The California Assembly and Senate have passed Gil Cedillo's SB60, which would give driver's licenses to illegal aliens. That bill now goes to Arnold for either a veto or his signature. He has until mid-October to decide. Around 70% of Californians are opposed to that bill, so, if Arnold signs it don't expect him to win any other elections. He might even get recalled, although whether there's enough time to mount such a recall is unclear. However, there's a good chance he'll veto it.

Most of the illegal aliens who would get licenses under this bill are from Mexico, and - surprise! - many of the legislators who voted for it are Mexican-"American". Despite that obvious linkage, all the quotes from legislators say they voted for it out of "public safety" grounds. And, of course, none of the reporters bothered to ask if their race or divided loyalties had anything to do with it.

So, bear in mind that this bill has absolutely nothing - nothing! - to do with racial power, or with legislators who are more or less Mexican politicians, or with getting Motor Voter forms into the hands of likely Democratic voters.

Beginning our tour of the loony bin, from "Assembly passes illegal immigrant driver license bill":

Referring to President Johnson's signature on the Voting Rights Act and former Alabama Gov. George Wallace's rejection of school integration, [Sen. Gil Cedillo] said: "The governor has a choice. He can either be an LBJ or a George Wallace."

In addition to being a Democrat, Cedillo is a former member of the racial separatist group MEChA, which wants to "liberate" Aztlan, currently known as the Southwestern U.S.

The AP article "Assembly OKs bill allowing illegal immigrants to get licenses" has some very choice quotes:

"It's vital that we all take responsibility for ensuring that all drivers are educated, tested and licensed," said Assemblyman Ron Calderon, D-Montebello. "Trained, tested and insured drivers enhance public safety for all of us."

But opponents said the bill amounted to rewarding illegal behavior by immigrants who burden the state's schools and hospitals.

"We're talking about people who broke into this country," said Assemblyman Jay La Suer, R-La Mesa.

"The reward is not the driver's license," replied Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont. "People come to this country for the jobs and a better opportunity."

Assemblyman Dennis Mountjoy, R-Monrovia, claimed the purpose of the bill was to register illegal immigrants to vote on forms available at Department of Motor Vehicle offices.

"One doesn't have to be a mental giant to figure out who they might vote for," he said. "I would think they would register Democratic."

But Assemblyman Rudy Bermudez, D-Norwalk, said the law bars the immigrants from voting.

Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, D-Compton, said the California economy needs illegal immigrants to fill many jobs.

"These people pay taxes, Social Security. We benefit by their presence here," he said.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, and Assemblyman Joe Coto, D-San Jose, said they were offended by opponents using terms like illegal aliens.

"The hatred and bigotry in this room is palatable," said Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach. [whether she meant 'palpable' or whether she was saying that that coming from her own side was tasty is not known -- LW]

"Is it racist to want your borders to be secure?" La Suer asked. "Is it racist to want people to obey the law?"

And, the L.A. Times has a few more in "Immigrant License Bill Is Sent to Governor":

In Santa Ana, Adolfo Sierra, president of Casa Guanajuato, a nonprofit that promotes culture of that central Mexican state, said he has mixed feelings about the proposal. "It's not fair. We should all be treated equally," he said. "I'm an immigrant and I feel this could increase prejudice against all of us."

Even if we're going to have open borders, we really need to do something about people who sound like they're either hustling us or have 75 IQs. Perhaps we could pass out "Logical argumentation for dummies" at our entrance stations. Also, while I don't know anything about that Casa, I have a sneaking suspicion that whatever the L.A. Times was trying to say, someone is trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

Leo Bravo, of the Hispanic Center of Cache Valley in northern Utah, said the card is helping undocumented immigrants in his state.

"We are better off than other states in the Union. People will drive even if they don't have licenses," said Bravo. "They don't have insurance. They are not protected and we are not protected. If we are worried about national security, it's better to know who we have driving on the roads."

..."This is a good bill because I believe it's the right thing to do because individuals are here and they're driving and that's the reality," said Assemblyman Jerome Horton (D-Inglewood)...

...Assemblyman Alberto Torrico (D-Newark) argued that undocumented workers, through taxes taken from their wages, "put in more than they're taking out..."

You have to wonder which country Cedillo, Nunez, and the rest represent. Are they really Americans? Until the DNC renounces their California branch, I'm going to assume that the above thoughts reflect those of the Democratic Party.