Informed Comment: Visiting Liberty Street (Occupy Wall Street).

Faith in Public Life: Tom Tancredo attacks Rick Perry over immigrants and Muslims.

Smart Politics: Rick Perry, cliché king.

P3: Defenders of freedom.

Guest post by Batocchio. Email tips to mbru AT crooksandliars DOT com.

The hits keep coming in for Arizona's Tancredo/Buchanan bill. The Mayor of Phoenix is no fan of this legislation and said this on Friday:

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon says seniors, kids and out-of-staters should be wary of the Arizona immigration bill signed into law this past week -- warning that it puts them at risk of being arrested.

The law makes illegal immigration a state crime. It gives police the authority to question people about their immigration status and arrest those who cannot show documentation to establish their legal residency.

Gordon, a staunch opponent of the state law, said that means anyone who doesn't carry an Arizona license -- children under 16, seniors who don't drive and people from out of state -- could be "at risk of being arrested and turned over to (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)."

"It tramples civil rights," Gordon told Fox News on Sunday. "Now everyone has to show and prove that they're a legal resident or citizen." The mayor of Arizona's largest city is at odds with Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, who signed the bill Friday and described the legislation as her state's answer to "decades of inaction and misguided policy" in Washington.

If I thought like Sarah Palin I might say that Arizona was more interested in 'Arresting Grandma' than solving the real immigration problem. Gordon makes good points on FOX because he's talking about demographics in our society that will be out at risk. The elderly are always caught up on the down side of an issue when there are massive changes to laws like this.

Bill Hemmer does his FOX News best by quoting the odious Sheriff Arpaio, who says more people will come to Arizona because the state has become safer. Gordon smacked him around by saying that Arpaio is only making up his own statistics and noted that he's actually under criminal investigation for civil rights violations. Sheriff Arpaio is one of those trusted FOX News sources. I should also include that most of the MSM uses Boss Tweed all the time. And there are plenty of reports in the news now saying that Arizona businesses are very afraid that this law will drive business away.

"Our members are concerned," said Debbie Johnson, president and CEO of the Arizona Hotel & Lodging Association, which represents hundreds of hotels, bed and breakfasts and resorts in the state.

"They're hearing from a lot of folks who visit and they're obviously concerned with where this is playing out."

On April 28th he told CNN that he's going to sue Arizona's bill:

Mayor Phil Gordon's planned lawsuit contends Arizona's recently passed immigration law is too vague and unenforceable.

The police will enforce it just fine. I bet taser sales go through the roof and I bet that's one convention that won't be cancelled.

Damn straight. While Jim DeMint is lauding the disgusting, bigoted teabaggers getting their hate on:

Republican Senator Jim DeMint tweeted that he was "grateful for the thousands of patriots who are storming the Capitol today protesting government healthcare and defending freedom." The tweet came at around the same time the racist and homophobic comments above were reported.

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH17) went on the House floor and soundly denounced the teabaggers and their full bigoted, homophobic, hate-filled display on Saturday.

Now I think it's time for all those congresspeople feeding into this frenzy to step in and denounce hate. Bachmann? Tancredo? Demint? Boehner? Pence? Foxx? King? Come forward now, and denounce the scary result of your fear-mongering.

[Poster by Favianna Rodriguez for Presente.]

The Right is throwing every little bit of ugliness they can at Sonia Sotomayor in hopes of derailing her nomination to the Supreme Court.

They've called her a racist. They've compared the National Council of La Raza to the Ku Klux Klan. They've called her a "lightweight" and "anti-white." They've suggested she lacks the right temperament, since she's just another stereotypical hot-blooded Latina. They've even suggested she's unfit to be a judge because she menstruates.

OK, we get it, fellas. The kid gloves are off.

Presente has organized a grassroots campaign to let ordinary citizens send the following message to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

We are outraged by the smear campaign against Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Instead of discussing her record, right-wing activists have sought to question Sotomayor’s intelligence and temperament, and suggested that her racial identity will prevent her from ruling fairly. This thinly veiled racism and sexism is not only insulting to Sotomayor, it's an affront to anyone who believes that a nominee should be judged on her record, not her heritage or skin tone.

The reality is that Sotomayor is an accomplished judge who would start with more federal judicial experience than any Supreme Court justice in 100 years. In her more than 3,000 panel decisions and almost 400 opinions, she has consistently protected the rights of working Americans and become one of the nation’s most respected legal minds. Sotomayor is not only a superbly qualified nominee; she is a powerful example of the American dream and knows how the law affects the daily lives of Americans.

I stand with Judge Sotomayor, and urge the Senate Judiciary Committee to give her nomination a speedy hearing and a positive confirmation.

Go here to sign it.

Thought Crimes: This is how bad it is, and this is what a "perfeshunul jernelust" said 

Mondoweiss: Gambling With Conflict: How a neocon casino king from California funds the Israeli settler movement

The Washington Independent: Remember the Tancredo/ Buchanan aide who karate chopped a black woman and called her a "n*gger?"  Unsurprisingly, he also blogs at Clownhall! (h/t reader RepackRider)

Democurmudgeon: You're Fired! County GOP Chief's criticism of Limbaugh doesn't "represent the views of most members"

Where’s the Outrage?: Serious Healthcare Reform -Starting From Scratch

PERRspectives: Cheney and the asterisk Republicans

By now, I'm sure you've seen the footage of Tancredo calling the National Council of La Raza a "Latino KKK." The most recent Republican Presidential nominee, John McCain, should denounce these comments. After all, McCain keynoted NCLR's 2004 conference, and addressed their 2008 convention:

Mel Martinez should join Senator McCain in denouncing Tancredo. Less than three months ago, Martinez prominently accepted a Capital Award from NCLR in recognition of his "outstanding support of public policies that are vital to Hispanic Americans." In his acceptance speech, Martinez asked the crowd to pressure Obama for bolder action on immigration reform:

“We have got to come to an understanding” on immigration, Martinez implored recently at the National Council of La Raza’s gala, where he and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) were honored for their work on behalf of Hispanics. “Comprehensive immigration reform has got to be back on the top of the agenda,” Martinez said. “It’s the right thing to do.”

from Manila Ryce at The Largest Minority, full version here.

If you have a YouTube/Google Video/etc. that advocates your own personal opinion on an issue of the day, feel free to email the link to bluegalsblog@gmail.com, subject line "open thread submission." Keep your video to less than three and a half minutes.

I don't have to agree with your video to post it, and videos are not necessarily the opinion of anyone here at Crooks and Liars. We're looking for clever, well-argued points of view with video talent thrown in. The video must be your creation, and nothing more than three and a half minutes will be considered. And if it's a pro-Tom Tancredo video, I won't run it no matter how short it is.

Videos not posted on an open thread may be used at a blog round up or I may steal them with attribution for my own blog...my point is, if you're good, I'll try to get you noticed.

Open thread below....

This is from last week, but I wanted to post it anyway. Cooper only needed to turn to C&L for his answer. Tom Tancredo went on Anderson Cooper and denied he said what he said:

“Well, what if you said something like — if this happens in the United States, and we determine that it is the result of extremist, fundamentalist Muslims, you know, you could take out their holy sites,” Tancredo answered. “You’re talking about bombing Mecca,” Campbell said.

“Yeah,” Tancredo responded.

Download | play

Cooper 360

LEKOVIC:...Congressman Tancredo is the same man who a few years ago said that we should consider taking out Mecca in order to send a message to the terrorists. So...

TANCREDO: Whoa -- that is absolutely...

Continue reading »

Rep. Tom Tancredo held fast to his recent statements about Miami on Hannity and Colmes Friday night. He called it a "Third World"country"---stood by that statement and admitted that Jeb Bush called him a "nut."---snap!

Download | play -WMP Download | play -QT

Rove won't let him step foot inside the White House either.

Third World T tried to give a speech at Michigan State U. about immigration, but protesters disrupted his stay there. Here's a few of Tom's friends that have helped support him.: "

Congressman addresses hate group"

I was in Miami a few years ago. Kinda looked like America to me. Let's hope he wins the GOP's nomination in '08.

...pointed to Miami as an example of how ''the nature of America can be changed by uncontrolled immigration,'' the story says ''Look at what has happened to Miami,'' the WorldNetDaily quotes Tancredo as saying in an interview. ``It has become a Third World country. You just pick it up and take it and move it someplace. You would never know you're in the United States of America. You would certainly say you're in a Third World country.''

(h/t James)