Kathleen Parker Falsely Claims Alexander Hamilton Was an Illegal Immigrant
On Thursday's Parker-Spitzer, CNN's Kathleen Parker bizarrely and inaccurately claimed that Alexander Hamilton came to the United States illegally and drafted the Constitution: "Let's remember...a lot of Americans did come through the back door such as Alexander Hamilton. He got off the boat from the West Indies, and all he did was write the Constitution and become the first Secretary of the Treasury."
Parker raised this false history during a discussion at the end of the 8 pm Eastern hour about Pedro Ramirez, Fresno State University's student body president, who was outed as an illegal immigrant by a student newspaper. After playing clips from Ramirez and his opponent during the student election, who is also the president of the Fresno State College Republicans, the CNN host displayed sympathy for the college student: "This is kind of a classic though, isn't it, really? I mean, you've the college Republican versus the illegal immigrant, and it's kind of a classic clash, you know, that corresponds to this immigration debate we're having in this country. And clearly, when you put a human face on the illegal immigrant, it's a different story. I mean, nobody wants to punish this young 22-year-old."
[Video embedded below the page break]
Eliot Spitzer, Parker's co-host, interjected that "It's more than just complicated. Whether the number is 11 or 12 million undocumented individuals here in this nation which is- you know, the term that I think is preferred these days, so many of them, like this kid, were here because their parents came in with them."
The pseudo-conservative replied with her claim about the Founding Father, and also named a more recent celebrity/politician as an illegal immigrant:
PARKER: But, you know, Eliot, let's remember, too- a lot of Americans did come through the back door-
SPITZER: Yup-
PARKER: Such as Alexander Hamilton.
SPITZER: Yup-
PARKER: He got off the boat from the West Indies, and all he did was write the Constitution and become the first Secretary of the Treasury- and, of course, what about the 'Terminator'?
SPITZER: That's right. We've got to have Arnold, who is in his last days as the great governor of California- has a little bit of a deficit that he's leaving for his successor, the 'moonbeam,' Jerry Brown. So you got Arnold, you got Alexander Hamilton- can you imagine the two of them having dinner together?
Actually, Hamilton came to New York City from the British West Indies in 1774 to study at King College, which was renamed Columbia University after the American War for Independence. Of course, New York was still a British colony at this point, so the young Hamilton didn't "come through the back door."
More importantly, Hamilton didn't write the Constitution- that credit generally goes to James Madison. Hamilton did, however, participate in the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and wrote 51 out of 85 of the Federalist Papers, which aided the ratification of the Constitution. Perhaps Ms. Parker needs to take a refresher course in American history.
As for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank del Olmo, then associate editor of the Los Angeles Times, claimed in a September 28, 2003 commentary that the action movie star "may once have been an illegal alien," and cited an investigation by the San Jose Mercury News which found that Schwarzenegger "may have violated U.S. immigration laws on at least two occasions." But neither del Olmo nor the San Jose Mercury News provided anything substantive.
- Matthew Balan's blog
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Comments
Why would Parker need facts?
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 5:29pm.
CNN has never relied on them before.
Parker must've learned American history from Bluto Blutarsky.
Galvanic
Submitted by rockyracoon on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 5:42pm.
KP has now qualified to represent CNN on Celebrity Jeopardy. Taking Wolf's place.Facts are like kryptonite to the liberal.
She might just get categories she & Spitzer relate to
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 9:28pm.
PARKER: "I'll take Jesters & Johns for $100, Alex."
Good One...
Submitted by almostacowboy on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 5:49pm.
Good one, Galvanic!
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
According to the National
Submitted by Thoreau on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 6:11pm.
According to the National Endowment for the Humanities, the German's only bombed Pearl Harbor because American soldiers were raping and molesting women in Berlin. Even at the band camp's.
I thought the German's bombed
Submitted by Kenny Bunkport on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 7:36pm.
I thought the German's bombed Pearl Harbor to free the interred Japanese-Americans.
No, actually I think they had….
Submitted by dirtydan64 on Sat, 11/20/2010 - 2:03am.
to wait unil our first Founding Father Abraham Lincoln came to save the Day !!!
But how can Parker be wrong?
Submitted by Van Halen on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 7:05pm.
But how can Parker be wrong? She won a PRIZE for being smart! A PRIZE given to her by her Liberal friends!
Her liberal friends don't know any history either . . .
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 9:20pm.
. . . nor do they choose to.
Parker Spitz is still on the
Submitted by Van Halen on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 5:30pm.
Parker Spitz is still on the air? Who the hell watches it?
Some people
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 7:25pm.
keep it on in their basements. I hear that stuff is good for growing mushrooms.
Phil
Submitted by ricklail on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 7:59pm.
You got that right. Mushrooms are grown in the dark and fed crap. When I was working for the power company we called ourselves mushrooms for that reason.
The irritating sounds would also keep the mice away. .
God Forbid She Should Check Her Facts
Submitted by DaMama on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 5:36pm.
Typical liberal - knee jerk reaction to something she heard rather than check the facts.
Maybe Parker should familiarize herself with snopes.com so she can learn the truth about things.
She heard it.....
Submitted by almostacowboy on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 5:52pm.
She heard it from Arianna Huffington.
One word
Submitted by Dave. on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 5:55pm.
Guv'mint ejumikashion.
-Dave
Vote for the American in November
Dave
Submitted by ricklail on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 7:39pm.
She graduated from Florida State with a "masters" in Spainish Literature. So how would she know US History? Townhall.com needs to get rid of her. She claims to be "slighty" right of center. Everything I read about her tells me she is a RINO and being from South Carolina she is probably a big pal of Goober Graham.
Kat Spit Strikes Again
Submitted by HockeyKid on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 6:09pm.
Kathleen "Wish I Was As Smart As Star" Parker spouts ridiculous revisionist history, while Client #9 chimes in repeatedly with an enlightened "Yup".
What a show.
BTW, KP said the guy is a "young 22-year-old". As opposed to what, an old 22-year-old? That's some quality sportscaster-level commentary, right there.
"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me
I don't think I would be too
Submitted by Thoreau on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 6:29pm.
I don't think I would be too far off in guessing that the Teacher's Union taught this twit to be everything she is today. Completely and horrifically clueless. These people are breathing my air. I have a better idea for global warming, but they aren't gonna like it.
BFD
Submitted by TheHistorian on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 6:38pm.
i claim, with much MORE proof, that Kathleen Parker is a Democrat.
Dennis Prager
This is beyond ignorance!
Submitted by bassndude on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 6:40pm.
This is beyond ignorance! This is beyond idiocy! This is absolutely moronic. I thought you had to go to school to get a job on TV. I think Spongebob and Patrick Star are smarter than this duo.
And for those who do not know. Arnold was sponsered by Joe Weider to come to this country. He came legal.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal/troll!!
Parker: "I mean, nobody wants
Submitted by bkeyser on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 6:41pm.
Parker: "I mean, nobody wants to punish this young 22-year-old."
Really?
I do.
10 days in the local jail, then a free ride to the border. Not sure which country this kid is from, but if it's not Mexico, then a small boat and two days-worth of water and energy bars will suffice. The President of the Fresno State Student Body should be able to figure out how to get home, right?
Oh yeah- he has to repay (pro-rated) any loans or grants before being released from lockup.
See ya after you get the right papers, college boy.
Okay, in all seriousness- something needs to be done. The kid may be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but the opportunity he was given in this country either diminished -or outright prevented one for an actual citizen. Kids are turned away from college all the time due to an inability to finance their education. And since there are legal means by which foreigners can be educated in the US, anyone circumventing those avenues and knowingly violating our laws should be punished- to the extent possible under the (Democrat-lauded in the case of terrorist prosecutions) rule of law. I hear Sweden's got some good schools...
+1
Submitted by srhoades on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 7:01pm.
+1
Me, too
Submitted by Chaitealover on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 8:39pm.
Hamilton also always had sex with his socks on
Submitted by SickofLibs on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 6:45pm.
And Aaron Burr was a cross-dresser with good aim.
Anything else, K-A-T-O?
SickofLibs...."had sex with his socks on."...
Submitted by ww thumper on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 6:57pm.
.....now; how would U know that...???. ;-) hmmmm. WW ;>}
MY PASTOR SAYS "GOD BLESS AMERICA"!!!I ASK " GOD SAVE AMERICA, AND RESTORE OUR AMERICAN HONOR!"
Thumper - historical etchings, of course
Submitted by SickofLibs on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 7:01pm.
Along with excerpts from Kathleen Parker's personal diary.
;)
S o Ls....."historical etchings."...!??...BLIMEY!....
Submitted by ww thumper on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 7:09pm.
....what internet site are U looking at...?? I want to see this! :>p WW
MY PASTOR SAYS "GOD BLESS AMERICA"!!!I ASK " GOD SAVE AMERICA, AND RESTORE OUR AMERICAN HONOR!"
Sorry, Thumper, it's a "subscription only" site
Submitted by SickofLibs on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 7:13pm.
But it's well worth the $150 a month they keep banging my Visa card for.
Of course, everything is just black and white...
SoLs....$150 a month....
Submitted by ww thumper on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 7:51pm.
....well...Ur perty Generous........would you send me $150 a month too???.......Please ! ;-) WW
MY PASTOR SAYS "GOD BLESS AMERICA"!!!I ASK " GOD SAVE AMERICA, AND RESTORE OUR AMERICAN HONOR!"
She's a writer?
Submitted by srhoades on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 6:59pm.
You know, Kathleen Parker, I mean, she's like a writer and stuff. Right? I mean, you know? Right?
Dumb @ss.
I was picking up on the
Submitted by killa37 on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 7:28pm.
I was picking up on the 'classic clash' of Republicans versus illegal immigrants..............and, the way she was saying it - the 'Republicans' are the bad guys!!! No wonder Arizona is getting sued by the Federal Government!!!
I'll bet if Alexander Hamilton had been Alejandro Hablaespanol, she would have been singing his praises..................
Kathleen Parker
Submitted by amyshulk on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 8:02pm.
I have {in the past} enjoyed the occasional op-ed by her, but I noticed something - I greatly enjoy the op-eds from Thomas Sowell & Charles Krauthammer and when I've seen them in person {on tv} I find that they are consistent, whereas Kathleen Parker is not.
Ronald Reagan
She couldn't even carry
Submitted by killa37 on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 8:27pm.
She couldn't even carry Sowell or 'the Hammers' socks!!!!
I agree killa
Submitted by amyshulk on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 9:26pm.
I was referring to op-eds in the paper since the 90's - I only really started to read these sites when I felt deja vu {70's redux} when I saw that O would win.
I had to call my sis election night because mom was in for emergency surgery {gall bladder/appendix - she's fine} and I remarked her candidate {O} won - she took offense that I would assume that {since she's an R} but she did admit she voted for him.
I told her that that was OK, that we as a country would forget how much damage the D's would do, so every decade or so, we'd give them another chance. Then we'd realize our mistake and swing back and *hopefully* we'd remember the damage and pay closer attention next time.
I also told her I saw myself in O - that he'd be scattered and indecisive - she scoffed at that. She also scoffed when I said that Bush would be remembered as a great President for keeping us safe after 9/11 - lots more scoffing, lol, but we shall see!
I told her my biggest concern with {O} was the people he surrounded himself with - seemed to me, that unlike Bush, he'd pick "yes men" so he'd always be the *smartest* guy in the room - I got a belly laugh for that one!!!
Ronald Reagan
Well, I have yet to notice
Submitted by killa37 on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 10:25pm.
Well, I have yet to notice how 'smart' this guy is...........but I know that 'smart' has been redefined these days..........and he IS smart enough to surround himself with people who TELL him how smart he is..............that, and the race thing. I'm sure he's been riding that one his whole life. I'd call him a very thoroughly brainwashed puppet for the guys who put him there, although I'm pretty sure that they are probably wondering what the hell they just did, because the guy is NOT pulling it off!!!!
But he's pulled off enough so far to really do some major damage............I just wish people would have done their homework........but..........most people don't know or care, until it's too late.
smart
Submitted by amyshulk on Sat, 11/20/2010 - 12:37pm.
Ah - the "smart" crap. In O's case I think the left was hoodwinked by his cunning and have to keep repeating it to convince us/themselves. He does exhibit "book smart, people stupid" though - Peter Principle comes to mind!
I really listened to him at 1st, but when I noticed he sounded OK until the end of his point, where I'd be all WTF??? And that whatever he'd say his actions/results would always be 180 out, I stopped listening. There's his "communication problem" right there - he lost trust for that!!!
As far as homework? That's when I really became aware of the extreme bias & started seeking out more info.
Ronald Reagan
Amy, the Peter Principle
Submitted by MikeB on Sat, 11/20/2010 - 2:34pm.
Amy, the Peter Principle states that in any heirarchy, a person would rise to their level of incompetency. That is, if a person proved themselves competent at one level, they would be promoted until they reached a level where they were incompetent. Barry is an exception to the Principle, not an affirmation of it. Obama started out incompetent. Barry was above his paygrade as an Illinois state legislator. For that matter, Ear Leader could not competenly function as a dog catcher or even as a janitor. I even have to wonder at his book smarts. If he were book smart, he wouldn't have to seal his college transcripts. I believe he did that because he did not want to be embarrassed the way John "I served in Vietnam" F'ing Kerry and Al "Manbearpig" Gore were embarrassed with their transcripts becoming public.
well MikeB
Submitted by amyshulk on Sun, 11/21/2010 - 11:38pm.
The left felt the same way about Bush. I guess it depends on what the meaning of "is" {competent} is. lol!
Ronald Reagan
Another shining example, no
Submitted by mustango on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 8:13pm.
Another shining example, no doubt, of what they mean when they say "well okay, the other networks may be as partisan as Fox News, but at least THEY back up what they say with facts!"
Umm, no
Submitted by Chaitealover on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 8:46pm.
"undocumented individuals here in this nation which is- you know, the term that I think is preferred these days"The only correct term is illegal alien. Chai
Two words
Submitted by GregE on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 9:18pm.
Good grief!!!
And Spitzer just went right along with it, probably knowing no different anyway. Unreal.
I wonder who her favorite founding father is?
Submitted by metaphorsbwithu on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 9:27pm.
Because if ever MSNBC needs a replacememt for Mika Brzezinski, who picked Abraham Lincoln as her favorite founding father, I think we've got the girl for them.
Remembering "Bubbles":
http://bit.ly/aPmYSN
Hmmmm, Let me think....
Submitted by ThisnThat on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 10:07pm.
So how could Alexander Hamilton "come through the back door" when the United States didn't even exist upon his arrival?
Will MSNBC issue a correction? Or does history simply doesn't matter -- just as long as an agenda is being pushed?
__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court
Precisely! One TV show this
Submitted by stratman on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 10:38pm.
Precisely!
One TV show this idiot savante Parker should NEVER appear on is Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader. But if she did, it would probably go down a lot like this. And with that other idiot savante Sptizer agreeing with her - "Yup" - he should steer clear as well.
Regardless, Parker, whose savante talent is still a mystery, sounds like this every show.
If MSNBC could distinguish their arse from their elbow then they might issue a correction, but they can't, so don't hold your breath. Fake but true.
(sarc/off)
Air Quotes - Classic
Submitted by Hermano on Fri, 11/19/2010 - 10:10pm.
I love how Parker tries to minimize that what these people are doing is "illegal." She does the air quotes around "illegal immigrants." Got news for you Parker...they ARE breaking the law!
Hermano is Saving the Environment - One Ribeye at a Time! h/t Dr_Liberty
Ever notice?
Submitted by okiehawk44 on Sat, 11/20/2010 - 1:09pm.
Leftists want us to believe that when this country was largely unpopulated and very much unformed or even nonexistent -- 1774?-- as a country it somehow had strict immigration policies in place and enforced. It didn't but it has allowed for immigration to occur and in more modern times -- last 150 years? -- a process to immigrate to this land legally. That may be more complex than Kathleen Parker can grasp but there is a difference between "legal" and "illegal" Kathleen even when both contain the work immigration.
Ellis Island was not around when my family members started arriving in this land, colony, and country with 13 states and they arrived decades before the United States of America was even founded. Yes, Kathleen. They were and would be considered "legal" unless of course you on the left want us to be deported for not entering through Mexico.
The Germans did not bomb Pearl Harbor
Submitted by MSimon on Sun, 11/21/2010 - 4:52am.
But there were rumors of such going around at the time.
Parker? Some one should park her. Or Elliot should spitz her. He may need a confederate for that.
Parker
Submitted by kiwikit on Sun, 11/21/2010 - 8:01am.
Can't check on her education / grades etc since she goes by a pseudonym. I think any so-called pundit who's spouting off his 'knowledge' invalidates his authority by not coming clean on himself. Keep in mind that trustworthiness goes both ways: if not trusted with a real name why should we trust whatever is said / written by him.
1772 not 1774
Submitted by Dusty on Sun, 11/21/2010 - 10:23am.
Matthew, Hamilton left the West Indies near the end of 1772, enroute to Elizabethtown NJ, and spent some time in preparatory school before going to King's College in NY, if Brookhiser's book about him is to be believed. It's not that the PBS site is incorrect in that 1774 blurb about Hamilton going to NY, but that as a highlight of Hamilton's life, it is silent on when Hamilton came here, with the 1773 blurb somewhat confusing and imprecise on either the intent for the fundraising or the timeframe.
Constitutional citizenship requirements for presidency
Submitted by JEANNIEMAC on Sun, 11/21/2010 - 11:37am.
No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.