In an announcement released Thursday, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) named Bob Dane, current communications director, as the new executive director of FAIR.
For those of you who don’t know Dane, here are some of his greatest/worst hits from the last few years:
Dane on Trump’s immigration “plan”:
Lauded it as the “American Workers’ Bill of Rights” and co-authored a full-throated defense of Trump’s plan on FAIR’s website, “Correcting the Media: Trump Didn’t Say Mass Deportations, You Did.” (8/24/2015)
Dane on the 2013 Senate immigration reform debate:
“If they split over this GOP bill you’ve got a one-party system in America and that’s one step closer to tyranny.” (1/27/2013)
“It’s a knee-jerk reaction by Republicans to Romney’s poor showing with Hispanics in the recent election. But they’ve got to be very careful. Frankly, our opinion is the Republicans, the GOP is setting the stage for a self-destruction. Here’s why. An amnesty bill is going to split that party. The Republicans aren’t going to get any credit. And finally, what sense does it make to grant an amnesty to 12 million heavily government-dependent illegal aliens when they’re all going to vote Democrat?” (1/31/2013)
“I think over the last five years Americans have been beaten into submission. They fought deficit spending and ‘Obamacare,’ and they were defeated. So when it comes to immigration, they figure ‘What’s the point?’ ” (9/3/2013)
Dane on racial profiling:
“[A car] might be loaded with nine people who speak no English, have no driver’s licenses […] and maybe only Mexican consular cards or Gold’s Gym cards. At that point […] asking about immigration status is warranted.” (12/15/2011)
Dane on the 14th Amendment to the Constitution:
“To deal with this tidal wave of human beings coming across the border, repealing the 14th Amendment would be an effective tool.” (9/10/2007)
“The offensive aspect of ‘anchor baby’ isn’t the term itself, but the practice of having children on U.S. soil for the sheer purpose of gaming the system.” (12/9/2011)
Dane on FAIR being a hate group:
Dane attempted to discredit the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as a “far-left political attack machine” and compared SPLC’s activism to “McCarthyism.” Dane denied the very existence of hate groups, claiming that while hate crimes are real, “a hate group is a concoction, an invention of the politically-left Southern Poverty Law Center.” (3/8/2013)
Dane on family separation:
“Yes, these are sad stories. But these parents have taken a reckless gamble with their [U.S. citizen] children’s future by sneaking into the country illegally, knowing they could be deported. Not to deport them, gives them the ultimate bonus package, and creates an incentive for others to do the same thing.” (8/25/2102)
(h/t to Media Matters, Right Wing Watch and America’s Voice)