A Republican lawmaker on Monday compared immigrants to "hunting dogs" and raised a strong opposition from Hispanic lawmakers of the Congress and from the Democrat Party that demanded the Republicans a condemnation of such rhetoric.
On Monday, during a meeting with voters in Iowa, Republican Rep. Steve King suggested that, like choosing the best bird hunting dogs from a "litter", the U.S. immigration policy should only allow entry to the country to the most active immigrants.
"¿"You want a good hunting dog? Do you want one that is aggressive? Choose the most active … not the one who is lying, sleeping in a corner," King advised during the meeting with voters in the town of Pocahontas.
"If you choose the best of the litter, you'll have a good dog Fowler. We have the best of each donor civilization in the world," King argued, in a recording captured on video by the American Bridge progressive group.
Comments raised today were condemned by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which issued separate statements to demand that Republicans strongly condemn this inflammatory rhetoric.
CHC President, Democrat Charles A. Gonzalez, branded as "offensive and dehumanizing" King's comments, and regretted that statements like that are common from some Republican leaders.
"Our country needs a reform that can only be achieved with a bipartisan effort. Comments like Mr. King did make us step back as a nation" and impede the search for "bipartisan solutions," said Gonzalez.
While acknowledging that there are extremist members within the Republican Party supporting the extremist rhetoric against immigrants, Gonzalez made it clear that it is time for Republicans to talk in a "responsible and reasonable" way about the problems of immigration in the U.S
In that sense, Gonzalez urged Republican leaders, in particular the President of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, and the likely Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, to "condemn this behavior and asked the members of their party to act responsibly.
The DNC, meanwhile, circulated King's comments among journalists, which have spread like wildfire in the blogosphere.
Speaking to EFE, Frank Sharry, executive director of the pro-immigrant "America's Voice", said that King "has a disease … in his tongue"
"It seems he can't stop from making idiot comments that dehumanize immigrants and define their party. The sad thing is this: not one person in his party is going to condemn his comments about comparing immigrants with dogs … and then they wonder why people think that Republicans are an anti-immigrant party, "Sharry said.
King has expressed his support for Romney, a candidate who, like the Iowa legislator, and in tune with the conservative base of his party, opposes any reform that includes legalization of undocumented immigrants.
It is not the first time that King, one of the most conservative members of the Congress, makes zoological comparisons with immigrants.
In 2006, King compared illegal immigrants with cattle; on that occasion, he suggested installing a fence along the southern border with sufficient electrical charge not to kill them, but to "discourage" their entry to the country.
Now, looking at the elections on November 6, he faces a close race in the State of Iowa, on which he will dispute his seat in the House of Representatives against Democrat Christie Vilsack.
Vilsack's campaign said in a statement that, to have a real dialogue on immigration, "we should begin by recognizing that immigrants are human beings."
"Residents of Iowa are taught in their communities, churches, and homes, to respect each other, and not to compare people with dogs. People expect a serious discussion between the candidates, and I committed to that," Vilsack stated.
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