Howard Dean says “illegal alien” is an “outrageous phrase”
posted at 12:33 pm on December 7, 2007 by Bryan
Share on Facebook | printer-friendly
Howard Dean is the gift that just keeps on giving. I hope there’s a recording of this call somewhere.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean yesterday said Republicans are targeting immigrants and told the Republican presidential candidates that the tone of their debates on the issue has become “outrageous.”
“Stop scapegoating immigrants and stop using immigration as a wedge issue,” Mr. Dean, a 2004 presidential hopeful, said in a conference call with reporters meant to set the stage for this weekend’s Republican presidential debate on Spanish-language network Univision.
Mr. Dean said that in the most recent debate, Republicans used “outrageous phrases like ‘illegal aliens.’ ” He urged the candidates to “have some morality and some humanity.”
Dr. Dean might think about developing some common sense. “Illegal alien” is not an “outrageous phrase.” It’s an accurate term of law.
The term illegal alien commonly refers to a foreign national who resides in another country unlawfully, either by entering that country at a place other than a designated port-of-entry or as result of the expiration of a non-immigrant visa. The important distinction is that this person intends to remain in the country indefinitely. A tourist who has the present intent to leave would be included as a legal alien described above. Today the preferred term by the politically correct is illegal immigrant because the word alien has become unpopular.
“Illegal alien” is far more accurate and far less outrageous than calling them “undocumented Americans.”
Also more outrageous than “illegal alien” is the conflation of law-abiding immigrants who respect our country enough to stay within the system, and those who don’t. Dean, most Democrats and the open borders Republicans do this routinely, and largely with impunity.
Most outrageous in all of this are politicians like Dean who openly advocate for millions of people who flout US law every single day. If anyone is turning illegal immigration into a wedge or racial issue, it’s demagogues like Howard Dean.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages:
Funny, since I’ve been making an effort to refer to them as illegal aliens instead of illegal immigrants.
MadisonConservative on December 7, 2007 at 12:34 PM
have the 2 major political parties had more incompetent leadership than they do today? I used to think mc-awful was bad but dean. lordy. And I’m not even sure who is running the rnc anymore.
lorien1973 on December 7, 2007 at 12:35 PM
He is such a pansy
Zorro on December 7, 2007 at 12:35 PM
I only wish Dean would get more air time – every time he opens his mouth he demonstrates the moral and intellectual vacuum on the Dumbocrat side.
peski on December 7, 2007 at 12:35 PM
He should know an outrageous phrase when he hears one; they’re his specialty, after all
AAAAAARRRRRGH!
Frozen Tex on December 7, 2007 at 12:36 PM
Like with most issues, if your argument is the losing argument, you say the other argument should be discounted/nullified.
MikeZero on December 7, 2007 at 12:37 PM
Looks like someone chewed through his restraints again…
Slublog on December 7, 2007 at 12:37 PM
And we’re going to Aguascalientes and Baja, Michoacán, Oaxaca and Nuevo León and Durango YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOWWWWW!
400lb Gorilla on December 7, 2007 at 12:37 PM
P.S. I love that picture; it looks like he just realized he stuck his hand in doggy-doo.
Frozen Tex on December 7, 2007 at 12:37 PM
Aw, that’s nice of them to let Dean out of the basement to get a little air. I was starting to think he’d disappeared.
CP on December 7, 2007 at 12:38 PM
Simply terrifying.
Big S on December 7, 2007 at 12:39 PM
The PC police have been disarmed and are no longer able to ban words from the language. Another lefty pillar falls. They are rotting from beneath.
JiangxiDad on December 7, 2007 at 12:39 PM
NEVER FORGET.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZWmL0CrkmY
MadisonConservative on December 7, 2007 at 12:42 PM
Legally, it is correct, but it is a rather dehumanizing term. “Undocumented Americans” is complete bullshit, obviously. “Illegal immigrant” is completely accurate and doesn’t have the weird dehumanizing aspect of “illegal alien.”
Mark Jaquith on December 7, 2007 at 12:42 PM
Speaking of Howard Dean, how soon will it be before Ron Paul gets too full of himself and ends up unhinged like Dean.
mram on December 7, 2007 at 12:44 PM
Wow, now he’s stealing material from Kucinich, who whines that “there aren’t any illegal human beings.”
Which makes me want to let myself into his house some day when he’s out of town (Syria, likely) and move in, seeing as I would just be an undocumented resident.
saint kansas on December 7, 2007 at 12:44 PM
No, because immigrants immigrated…immigration is a term that means exactly what it means, not what you want it to mean. However, you could get away with calling them ‘illegal migrants.’
James on December 7, 2007 at 12:49 PM
In the general this will be a huge headache for the liberals. Just watch, especially with Iran/Iraq not so much on the forefront.
I once participated in some feedback to Howard Dean, from here on HA – now I get all kinds of communiques from him. I’m so tempted each time to send him back a ‘nice’ ‘love’ note, but I keep controlling myself to get them coming.
Our government now calls them “undocumented immigrants”.
I’m a legal alien, and I feel fine.
Entelechy on December 7, 2007 at 12:50 PM
DEAN-O…God how I’ve missed him. Welcome back buddy, where have they been hiding you?
Did you ever notice that for Democrats ‘wedge’ issue equals, ‘things we believe in that voters hate’?
If only those mean Republicans (well some of them at least) would stop pointing out that Americans (the documented kind) actually disagree with Democrats on this issue things would be much fairer.
Drew on December 7, 2007 at 12:51 PM
I think “alien invaders” has a nice ring to it.
saint kansas on December 7, 2007 at 12:54 PM
The Republicans should give Deano a loudspeaker. Buy him airtime. Get him some rope. Anything to get him in front of America.
Griz on December 7, 2007 at 12:55 PM
dean’s just scared because he knows that if/when his party turns these illegals into citizens he’ll have a hard time making them democrats. how you ask?
because how the hell are you gonna convince someone who got ZERO government help that they need to pay taxes for increased social spending. for what its worth, most illegals just do their job, go home to their packed apartment sharing a room with 4 other dudes, and do it all again the next day. how do you convince them that they need food stamps??? or baby bonds??? or whatever socialist ideas dean and company come up with next
ernesto on December 7, 2007 at 12:55 PM
Okay, then how about “TAX SUCKER”…
right2bright on December 7, 2007 at 12:57 PM
Me thinks they smell the issue in October 08.
Limerick on December 7, 2007 at 12:57 PM
Illegal aliens is correct; funny that some would find the truth dehumanizing.
MarkB on December 7, 2007 at 1:00 PM
I’m actually an alien from Mars and I’m here illegally (shh…the government doesn’t know) and I’m no way offended the term “illegal alien.” However, I’m offended by the continually portrayal as green, big eyed monsters in the mass media, we’re actually violet.
terryannonline on December 7, 2007 at 1:01 PM
This reminds me of that bit in Bernie Goldberg’s Bias, where the CBS brass are wringing their hands over how to refer to a black Jamaican man accused of a horrible crime.
Turns out they went with “African-American” anyway to be PC, even though the guy was neither American nor African.
saint kansas on December 7, 2007 at 1:02 PM
So is he, but we quit complaining months ago. He has a big mouth and nothing sensible comes out of it. Typical tinfoil hatted leftist loon putting his hatred and bias on display for all to see.
sharinlite on December 7, 2007 at 1:02 PM
This deserved a “Friday Stupid” headline.
Dusty on December 7, 2007 at 1:03 PM
I could see Kucinich having a reasonable objection to the phrase “illegal aliens”, though.
Dusty on December 7, 2007 at 1:05 PM
When it comes to Howard Dean, every day is Stupid Day.
Frozen Tex on December 7, 2007 at 1:06 PM
Dean who??
.
GT on December 7, 2007 at 1:07 PM
AAAAAAARRRRGH!!!!
Frozen Tex on December 7, 2007 at 1:09 PM
If the democrats were smart they’d just lock Dean in a closet and never let him come back out
Defector01 on December 7, 2007 at 1:11 PM
Ha!
You know he introduced his “Space Preservation Act” at their personal request.
saint kansas on December 7, 2007 at 1:14 PM
Nope. That’s not an argument based on logic or reason, but on political correctness. And it’s inaccurate, as many illegal aliens have no intention of staying here and are therefore not immigrants in any sense of the word. They cross the border to commit crimes or to take advantage of services in the US.
By the way, your hero Guy Fawkes uses the term “illegal alien.” How dehumanizing.
Bryan on December 7, 2007 at 1:14 PM
I disagree. Its not like they’re being called illegal extraterrestrials. Definition of alien.
aengus on December 7, 2007 at 1:14 PM
Seems to me that happened months ago.
Hollowpoint on December 7, 2007 at 1:16 PM
This is classic, Orwellian Newspeak. An attempt to so destroy the language – that ideas cannot be expressed. This is political correctness in a nutshell: That the Party is able to dictate what is, and what is not, allowed to be spoken, or thought.
OhEssYouCowboys on December 7, 2007 at 1:16 PM
Howard Dean: AAAAAARRRGH!!!
Ron Paul: Eeeeeeeeek!
Frozen Tex on December 7, 2007 at 1:19 PM
Funny, a Canadian citizen friend’s “green card” clearly says “RESIDENT ALIEN” on it. I don’t hear any outrage and cries of “dehumanization” from the LEGAL resident alien community over this. Where’s the senate bill to have the wording changed from “resident alien” to “documented American?” That would be the correct opposing terminology to Reid’s “undocumented American,” right?
It sounds to me like they (Dean, Dems, especially Reid, and some Repubs as well) are trying to elevate the illegal alien to a status ABOVE legal resident aliens. They’re already giving them more rights than American citizens, with none of the responsibilities.
mojojojo on December 7, 2007 at 1:23 PM
Kane and Kodos could not be reached for comment
Kini on December 7, 2007 at 1:24 PM
People who object to the term object not only to the “alien” part, but also the “illegal” part. They believe it’s calling the person illegal rather than their action. And they can point to the facts that, say, a shoplifter isn’t called an “illegal consumer” and a sex criminal isn’t called an “illegal lover.” The lack of a neutral term for this act is rather unfortunate, since “undocumented American” also has two loaded (and inaccurate) words. “Illegal immigrant” is probably best, since it has only one. But it is telling that Dean couldn’t muster a phrase describing the issue at hand: People whose immigration occurred illegally.
Incidentally, people here might be amused to know that the first time I heard of Dean is when I saw fliers for him posted all around an office. A university bursar’s office.
calbear on December 7, 2007 at 1:28 PM
Kang and Kodos. I remember this because of the Asian waitress in Vegas who had the same name…my friends and I arrived from different parts of the country just a few hours ago, and immediately commenced the drinking. My drunk, punchdrunk, and jetlagged self suffered a nearly uncontrollable fit of giggling when I read her nametag.
James on December 7, 2007 at 1:36 PM
Howie should know, he’s from Venus, somebody needs to let him know his fly trap is open.
The Dems big, big criminal loving tent is showing again.
Speakup on December 7, 2007 at 1:37 PM
Oh, and Howie…it’s a multiple word term, not a phrase.
Term: Howard ‘The Scream’ Dean.
Phrase: “…and we’re going to go all the way to the White House…YEEEEAAAARRRGH!”
James on December 7, 2007 at 1:40 PM
“A wedge issue”?
What does he mean? Intended as a wedge between the Dems in Congress and the reality that 75% plus of the population feels exactly opposite on this issue than they do?
awake on December 7, 2007 at 1:41 PM
I agree. That’s why I always use the term “criminal invader”. Who says we can’t find common ground?
dostrick on December 7, 2007 at 1:46 PM
Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens, Illegal aliens Illegal aliens, and more Illegal aliens.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it Howie!
leanright on December 7, 2007 at 1:50 PM
The only thing that is outrageous is a self-appointed lexicographic lawgiver.
Sounds good to me. I could also suggest “law-breaking alien”.
In the mean time, let’s crank up some Genesis:
♫♪It’s no fun being an illegal alien♫♪
Bigfoot on December 7, 2007 at 1:54 PM
Why, so it does, and I will now be giggling through New Year’s Day. Thank you sir. *namasté*
inviolet on December 7, 2007 at 1:59 PM
That’s what I’m here for. Don’t thank me, thank Hot Air for allowing me to comment.
Frozen Tex on December 7, 2007 at 2:00 PM
Suppose the uncomfortable part of how “ALIEN” sounds comes only from the connotation of the movie ALIEN? How pathetic would that be?
BL@KBIRD on December 7, 2007 at 2:06 PM
Dean would like to call them an “uninvited guest”.
right2bright on December 7, 2007 at 2:09 PM
I AGREE!
Illegal Alien is an offensive term. I mean we did not refer to the Nazi’s that invaded other countries as “Illegal Aliens”.
The people that cross our borders illegally, with their governments urging them to do so, should be called what they are: Invaders.
Voidseeker on December 7, 2007 at 2:26 PM
You and I know what “alien” means in this context, but the word also means “strange” or “incomprehensible,” and I think that some people play on that in order to vilify illegal migrants. I’m not saying that it shouldn’t be used — I’m certainly no P.C. Nazi — just that Dean’s point isn’t completely off the wall.
The “November 5th” donation drive was not an official promotion of the Ron Paul campaign. It was a third party effort. Calling Dr. Paul “Guy Fawkes” attempts to equate him with a historical figure who is briefly referenced in a fictional movie which was associated with an unofficial money-raising event because of its sexy pro-liberty message. It’s quite a leap.
And I’m not in complete agreement with Paul’s position or tone on illegal migration. He’s close enough on the issue, and the issue is relatively low on the importance scale for me.
Mark Jaquith on December 7, 2007 at 2:27 PM
I lived in Vermont while Dean was Governor. The man is an a$$-clown, right to the bone. He could be a Gore clone because they share the same common core: I am right! I was always right, I will always be right, and anyone who disagrees with me is evil!
Honestly, Ron Paul has more credibility as president than Dean ever will, because whereas Ron Paul is just a drooling moron, Dean is a drooling moron with the added penalty of being supremely arrogant.
thejackal on December 7, 2007 at 2:35 PM
Those ‘righties’ at Wikipedia better get with PC.
Entelechy on December 7, 2007 at 2:37 PM
Unless you speak fluent Spanish they are incomprehensible. Mexico has different social traditions, laws, language hence an alien culture. This is not vilification just a statement of the facts.
aengus on December 7, 2007 at 2:42 PM
He also claimed that partial-birth abortion was a myth.
Hening on December 7, 2007 at 2:43 PM
Or, at the very least, not to be trusted as an analyst.
Frozen Tex on December 7, 2007 at 2:46 PM
Quite a shocka!
James on December 7, 2007 at 2:57 PM
The only thing outrageous is Howard Dean.
rplat on December 7, 2007 at 3:08 PM
Well put Bryan.
As for Dean, one of the many truths I’ve learned from Hot Air is that, as others have said, when Liberals lose the logical argument they routinely resort to demonizing their opposition.
So this is simply par for the course.
SouthernDem on December 7, 2007 at 3:23 PM
Rememeber, remember that the 5th of November is basically fueling Paul’s run these days. If Paul had a problem with the association between his campaign and the act of a terrorist, it was and is on him to make that clear. Thus far he has failed to do so, just as he has failed to chop out the various Truther and white supremacist cancers infecting his support base. But I’m not going to argue with you about Ron Paul. You like him, I think he’s a flake who is unfit to be president.
I will argue with you about language (briefly, since it’s pretty much a waste of time to argue here). You’re being politically correct. Alien is a legal term that applies in this case. Period. It’s not dehumanizing. Period. Your opinion is not fact.
Bryan on December 7, 2007 at 3:24 PM
So, what terms should the media use when an illegal alien kills, rapes, robs, or injures an American citizen?
Run afoul?
madmonkphotog on December 7, 2007 at 3:25 PM
How will this affect Sting’s “Englishman in New York” song?
My legal alien wife certainly doesn’t appreciate such conflation.
Jens on December 7, 2007 at 3:32 PM
Well, if anyone would know an outrageous phrase when they saw one… This POS has accused most Republicans of having never made an honest living and saying he “hates” them all, etc. etc and all in his official capacity as DNC chairman.
Yeah, it’s almost as bad as if one party spent 13 years making the case for a war, then 6 months in to the war, called the Commander in Chief a liar, prayed for chaos, and promised to surrender to the enemy, because without that issue that party stood no chance of winning.
RightWinged on December 7, 2007 at 4:07 PM
Or, a friend you haven’t met yet.
Or more precisely, a Democrat voter you haven’t registered yet.
saint kansas on December 7, 2007 at 4:16 PM
Spoken by “Mr. Outrageous’ himself. He was so much fun when he ran for President – GRRRRRRRRRRR! Everyone else is soooooo serious.
countywolf on December 7, 2007 at 4:51 PM
DNC Chairman Dean, now that is an outrageous phrase.
tarpon on December 7, 2007 at 5:01 PM
I’d be happy with using ‘non-citizen’ instead of the legally accurate ‘alien’, as long as he doesn’t forget to use the word ILLEGAL.
How about ‘ILLEGAL, TRESPASSING, DISRESPECTING non-citizen’?
Whenever the word ‘illegal’ is left out of the discussion, it is such a dead giveaway that the speaker is an outright apologist for illegal (fill-in-your-choice).
Set the stage my a$$. Univision, CNN, and 98% of ‘reporters’ have been active stagehands for the Democrats for years.
fred5678 on December 7, 2007 at 5:01 PM
Will someone call the DNC and tell them the dog got out again?
entagor on December 7, 2007 at 5:34 PM
What an insult to our fellow sentient beings from the Alpha (and perhaps Delta) Quadrant!
SouthernGent on December 7, 2007 at 6:13 PM
FOR OFFICIAL RELEASE:
Illegal aliens aka illegal immigrants shall henceforth be known as space invaders.
This new term is accurate. But more importantly, it’s cool. The only potential drawback is that it is so cool we may attract more
aliensspace invaders.The Race Card on December 7, 2007 at 6:32 PM
That was not meant to be directed at you aengus. I was going to reply to your comment, but I got bored with myself.
The Race Card on December 7, 2007 at 6:34 PM
Renaming the problem doesnt fix it. It only masks it and lets it get worse. Or is that too un-PC to say too?
El Guapo on December 7, 2007 at 7:37 PM
*insert scream here*
Ryan Gandy on December 7, 2007 at 9:10 PM
Yeah, no problem. I know what you meant.
One commenter near the start of this thread compared this foul situation to
. He was mostly correct except that in
the political class had the power to reduce and degrade the English dictionary into gibberish.
The PC crowd try all the time to distort and redefine words as meaning either something different or the opposite of what they mean and render all intelligent discourse as nonsensical. But they can’t ban the Oxford dictionary, just hope that it goes unread.
That is why precision of language is so crucially important. I’d advise everyone here to read the dictionary every day (even just for a few minutes at a time). As Arthur Scargill (a famous English socialist) once said “My father read the dictionary every day. He said his life depended on his ability to master words.”
Illegal alien is the correct term, philologically. The impetus to jettison this term is emotional and irrational (”strange”, “incomprehensible”, “scapegoating” etc.) Don’t fall for this trick.
aengus on December 7, 2007 at 10:25 PM
And why would anyone give a flying frick what Howard Dean says, thinks or believes anyway…
eanax on December 7, 2007 at 10:28 PM
Howard Dean = Lives to be outraged
eanax on December 7, 2007 at 10:28 PM
What does Dean not understand about the term Illegal or Immigrant?
Immigrant is a person who has been granted the right to established residence and or citizenship in a country other than that of their birth and agrees to be abide by its rules and be officially counted in its census.
Alien is a foreign body or person that is not an intricate part of its host body or country
Therefore, until a person is duly authorized to be in this country and counted as an immigrant they are alien. Thus, aliens are illegal and a threat to our security because we do not know their intentions.
Mr. Dean does nothing but show that P.C.(political correctness) is an illegal language that has convoluted the proper use of the English language.
MSGTAS on December 8, 2007 at 9:07 AM
I think Dean-boy would rather we drop the ‘illegal’ parts of both terms ‘illegal alien’ and ‘illegal immigrant’ so he and his pals, can intentionally confuse the illegal aliens with resident (legal) aliens and immigrants.
How many times have you been called ‘opposed to immigration’ while you are really ‘opposed to illegal aliens’? Countless!
CrazyFool on December 8, 2007 at 11:04 AM
Who cares about the verbal drivel of a complete moron anyway?
They ARE illegal immigrants and illegal aliens, and we want them O U T.
dogsoldier on December 8, 2007 at 3:44 PM
Hmmmm….well….HOWARD DEAN is an outrageous phrase.
BTW-I have encountered an automatic flushing toilet bowl that sounds just like Howard Dean’s yell when it is activated.
The False Dervish on December 8, 2007 at 7:30 PM
Outrageous is entering another country illegally and then making demands.
Tzetzes on December 8, 2007 at 7:34 PM
Hey Dean, you know why it’s a wedge issue?
‘Cause a whole lot of us don’t want illegals here!
Tzetzes on December 8, 2007 at 7:36 PM
Let’s just make Mexico the 51st state and get it over with.
Mojave Mark on December 8, 2007 at 8:34 PM
You mean, let’s just make California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas into the Mexico’s 32nd state.
Tzetzes on December 8, 2007 at 9:02 PM
(…Or, as they say on their license plates, Neuvo Mejico, Ooh Ess Ahh!)
Tzetzes on December 8, 2007 at 9:03 PM
I like wedge issues. We need more of them. I want to know who they are that like illegal aliens, want to tax me to death, who view my children as sex objects, believes government can cure everything, thinks that ex-cons should vote, and even though communism failed, still believe it will work in this country.
Wuptdo on December 9, 2007 at 12:01 PM
Give this moron a blood pressure pill.
Winebabe on December 10, 2007 at 10:29 AM
Comment pages: