I wanted to make sure this didn't lost over the holiday weekend. Sarah did a nice job writing it up, but because a lot of people were fairly unplugged from politics and the news cycle over Labor Day, let's highlight it again. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- who very much remains an eminence grise and heavy-duty power-broker within her party, as evidenced by her central role in drumming their elected nominee out of the race this summer -- appeared on Bill Maher's HBO show on Friday night. The host asked her about a bill passed by her state's legislature to furnish taxpayer-funded home-buyer assistance to illegal immigrants. Yes, that's a real thing, described here in the Los Angeles Times:
The California Assembly gave final appoval Wednesday to a bill that could help undocumented immigrants in California buy homes, despite opposition from Republicans who said it would encourage more Mexican immigrants to cross the border illegally. Elon Musk went as far as posting on his social platform X that “half of Earth should move to California, given all the incentives to do so.” Assembly Bill 1840, which now goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, would allow undocumented immigrants to apply alongside other qualified applicants for the California Dream for All Shared Appreciation Loans program. The program offers no-interest loans of up to $150,000 to cover down payments and fees...Republican Assembly members argued Wednesday that the bill’s expansion would unfairly take away loans from U.S. citizens...Another argument made by Assemblymember Kate A. Sanchez (R-Rancho Santa Margarita) was that the program would encourage “more illegal, not legal, immigration into this state.”...Democrats countered that the program was intended to help all eligible first-time home buyers, including immigrants “in good standing.”
As an aside, this story was published by a major newspaper, with editors, and there's a glaring typo in the first sentence. It also focuses on Mexican illegal immigrants, which distorts the problem of illegal immigration -- and invokes Elon Musk, arguably as a signal to readers about the 'wrong' sorts of people opposing the legislation. Democrats who approved the measure say it merely helps all eligible first-time homebuyers, but the purpose of the bill is to erase distinctions between Americans (and people in America legally) and those who broke our laws and are unlawfully present. It makes illegal immigrants eligible for even more taxpayer largesse. California is such a one-party state that the margins were overwhelming, despite a handful of more centrist Democrats joining the GOP in opposition -- per Politico: "Democrats, who enjoy a supermajority in the statehouse, cleared the measure by a 25-14 margin in the Senate and 45-15 margin in the Assembly. Some moderate Democrats in the upper house joined Republicans in dissent." It's unclear how Gov. Gavin Newsom will handle the issue. In any case, Pelosi endorsed the concept of the bill on Maher's show, then went on to say the quiet part out loud:
This is a very useful clip. Listen to what she says, cutting through the disingenuous Reagan promotion. https://t.co/6k9npbnYMM
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 31, 2024
Her lengthy aside about Reagan is pure misdirection. They all hated Reagan, but quoting him on immigration -- which is not the same as illegal immigration -- is useful to them because it obscures the extremism of what they're now supporting. She's talking about a huge wealth transfer to illegal immigrants to reward them with taxpayer-aided homeownership, speaking as if they're just as entitled to it as anybody else. When Maher gently questions whether that makes sense for 'undocumented' immigrants, Pelosi shoots back that she wants to make them documented, to applause. They remain as committed as ever to mass amnesty. They don't oppose incentivizing additional waves of illegal immigration. They support it. The only thing holding them back is a fear of electoral consequence, which they hope to erase over time. Kamala Harris is a proof-of-concept case study on this front. If they can make her president, even after her disastrous tenure as Border Czar, they will be emboldened. On the houses-for-illegal-immigrants scheme, Pelosi boasts that "California is always in the lead," hoping that other states will move in the same direction. They see themselves as a model of governance, and they have one of their own within reach of the presidency. By the way, here's Pelosi smirking as Maher references her knife-wielding against Biden:
ZERO POKER FACE: Notice Nancy Pelosi’s smirk as Bill Maher needles her for making Joe Biden get out of the 2024 presidential race: pic.twitter.com/5ylheR35wx
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) August 31, 2024
I'll leave you with another immigration-related project of California Democrats:
In the name of “democracy,” California Democrats subverted the will of Huntington Beach voters this week by passing a state law that overrides a voter ID requirement they approved earlier this year...The measure cleared the State Assembly (57-16) on Tuesday and was previously passed by the state Senate (30-8) in May...Huntington Beach Measure A was proposed by the Huntington Beach City Council late last year and subsequently approved by voters during California’s March primary elections. The amendment to the city charter authorizes the local government to require electors provide identification in order to vote in municipal races. The measure is slated to take effect in 2026 and would also allow Huntington Beach officials to “provide more in-person voting locations” and “monitor ballot drop-boxes.” In an attempt to undermine the will Huntington Beach voters, the self-professed party of “democracy” leapt into action after the amendment’s passage.
Will the California model, embodied by Kamala Harris, prevail in November? Speaking of Harris, she's from California and spent a significant portion of her childhood in Canada. Why does she do this?
Kamala Harris speaking in Detroit earlier today vs Pittsburgh a few hours later.
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 2, 2024
Same speech. Two entirely different accents.
She's the fakest human being that has ever lived. pic.twitter.com/A7Nq7nHICJ
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