Bullying of Oakland mayor proves that politics pollutes truth
SAN DIEGO -- Free Libby!
The three amigos of immigration enforcement -- President Donald Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan -- are shamelessly vilifying Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.
That's odd. These bullies usually only terrorize lowly Mexican immigrants. The power dynamic shifts when they pick on a U.S. citizen and elected official with a soapbox.
The amigos are no match for Schaaf. Their accusations are false. Their arguments are full of holes. And now their lies have been exposed.
Besides, Schaaf knows how to fight back. When the amigos attacked her, she said out loud what many Americans have already figured out: Trump's immigration crackdown -- in California and across the country -- is driven not by a desire for border security or safe streets but by anti-Latino racism.
Same old story. If this were the late 1700s, and the purge were being led by Benjamin Franklin, the target would be German immigrants -- including perhaps some named "Trump." Now, it's the Mexicans' turn to be picked on.
Schaaf knows the script, which is why the administration needs to keep her quiet by trying to push her around. The Justice Department claims to be investigating her, and the amigos accuse her of aiding and abetting illegal immigrants to elude federal agents in the lead up to a recent raid in Oakland.
All Schaaf did was alert the public, on Feb. 24, of an impending four-day operation by the federal government in her city -- dubbed "Operation Keep Safe" -- that she feared would cause chaos for residents. She posted the warning on Twitter.
Heavens, I do hope she can avoid the electric chair.
Conservatives -- whose passion about immigration often far exceeds their knowledge of the topic -- compare Schaaf to someone who drove the getaway car for a bank robbery. The digital media site HotAir.com said she "gang-signals illegals."
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