An "open border" is
not a solution, it is an abdication of the federal government's fundamental
responsibility to secure our borders. [Source: Associated Press June 26,
2006]

Wow, I didn't know that Harry Mitchell had proposed an "open border."
That's crazy.

Actually, it is crazy because, like, you know, made it up.

But it looks impressive doesn't it? I mean, I have "open border"
in quotes to make it look like I'm actually quoting something. And I have
a source at the end that makes it looks like there is a real place in which
Harry Mitchell proposed an "open border."

It's probably not fair for me to simply make stuff like this up.
But hey, turnabout is fair play.

Check out this tidbit about J.D. Hayworth from Harry Mitchell's
website.

He has also said he would not rule out possibility forcing the "mass
deportation" of 12 million people. [Source: The Arizona Republic, Sept. 1, 2005;
"Whatever It Takes," by J.D. Hayworth and Joseph J. Eule]

Does Hayworth ever use the words "mass deportation?" Of course
not. Harry just made it up. But the source looks really good.
After all, Harry points to the Arizona Republic and Hayworth's own book.
The fact that those sources don't discuss "mass deportation" is beside the
point. At least it's beside the point to Harry.

As evidenced by the first part of his blog, Espresso Pundit clearly demonstrates that words can be twisted in politics to convey different meanings. He concedes it's not fair to make stuff up, and I agree. It's dirty politics to put words in your opponents mouth or to twist things to your advantage.

And then came the surprising part of the post, a clip from a 7/6/06 Mitchell press release. According to Espresso Pundit, it is dirty politics that Harry Mitchell is now playing. Implying that J.D. Hayworth advocated the "mass deportation" of 12 million people when he really has not, is dirty. No doubt about that.

Where I had doubt was when Espresso Pundit said Hayworth never said such a thing, in his book or the Arizona Republic article attributed. I spent about forty minutes in Borders on Mill reading Hayworth's book, while waiting for a band to perform on the second level. No where in the book did I read that Hayworth wanted to deport 12 million people. Then again, I only got about a fifth of the way through it and by that time I was bored and disgusted.

So, I looked up the AZ Republic article in question. And there it was:

Though Hayworth took note of what his constituents thought of mass
deportation and said he wouldn't rule it out, he imagined public
relations fiasco with images of children being pulled from schools and families from their homes, much like the images of Jewish settlers withdrawing from the Gaza Strip last month.

It clearly states, right there, that Hayworth did not rule out mass deportation. Which is exactly what the Mitchell press release states. The article seems to imply that Hayworth's constituents where what brought mass deportation up. Those were their words and Hayworth took those words and refused to dismiss the idea.

That's what makes Espresso Pundit's post misleading. Those words used by Harry weren't twisted. There was no turnabout.