Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Hotter than Carol Marin: McSweeney and Bean, a virtual debate

Jeff Berkowitz: You favor a wall going across the southern border of the United States?

David McSweeney: I don’t think that’s practical. What I think is practical, in the House bill, is in some of the urban areas to have walls, but certainly not across the entire border.
*************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: You think you can seal our borders?

David McSweeney: I think we can improve our border security.
*********************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think Congresswoman Melissa Bean disagrees with what you just said, on immigration.

David McSweeney: Well, this is another classic example. Melissa Bean voted for the House bill, back in December, that improved border security. But, a few minutes before, she voted to kill it. The motion to recommit. Remember John Kerry? “I voted for it, before I voted against it.”
**************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: ...[Democratic] Senator Barack Obama. Is he somebody who you think helps or hurts you when he comes into the 8th Congressional District?
*******************************************************
"Public Affairs," is featuring David McSweeney [R-Barrington Hills] Republican Nominee for Congress in the 8th Cong. District, this week in 35 Chicago Metro suburbs on Comcast Cable; this coming Monday night through-out the City of Chicago; And, on your computer, right now. [See here].

For more about the show and the 8th Cong. District race, See here.

A partial transcript of the show with 8th Cong. Dist. Republican nominee is included, below.
*****************************************************************
In 25 North Shore, North and Northwest suburbs, the show is airing tonight in its regular Tuesday night time slot: 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 19 or 35, as indicated, below.

In 10 North Shore suburbs, the show airs in its regular airing slot at 8:30 pm this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Comcast Cable Ch. 19, as indicated, below.

The show with 8th CD Republican nominee David McSweeney is also available as a video podcast currently at the Public Affairs Cinema Complex, along with twenty other shows, which are currently airing there[See here]. The show with David McSweeney will also air throughout the City of Chicago this coming Monday night, April 10 at 8:30 pm on CANTV, Cable Ch. 21.
******************************************************
David McSweeney, the 8th Cong. Dist. Republican nominee, who is taking on Melissa Bean, first term Congresswoman [D-Barrington, 8th CD], discusses with Show Host and Executive Legal Recruiter Jeff Berkowitz more than a dozen domestic and foreign public policy issues, and along the way "debates the issues with Cong. Bean," with Berkowitz articulating some of the positions of Cong. Bean and asking McSweeney to respond.
*********************************************
The episode of Public Affairs, featuring 8th CD Republican nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills],airs tonight:

at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northfield, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette

And at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

and this Wednesday and Friday night at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Channel 19 in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Ft. Sheridan, Glencoe, Highland Park, Highwood, Kenilworth, Lincolnshire, Riverwoods and Winnetka.
*************************************************************
Jeff Berkowitz: Immigration seems to be a key issue of the day. Now, you don’t go along completely with President Bush in terms of his apparent proposal for a guest worker program.

David McSweeney[R-Barrington Hills, 8th CD nominee]: No, I oppose a guest worker program. I think it’s effectively amnesty. What we need to do is -

Jeff Berkowitz: You would not have a path to citizenship for the twelve million people who are in this country right now-

David McSweeney: No.

Jeff Berkowitz: Twelve million illegal immigrants.

David McSweeney[R-Barrington]: No, Jeff, because all that they’re doing is cutting in line in front of people who want to come in this country legally. Let me make myself clear. I am a BIG supporter of LEGAL immigration. We are a nation of immigrants. But, we need to enforce our borders. Remember what happened on September 11th. Nineteen terrorists with box-cutters. Not only our borders with Mexico, but our borders with Canada.

Jeff Berkowitz: On September 11th, those folks didn’t come in from Mexico. They weren’t illegal immigrants.

David McSweeney: In the future, right now, it’s not only the ports that they’re targeting; it’s nuclear, chemical, biological weapons. We need to improve border security-

Jeff Berkowitz: You think you can seal our borders?

David McSweeney: I think we can improve our border security.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, not seal. Because, you know you could--

David McSweeney: It’s impossible to seal them.

Jeff Berkowitz: You favor a wall going across the southern border of the United States?

David McSweeney: I don’t think that’s practical. What I think is practical, in the House bill, is in some of the urban areas to have walls, but certainly not across the entire border.

Jeff Berkowitz: So, only a portion of that, and so then there will be a porous [border]. There will be a problem of the border being porous.

David McSweeney: And, that’s why-- well we need to improve our border security and step up the INS.

Jeff Berkowitz: But you can’t--

David McSweeney: Well, you never can do a hundred percent job, but you can dramatically improve what we’re doing now.

Jeff Berkowitz: Do you think Congresswoman Melissa Bean disagrees with what you just said, on immigration.

David McSweeney: Well, this is another classic example. Melissa Bean voted for the House bill, back in December, that improved border security. But, a few minutes before, she voted to kill it. The motion to recommit. Remember John Kerry? “I voted for it, before I voted against it.”

Jeff Berkowitz: Does it matter how she, if she ends up in the right direction, that is, agreeing with you? I call that “the right direction,” from your perspective. Do you really quibble about the fact how she voted before?

David McSweeney: Absolutely. You have to have a clear cut view. Because, if her attempt to kill the legislation had succeeded, we would not have had immigration reform. If the Democrats were in control, we would not even have had that bill come before the U.S. House of Representatives. You’ve got to take a clear stand. You’ve got to tell people where you stand. You’ve got to stick by it. And, that’s what I’m going to do. You can’t have it both ways.

Jeff Berkowitz: What do you do with the twelve million people who are in the United States, illegally, as immigrants, illegal immigrants. You wouldn’t try to round them up and deport them, would you?

David McSweeney: Jeff, what you need to do is--

Jeff Berkowitz: So, that was a “no.” You wouldn’t do that?

David McSweeney: It’s not practical to round people up and deport them, but what we can do-- what you need to do

Jeff Berkowitz: So, what do we do with them?

David McSweeney: What you need to do is you need to create incentives for them to return to their country.

Jeff Berkowitz: You want incentives. But, those incentives for them to return would be what?

David McSweeney: The penalties that are part of the House bill that creates incentives for them to return to their country. And, it creates incentives-

Jeff Berkowitz: What’s the penalty?

David McSweeney: Well the penalty is actually deportation. And also, it creates penalties for people who aid illegal immigrants. Again, let me stress, Jeff, that I am a supporter of LEGAL immigration. But, when you have people in this country illegally, all that they do is they cut in line, in front of people who are trying to get into this country legally. I think that’s a big mistake.

Jeff Berkowitz: Hillary Clinton said recently that the House immigration bill could “punish criminally” Jesus himself?

David McSweeney: Hillary Rodham Clinton is back to her old games again. The hyperbole, attacks-

Jeff Berkowitz: But, you understand. She’s talking about the [House] bill. There are religious leaders who seek to, Catholic religious leaders, as well as Protestant, and most likely, Jewish and Muslim as well, who seek to help low-income people. And, so, if they do, they would say, they don’t-certainly Catholics and others say this-these Catholic leaders say, “We don’t discriminate in terms of whether a person is legal or illegal, we seek to help everybody who is low-income.”

David McSweeney: This is simply a case-

Jeff Berkowitz: And, they’re saying- those religious leaders that sought to help those low-income people, would be criminalized under this bill. Is that correct?

David McSweeney: Well, what we should be doing is helping low-income people in this country who are in this country legally. We’re talking about enforcing the law. And, let me tell you another thing.

Jeff Berkowitz: But, are you concerned about the religious leaders making that statement?

David McSweeney: I’m not concerned about that at all. We need to enforce the existing law. And, I’ll tell you another thing. I said that I would pay for the room if Melissa Bean would bring in Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi. Let me add Hillary Rodham Clinton, to the list. We’ll see if she supports those type of statements. Hillary Rodham is back to her old games--

Jeff Berkowitz: What about [Democrat] Barack Obama? Congresswoman Bean has held fundraisers with [I mean] keynoting or starring Senator Barack Obama. Is he somebody who you think helps or hurts you when he comes into the 8th Congressional District?
*************************************************
Public Affairs, with 8th CD Republican nominee David McSweeney [Barrington Hills], was recorded on March 26, 2006 and is airing on the Suburban edition of Public Affairs this week [week of April 3] and on the City of Chicago edition of Public Affairs on Monday night, April 10 at 8:30 pm on Cable Ch. 21. See, above, for a detailed, regular suburban airing schedule for Public Affairs . The show with candidate McSweeney is also available as a video podcast currently at the Public Affairs Cinema Complex, along with twenty other shows, which are also airing there. [See here].
********************************
Transcript draft prepared by Amy Allen, who also does research for “Public Affairs,” and has her own political blog [See here].
******************************************
Jeff Berkowitz, Show Host/Producer of "Public Affairs," and Executive Legal Recruiter doing legal search can be reached at JBCG@aol.com
******************