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Home Front: Culture Wars

Illegals OK'd to drive in N.Y.

2007-10-21

Gov. Eliot Spitzer's order to grant driver's licenses to illegal aliens in New York has enraged voters and Republican officials. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has started a major political fight over immigration by ordering state officials to issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens, prompting at least one county legislature to defy the executive order and pushing toward a showdown in court.

The embattled governor's order has drawn some acerbic commentary, including a cartoon showing Osama bin Laden as a New York City taxi driver. After spending months trying to deflect charges that he used state police to target the Republican leader of the state Senate, Mr. Spitzer appears eager for a fight over this contentious issue.

"The rabid right that wants to pile on and use this to demagogue the issue will not carry the day in New York state," he said recently. "Those who view this as a political issue once again are taking the state in the wrong direction."

As opposed to Elliott who views this as ... a political issue.

The driver's license issue has once again put the governor at odds with New Yorkers. When New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who inJune abandoned the Republican Party, criticized the order recently, the Democratic governor shot back that the mayor was "dead wrong, factually wrong, legally wrong, morally wrong, ethically wrong."

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani joined the list of opponents this week. "Governor Spitzer should not give licenses to illegals," he told the Republican Jewish Coalition on Tuesday. "It doesn't make sense."

Perhaps Elliott could explain why this makes sense?

The issue heated up late last week, when the Monroe County legislature defied the governor and ordered its county clerk to require anyone seeking a driver's license to provide a valid Social Security number. The decision runs counter to Mr. Spitzer's order, in which illegal aliens with valid foreign passports would be eligible to obtain a state driver's license. Again, Mr. Spitzer was defiant: "I hate to say it the clerks have to enforce it," he said. "The clerks who issue driver's licenses are agents of the state. They do not make state law on this. State government does."

In another move, 29 clerks, all but one a Republican, voted to oppose the plan, with 13 vowing to directly disobey the governor, even if ordered to comply. The clerks said their offices would be hard-pressed to determine the legality of applicants.

Posted by:Steve White

#11 TSA threatened same - dunno if a decision has been made

Posted by: Frank G 2007-10-21 19:03

#10 Frank G, have you seen anything from TSA about what they are going to do? The new law makes getting a drivers license in Georgia a real trial by fire, had to find my birth certificate and apply for a new Social Securtity card among other things. I agree, the New York drivers license should no longer fit the requirements for ID for air travel.

Posted by: RWV 2007-10-21 18:52

#9 Perhaps Elliott could explain why this makes sense?

Oh come on now, the reason is simple, MONEY,CASH, MOOLAH.

Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-10-21 14:36

#8 GOD DAMN it is a disease.. pernicious pandering politicians...

SHUT THE F'N BORDER and DEPORT ILLEGALS!

/caps rulzzz!

Posted by: Red Dawg 2007-10-21 13:57

#7 I'm confused here, that mean you get a licence to be illegal?

Posted by: rhodesiafever 2007-10-21 10:26

#6 Yep, #3. And AFAIK, Virginia fixed that....

(Far too late, but at least it's fixed.)

Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2007-10-21 09:25

#5 ....."seven of the 19 had Virginia drivers licenses, at least two had California licenses and two had New Jersey drivers licenses."

Anyone remember who this quote is referring to?

Posted by: Besoeker 2007-10-21 09:21

#4 "Steamroller" Spitzer was already a thug who makes Richard Nixon look like a Boy Scout, but this disaster is the last straw and his approval ratings reflect that. There are public interest groups in New York that are investigating the possibility of establishing recall elections to interdict the governor before he can do any further damage.

Posted by: Lonzo Glerens2226 2007-10-21 07:43

#3 NY ID should not be allowed to gain access to airlines flights. Shut em off. Then watch the pitchforks and torches. Spitzer's a dirtbag

Posted by: Frank G 2007-10-21 07:28

#2 The New York Times has a completely different take on this story, just skips over the issuing of ID's to illegals.
NM started doing the exact same thing quite some time ago. This didn't make the news.

Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-10-21 03:54

#1 "The clerks who issue driver's licenses are agents of the state. They do not make state law on this. State government does."

Law? You mean like aiding and abetting a crime, obstructing justice, and conspiracy? Just exactly what do the federal statutes say?

Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-10-21 00:45

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