Day after day, Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz continue to run to the right, fighting to prove who’s the most like Donald Trump. Cruz takes any chance he can get to frame Rubio as a “moderate,” but the absentee Senator for Florida and hater-of-all-things-resembling-work’s extreme rhetoric and backwards policies prove that he’s just another far right conservative. So does his latest endorsement.
Enter Representative Jason Chaffetz, friend to 9/11 truthers and leading advocate of a Sheriff Joe Arpaio-inspired plan to round up undocumented immigrants and intern them in “tent cities surrounded by barbed-wire fences.”
One more thing: This also makes Chaffetz the latest Rubio endorser who voted for the USA Freedom Act — legislation that Rubio just this Monday said that ISIS would similarly have supported. Yes, it’s Rubio’s go-to stump attack on Ted Cruz — and bizarrely, it’s also become his go-to attack on his supporters.
Rubio has yet to propose the interment of undocumented immigrants, but at the rate he’s chasing Donald Trump to the right, who knows…
Background:
Chaffetz Proposed Imprisoning Undocumented Immigrants In “Tent Cities Surrounded By Barbed-Wire”
Chaffetz Came “Under Fire” For His Position That Undocumented Immigrants Who Have Committed Crimes Or Who “Don’t Return To Their Countries Of Origin,” Should Be “Held In Tent Cities Surrounded By Barbed-Wire.” According to the Deseret News, “Chaffetz has been under fire lately for his position that illegal immigrants who have committed crimes should be held in tent cities surrounded by barbed-wire fences. His immigration policy also would detain undocumented immigrants in those facilities if they don’t return to their countries of origin.” [Deseret News, 10/10/08]
Chaffetz Advocated For Holding Undocumented Immigrants “In Military-Style Tent Facilities.” According to a press release from Jason Chaffetz, “The unanimously adopted Western Governors Association resolution which was sponsored by Governors Janet Napolitano (AZ-D) and Jon Huntsman, Jr. (UT-R) calls for facilities ‘to house criminal aliens who have been apprehended and convicted in state criminal justice systems.’ […] Jason Chaffetz endorses this specific provision of the resolution. Although such facilities would be costly, Chaffetz believes the government could cut costs by following the example of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Arizona. Arpaio has dramatically cut prison costs by housing prisoners in military-style tent facilities. ‘If it’s good enough for our soldiers in Iraq,’ Chaffetz said, ‘it’s good enough for our criminals.’” [Jason Chaffetz Press Release, 9/5/08]
Chaffetz Cited Joe Arpaio’s Plan For Undocumented Immigrants At The State Republican Convention: “He Put Up Tents. He Put Barbed Wire Around Them.” According to the Deseret News, “Chaffetz tied his idea to a proposal by the WGA, which includes Huntsman, who is his former boss, and Richardson. ‘What did (Sheriff) Joe Arpaio do in Maricopa County (Arizona)?’ Chaffetz said at the state Republican convention. ‘He put up tents. He put barbed wire around them. Now this isn’t some wild Jason Chaffetz plan, this is a concurrent resolution — a joint resolution — between Republican and Democratic governors.’” [Deseret News, 10/10/08]
NM And UT Governors “Distanced Themselves From Jason Chaffetz’s Claim That His Idea To Detain Illegal Immigrants In Tent Cities Surrounded By Barbed-Wire Fences Came From The Western Governors’ Association.” According to the Deseret News, “Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson have distanced themselves from Jason Chaffetz’s claim that his idea to detain illegal immigrants in tent cities surrounded by barbed-wire fences came from the Western Governors’ Association.” [Deseret News, 10/10/08]
Chaffetz, Said He “Only Regrets Using The Word ‘Tent.’” According to the Deseret News, “Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson have distanced themselves from Jason Chaffetz’s claim that his idea to detain illegal immigrants in tent cities surrounded by barbed-wire fences came from the Western Governors’ Association. Chaffetz, the Republican nominee for Utah’s 3rd District seat in the U.S. House, only regrets using the word ‘tent.’” [Deseret News, 10/10/08]
Gov. Jon Huntsman On The Western Governors Plan For Immigrants: “We Talked About A Regional Correctional Facility To Handle Some Of The Overload…Nobody Talked About Tent Cities With Barbed-Wire Fences.” According to the Deseret News, “Huntsman, who has endorsed Chaffetz, recently told radio journalist Doug Fabrizio that Chaffetz’s suggestion of a tent city was ‘extreme’ and different from the WGA proposal. ‘I heard somebody reference the Western Governors’ model,” Huntsman said on the live broadcast. ‘I was involved with drafting that with (Arizona Gov.) Janet Napolitano. We talked about a regional correctional facility to handle some of the overload that the states can’t handle. Nobody talked about tent cities with barbed-wire fences around (them).’” [Deseret News, 10/10/08]
Chaffetz Said His Idea Was “A Cheaper Alternative To The WGA’s Call For Federal Correctional Facilities In The West,” Suggesting A Company That “Makes Quality Tents For The Military And Correctional Facilities.” According to the Deseret News, “Chaffetz said Thursday his idea is simply a cheaper alternative to the WGA’s call for federal correctional facilities in the West. ‘We agree on the need and the function if not the form,’ Chaffetz said. ‘I recognize the word ‘tent’ is sensational.’ Chaffetz said a company in the 3rd District, Sprung, makes quality tents for the military and correctional facilities that are a far cry from those available at Cabela’s. Images of the tents can be found at sprung.com by clicking on ‘Industry Gallery’ near the bottom of the home page and then clicking on ‘Correctional Facilities.’” [Deseret News, 10/10/08]
Democrat Rep. Mike Honda, Who Was Imprisoned In A Japanese Internment Camp During World War II, Called Chaffetz’s Plan An “Odious Reminder” Of A “Disgraceful Chapter In U.S. History.” According to the Salt Lake Tribune, “A Democratic congressman who was imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp during World War II unleashed on Utah Republican Jason Chaffetz’s plan to detain undocumented immigrants in tent cities, calling it an ‘odious reminder’ of a shameful period of the past. ‘Jason Chaffetz’s comments are more than just offensive and embarrassing to all Americans; they demonstrate a blatant disregard of the need to be vigilant in remembering the lessons learned from a disgraceful chapter in U.S. history,’ California Rep. Mike Honda said Friday in a statement.” [Salt Lake Tribune, 9/6/08]
Ties With 9/11 Truther Movement
Salt Lake Tribune: Chaffetz Seemed “To Indicate” That The Conspiracy Theory That The September 11th Attacks Were A “False Flag” Attack “Was Worthy Of Investigation.”According to the Salt Lake Tribune, “Chaffetz never said he supported the group We Are The Change, which believes that the World Trade Center collapsed because of explosives planted at the base of the buildings, not because of the airlines crashing into the towers. But he did seem to indicate the issue was worthy of investigation. During the exchange, a man asked Chaffetz if he had ‘given much thought to the possibility it was a false flag terrorist attack on 9/11?’ He replied: ‘Well, I know there’s still a lot to learn about what happened and what didn’t happen. We should be vigilant and continue to investigate that, absolutely.’” [Salt Lake Tribune, 2/9/10]
Chaffetz Said He “Talked With Retired Brigham Young University Professor Steven Jones, Who Supports The 9/11 Truther Movement And That Jones Has Done ‘Interesting Work.’”According to the Salt Lake Tribune, “The congressman also said he has talked with retired Brigham Young University professor Steven Jones, who supports the 9/11 truther movement and that Jones has done ‘interesting work.’ […]The next day, Chaffetz released a statement on his congressional Web site attempting to clarify his comments, saying the Sept. 11 attacks deserve constant study, though he doesn’t believe a conspiracy occurred.” [Salt Lake Tribune, 2/9/10]
Published: Jan 6, 2016