Hillary Clinton Signs on to “Deport the Criminals First” (Updated)
[Guest post by DRJ]
It looks like Hillary Clinton has joined the Deport the Criminals First society but you won’t believe her version:
“Alice Hardcastle, 40, told Clinton that her 18-year daughter, Elace, was killed two years ago in “an automobile accident at the hands of a foreigner.”
“He didn’t get any kind of hard punishment which is OK with me now, it wasn’t then but it is now,” she said. “I want to know what your view is on the immigration.”
After expressing her thanks and sorrow, Clinton answered with the same five-point answer that virtually every advocate of “comprehensive immigration reform,” including all the Democratic frontrunners gives: A litany of tough-sounding measures, followed by a riff on the sheer impracticality of mass deportation, the safety value of forcing immigrants to “register,” and, quietly at the end, a plan for legalization.
The question was so raw, and the tough talk in Clinton’s answer seemed particularly fierce, particularly on the point of deporting illegal immigrant criminals.
“If they commiteed a crime…we have to deport them immediately, no questions asked, no legal process,” she said. “You put them on a plane to wherever they came from.”
Hardcastle said Clinton had told her what she wanted to hear. She said she agreed that mass deportation would simply be too expensive, and that her focus was on deporting those who “do bad things.” They hugged, and Clinton told Hardcastle that the mother’s decision to forgive the driver has “choked her up,” Hardcastle said.”
I’m not sure what to think of this anecdote. First, it is not what I expect from a Democrat, especially one with Hillary’s background who is committed to legal process. Second, I can’t find other reports of this incident except the Politico link.
Was this a real quote from Hillary Clinton? It’s so surprising that it almost seems like a joke but if it did happen, this is big news.
UPDATE 12/22/2007: Hillary’s questioner was identified as Alice Hardcastle and this event apparently occurred in Tipton IA. Mrs. Hardcastle’s discussion with Hillary concerned the death of her daughter, Elace Hardcastle, at the hands of a “foreigner.”
Here’s an article on the death of Elace Hardcastle. Elace died two years ago in Coral Gables FL where she apparently lived. She was one of several teenage passengers in a car that veered out of control due to high speed. The driver, a male teenager named Kristien Rodriguez, was apparently charged with recklessness in the death of Elace and his passengers but there’s nothing in the article or that I can find elsewhere that suggests Rodriguez was a legal or illegal immigrant. Of course, that’s not dispositive since his legal status may not have been an issue if the community is a sanctuary city, but it’s hard to see how Rodriguez’s status had anything to do with Elace’s death.
— DRJ
Merry Christmas, DRJ. I’m out of here.
[Thank you, Christoph, and Merry Christmas to you. — DRJ]
Christoph (92b8f7) — 12/21/2007 @ 4:01 pmThe Hillary quote from ABCNews’ political blog (among others):
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2007/12/quiz-talking-tu.html
[Steve – Thanks for the ABC link and the added context. — DRJ]
steve (c81f9b) — 12/21/2007 @ 4:05 pmIf you’re looking for someone to tell you what you want to hear, you can do a lot worse than Hillary.
Pablo (99243e) — 12/21/2007 @ 4:06 pm“If they commiteed a crime…we have to deport them immediately, no questions asked, no legal process,” she said. “You put them on a plane to wherever they came from.” (emphasis added by me)
Well, rendition does date back to the last Clinton administration …
SPQR (26be8b) — 12/21/2007 @ 4:14 pmWho says that? Where is she hearing that? Whose TV/radio shows?
Pablo (99243e) — 12/21/2007 @ 4:19 pmIs deportation not a legal process?
David Ehrenstein (4ce68d) — 12/21/2007 @ 4:21 pmWOW I’m so very moved by her words, I may have to reconsider voting for her!
NOT!!
Political pandering to the audience!
TC (1cf350) — 12/21/2007 @ 4:41 pmDavid E.,
First, deportation is a legal process but Hillary said “no legal process.” Does that mean they won’t even have a deportation hearing? If Bush said it, what would you say?
Second, many Democrats are upset that GTMO detainees don’t have Constitutional rights and are only entitled to military tribunals. Hillary’s analysis gives illegals that
DRJ (09f144) — 12/21/2007 @ 5:17 pmare charged withcommitted crimes even fewer rights than detainees. Again, what would you say if Bush did this?It depends on the meaning of “we,” “deport,” “them,” and “immediately.”
Perfect Sense (b6ec8c) — 12/21/2007 @ 5:23 pmWell then she’s simply full of shit.
NEXT!
David Ehrenstein (4ce68d) — 12/21/2007 @ 6:19 pmI suspect that Hillary’s definition of “process” is as flexible as her husband’s definition of “is” and “sex.”
Note that her “deport ’em” is premised on “if they committed a crime.” Well, “committed” according to whom? To a judge and jury? How about if appeals are still pending? Collateral attacks via habeas corpus?
Beldar (8e82bf) — 12/21/2007 @ 6:41 pmCool. If Hillary wins, I’m a’ gonna come to the US and rob me some banks. No legal process, just a free ticket home? Like I said, cool.
babyface ras (fc54bb) — 12/21/2007 @ 6:45 pmNow that Tancredo is gone, Hillary is filling the void.
The elephant is dead and needs to be buried before its rotting corpse spreads its disease. Why the good conservatives haven’t abandoned the rotting corpse and become independents by now is beyond reason. There is absolutely no need for two parties. You have one parasitic rat party and everyone else who should stand in the way of its agenda.
j curtis (8bcca6) — 12/21/2007 @ 8:43 pmj curtis,
Do you think she means it? I don’t know but my guess is she was engaging in hyperbole out of sympathy for a grieving mother. However, it was an ill-considered statement because I can’t imagine any Democrat would agree to deport someone without basic legal process. Even “heartless” Republicans won’t do that.
DRJ (09f144) — 12/21/2007 @ 8:55 pmWhile I suspect she did not mean what her words appear to say, the fact is that the Clinton’s have shown a propensity to stretch or break the law and so those words might well be exactly what she wanted to say. Either way, those words should make anyone very cautious about voting for Sen. Clinton. It is stunningly stupid to even come close to advocating the abolishment of due process.
Fritz (c54f6e) — 12/22/2007 @ 5:06 am“It is stunningly stupid to even come close to advocating the abolishment of due process.”
And those statements coming from “a world-class genius” and “the smartest woman in the room”. Imagine that. Her statements are so absurd that even David E. finally has to admit that Hillary is “full of shit”.
Got to love it. But I would bet that 99.99% of Dem voters will never hear about this statement because it will never be seen on the MSM.
Jay Curtis (8f6541) — 12/22/2007 @ 11:28 amParanoid much, Jay?
David Ehrenstein (4ce68d) — 12/22/2007 @ 11:36 amthe driver of this accident killed four people and injured three. he received a citation for 84mph in a 45 and paid a fine and 6 month suspended license. in florida, speeding is not reckless ( how ridiculous ) and he walked from the deaths. sad…..he has since received three additional speeding tickets and two third degree felony arrests for running a red light and almost colliding with a sheriff to which he then ran from them and was stopped and booked on evading and resisting arrest and again, got off scott free. how ridiculous again. he is not a foreigner though..he doesn’t work or attend any school but he is a “citizen” but not a contributing member to society whatsoever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
trapped in paradise (611ff1) — 2/1/2008 @ 9:01 amI believe that people have a right to come to the USA to become better people & to help their families. They shouldn’t come here to commit crimes though. We should deport people who commit crimes whether immigrants or not. You want to commit a crime, go somewhere else cause we don’t want you here. Eye for an eye all the way.
Barbara (3cc041) — 2/5/2008 @ 8:27 am