-Ludicrous!-

Mitchell's attempt to hide position on Social Security for illegals is, well, "ludicrous" Scottsdale, AZ - At a candidate forum in Tempe over the weekend, liberal Democrat congressional candidate Harry Mitchell said it was "ludicrous" to think that he supports giving Social Security to illegal aliens. The only thing "ludicrous" is Harry Mitchell's pathetic attempt to mislead voters about his true position. Let's go through this again. In a "Dear Friend" letter on his congressional web site, Harry Mitchell wrote the following: "The Senate has already passed bi-partisan border security and immigration reform legislation that would be a critical first step to securing our border¦. "The House has two options: it can meet its responsibility to Border States by achieving a bi-partisan compromise, or it can use obstructionist tactics to derail this important legislation. "I call on the House to do what's right for Arizona, and pass this legislation." The bill passed by the Senate and to which Mitchell was referring is S. 2611, which would clearly give Social Security, Medicare, and other social services to illegal aliens. Consider: * Senator John Ensign offered an amendment to strip the Social Security provision from the bill. The amendment lost 50-49. The Senate knew exactly what it was doing in granting these benefits to illegals. * Here's a UPI headline from just before the vote on the Ensign amendment, "Senate votes Social Security for illegals," (May 19, 2006) and here's one from the Washington Times afterward, "Illegals granted Social Security; Senate refuses to strip out provision" (May 31, 2006). * The Congressional Budget Office recently did a cost estimate on S. 2611 and found that it would increase direct spending by almost $50 billion over the next ten years: $24.5 billion for earned income and child tax credits; $11.7 billion for Medicaid; $5.2 billion for Social Security; $3.7 billion for Medicare; and $2.4 billion for food stamps. Yet, Mitchell indignantly claimed, Ive never heard of such a thing, at the Tempe forum. Thats the most ludicrous thing Ive ever heard. "It is incredible that Harry Mitchell would try to mislead voters by claiming he doesn't support Social Security for illegal aliens when there is no doubt that is precisely what he has advocated," said Hayworth for Congress spokesman Brian Hummell. "Based on his past actions, he might try to claim he hasnt read the bill, like he did with his support of the alternative fuels fiasco. Regardless, the misleading description of his position is unacceptable to Arizonans. Mitchell's position in favor of Social Security for illegal aliens, and his other curious positions on Social Security, will be well known before this campaign is over."