Talking Points Memo picks up on comments that Republican congressional candidate Gabrielle Saucedo Mercer, who hopes to unseat Congressman Raul Grijalva, made about people from the Middle East. Nick R. Martin reports:
In an interview with a conservative website earlier this year, Saucedo Mercer talked in depth about her views on immigration. A Mexican immigrant herself who became a U.S. citizen, she said the issue was important because people from places other than Mexico were among those coming across the border illegally.
“That includes Chinese, Middle Easterners,” she said. “If you know Middle Easterners, a lot of them, they look Mexican or they look, you know, like a lot of people in South America, dark skin, dark hair, brown eyes. And they mix. They mix in.
“And those people, their only goal in life is to, to cause harm to the United States. So why do we want them here, either legally or illegally? When they come across the border, besides the trash that they leave behind, the drug smuggling, the killings, the beheadings. I mean, you are seeing stuff. It’s a war out there.”
Grijalva follows up with a press release:
Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva today denounced Tea Party congressional candidate Gabriela Saucedo Mercer’s recently uncovered interview in which she says Middle Easterners’ “only goal in life is to cause harm to the United States. So why do we want them here, either legally or illegally?”
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, Secretary of State Ken Bennett and multiple other Republican party officials have endorsed Mercer. A full list is available at her Web site.
“This is reckless hate speech, and I call on everyone who has endorsed Gabriela Mercer to withdraw their support immediately,” Rep. Grijalva said. “This is not a he-said, she-said question of interpretation. Her comments are reprehensible and deserve condemnation from every quarter. Anyone who continues to support her campaign should be asked whether they want someone with her views in Congress.”
“I am disappointed in Gabriela Saucedo Mercer’s decision to inject division and fear into the election in Arizona’s Third District,” said Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim American elected to Congress. “America was founded on the fundamental belief in liberty in justice for ALL, regardless of race, religion, nationality, or background. My good friend, Congressman Raúl Grijalva, shares an inclusive vision for America and I urge voters to support him.”
Excerpts of the relevant interview are viewable at here. A partial transcript of Mercer’s comments is below. The full videos from which the highlights were pulled are at here (Part 1) and here (Part 2). To see the portions from the highlight reel, refer approximately to the 8:00 and 10:30 marks of Part 1.
Transcript:
“If you know Middle Easterners, a lot of them, they look Mexican or they look, you know, like a lot of people in South America: dark skin, dark hair, brown eyes. And they mix. They mix in. And those people, their only, their only goal in life is to, to cause harm to the United States. So why do we want them here, either legally or illegally? . . . They have found prayer rugs. They have found copies of the Koran. So that tells you this is not just poor illegals that are trying to come to this country and find work. It’s bigger than that.”
This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2012.
I have made a donation to No More Deaths in honor of Gabriela and her whacky views, and invite you to do the same:
http://www.nomoredeaths.org/Donations/
Sorry, but she spoke the truth – hard as it is to hear. I applaud her HONESTY and will certainly vote FOR HER – as opposed to the “illegals best friend” Grijalva. You Sir, should be ashamed of yourself – go back to Mexico.
Guiseppe-
Why do you assume Grijalva is from Mexico?
He’s not, actually. I’m sure that your assumption has nothing what so ever to do with race, right?
Yes, but Guiseppe has some issues with race, being a poster with an Italian moniker insisting that he’s Latino in other posts where his racism is pointed out as if his alleged origins excuse his opinions. Causal readers should take note of this fact and draw their own conclusions.
Does this include jews? They are also middle easterners.
It looks to me from perusing these numbers that racism is all this execrable republican has to work with:
U.S. Congress, District 3: Democrats (147 of 189 precincts reporting)
Raul Grijalva: 19,092 (66.2 percent)
Amanda Aguirre: 7,125 (24.7 percent)
Manny Arreguin: 2,534 (8.8 percent)
Total: 28751
U.S. Congress, District 3: Republicans (147 of 189 precincts reporting)
Gabby Saucedo Mercer: 9,424 (63.7 percent)
Jaime Vasquez: 5,227 (35.3 percent)
Total: 14651 (deluded souls)…
I would love to see the crime statistics backing her statements. Me thinks people of her race commit far more violent crimes than the “Middle Easterners” she is actively campaigning against. Let’s keep it real.
Gabrielle Saucedo Mercer’s comments are all about fundraising from the whack wallet base in Arizona. Funds raised are then converted to tv ads in expectation that swing voters will be persuaded to vote for her. Jan Brewer’s handlers are best at this.
Easy to see why the Republicans like her…She has a Palin-esque quality to her blathering, and her looks, but with an hispanic surname to prove that she can’t be racist. I’m expecting more entertainment value from her as the real election approaches.
I think people here are missing the point. History. The Moors (Middle Easterners) went to Spain. The Spanish went to Mexico. Travelling in a foreign Country, my daughter showed some pictures of her school friends and the people thought they were ARAB girls and boys. On the Radio, I heard that TERRORIST were learning Spanish, so they could come to Mexico, blend in and sneak across OUR Border. WAKE UP, this is not RACIST. There are many wonderful Middle Eastern people who are our neighbors, join Cub Scouts, Baseball Teams, we do business with They are not TERRORIST. She was referring to the TERRORIST who want to do harm to YOU. Do you want another 911 in your backyard? Do you not watch any TV? Are you wearing blinders?
In light of events this week, even the slickest of bigots such as Gabrielle Saucedo Mercer, ends up looking dumb, actually being dumb. And murderously dangerous. That’s their right.
Grijalva wouldn’t make a pimple on Mercer’s gluteous maximus when it comes to being a patriot. He is the biggest traitor in our govt. and that says a lot!!! He was responsible for securing leglislation from other traitorous and socialist congress members to send millions of $ to the Taliban for medical purposes. Allowing many of their wounded to get back in the field to kill American soldiers.
It’s also rumored that Grijalva has been on the take, getting funds from South of the border (Mex. Cartel???) to push thru legislation favoring the cartels and their drug trafficking ie; a bill he proposed to make lands along the border near Nogales, Az. a wetlands which would keep law enforcement from patrolling, but allowing the cartel to use them without fear of LE interference. RAUL GRIJALVA IS A TRUE TRAITOR AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH.