Today, Obama said, with Mexican President Calderon by his side,
“I want everyone, American and Mexican, to know my administration is taking a very close look at the Arizona law,” he said. “We’re examining any implications, especially for civil rights, because in the United States of America, no law-abiding person, be they an American citizen, a legal immigrant, or a visitor or tourist from Mexico, should ever be subject to suspicion simply because of what they look like.”
As everyone knows, the law Obama is referring to was passed by the duly elected Arizona state legislature and signed by its duly elected governor. And, as everyone knows, the law is opposed not because it won’t work as written, but because it will. It’s also relevant to note that according to polls, most Arizonans, as well as most Americans overall, approve of the law.
It’s clear where Obama stands now - outside the American political system, floating somewhere up in international airspace, criticizing laws he himself is bound to enforce as the head of the Executive Branch (the Az law is for the most part the same as federal law), based not on the will of the people or the law of the land but on what appears to be a close reading of Stuff White People Like.
You can no longer feign shock and dismay when Obama is accused of being not quite American.
Is the OP from some alternate universe where a state law, because it was “passed by the duly elected Arizona state legislature and signed by its duly elected governor”, cannot offend human rights?
No, it’s opposed because it is perceived as racist; motivated by racism, likely to be enforced in a racist fashion, and designed to aid and abet racism.
If by that you mean “not quite as much of a racist jerk as the average American”, good for him.
It is certainly possible for a stupid legislature to pass unconstitutional laws, as they won’t actually be struck down until it’s put in front of a judge. There is nothing unAmerican by being disapproving of a shit law.
There’d be more “shock” from me, if he had said it was fine and dandy. It’s got something to do with constitutionality of things, and racial/appearance profiling, due process, protection against unreasonable search n seizure, presumption of innocense, and a lot of other things you don’t seem to give a fuck about.
So, politicians should not express their opinions about any law that has already been passed? That will certainly make political discourse much less noisy.
Quite the opposite, actually. Had Obama just gone along with it and not expressed his opinion, I’d have wondered. As it is, I’d say this conclusively PROVES that he’s a real, red blooded American (not that I had any doubts, mind)! It’s the American way to complain and voice your opinion (founded or completely full of shit) about everything under the sun concerning America (or anything else), and ESPECIALLY about laws that you don’t agree with. It’s those pussies over in Europe-land who just go along with everything without a peep…
(I’m kidding about that last part, btw, for the humor impaired)
As everyone knows, the law Sarah Palin (insert Republican candidate of choice here) is referring to was passed by the duly elected American legislature and signed by its duly elected president.
You can no longer feign shock and dismay when Palin is accused of being not quite American.