It's been eight weeks since Time magazine redesigned itself, and part of that refurbishment is handing over the "Ten Questions" interview inquiries to the readers instead of Time's reporters. In the June 11 edition, Time's interviewee was Rep. Tom Tancredo, a presidential contender and one of the nation's leading opponents of illegal immigration. Among the questions Time selected for Tancredo was a whopper from Ubaldo Padilla of Oroville, California: "Why do you hate Mexicans?" It wasn't the only snotty question Time picked. There was also James Smith of Phoenix, who asked: "I recently found out my family came from Holland without permission in the 1600s. Should we be sent back?"
Since Time Managing Editor Richard Stengel introduced the new format in the March 26 edition, there haven't been any Democrats interviewed. But in the March 12 edition, Time's Massimo Calabresi had ten (mostly softball) questions for Ted Kennedy, one of the nation's leading advocates of an amnesty for illegal immigrants. No one at Time asked him about immigration and why he supposedly hated Americans. Instead, Calabresi's list of questions included these soft touches:
-- Are you the only Senator to keep dogs in your offices?
-- Democrats have the country with them against the war in Iraq but aren't acting to end it. Why?
-- Do you intend to endorse one of the Democrats running for President?
-- It's easy to pick up a newspaper and see some comparison between your brothers and Barack Obama. Is there any validity to that comparison?
-- You know Mitt Romney pretty well.
-- Your long-sought minimum-wage bill is stuck in conference, thanks to a debate on the size of small-business tax breaks. What's going on?
-- Some on the left wing of the Democratic Party would like to see No Child Left Behind done away with. Are you going to deliver reauthorization this year?
-- You just celebrated your 75th birthday. Or rather the celebrations are ongoing.
-- You had a costume party. Who did you go as?
Since the 2006 midterm elections, Time's also offered Ten Questions to a pile of liberals: Al Gore, Rep. Charlie Rangel, newly elected Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, and Gore Vidal. None of them were painted as bigots by Time's selected staff interviewers.
—Tim Graham is Director of Media Analysis at the Media Research Center.
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Comments Policy
Ya know what? Good! Good! Let
June 5, 2007 - 00:02 ET byYa know what? Good! Good! Let those fools make false claims about Tom Tancredo!
Bad press like this, is actually good press.
Let's face it, there are more Americans on BOTH sides of other issues who will vote in a president who will protect our borders.
What Satan means for evil,
God means for Good.
Such a question will actually raise awareness that Tom Tancredo is against illegal immigration into our nation. All Americans who are against illegal immigration have faced people calling them 'prejudice' and 'haters of Mexicans.' And now more people know which man is the man to get the job done, when it comes to protecting our boarders.
And that man is: Tom Tancredo
(If that question is the best the left can do, they are sooooo going to lose in 2008!)
Debra...
www.InformingChristians.com
Ubaldo Padilla, do you still
June 5, 2007 - 00:08 ET by MikeBUbaldo Padilla, do you still beat your wife?
James Smith of Phoenix, how stupid can you get? There was no United States in the 1600s, so your ancestors could not have violated United States law to get here. Can you say "Duh"? I knew you could. Unfortunately, Mr. Smith, you are a natural born citizen of this country. If it were a deportable offense to be incredibly stupid, you would have been escorted to the border a long time ago.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
Unfortunately, in addition to
June 5, 2007 - 08:44 ET by GalvanicUnfortunately, in addition to being a natural born citizen of the US, Mr. Smith is an idiot, either by choice or by upbringing.
I know some of you are goin
June 5, 2007 - 00:13 ET by AtheistRepublicanI know some of you are going to disagree with me, but by the tone of the questions around the question in question, I feel that it was meant to be in a humorous sarcastic tone...
I cannot for the life of me s
June 5, 2007 - 00:16 ET by bigtimerI cannot for the life of me see how the likes of Time or Newsweek let alone the NYT's and WaPo can last for many more years.
The bias is so horrendously obvious it is beyond outrageous and just plain pathetic.
People need to start complaining when they go to any kind of a dental or medical office and they see these in there...unless they also have something like The Weekly Standard or The American Spectator in there....libraries too...or any other place of this type.
Tom Tancredo is one of my favorite congressmen, I would love for him to be able to get a top notch job in the Thompson administration having to do with illegal immigration....
INS would be great.....
(lol) I know I am ahead of myself...but hey, it is what it is.
You're free to love Tancredo
June 5, 2007 - 03:33 ET by tumblerYou may love Tancredo; and sympathize with him because Time plays him for a sucker. --They're always playing Geo W. Bush for a sucker and all of the robots here are OK with that.
Bush is ten times the man, the American that T. Tancredo is. Much greater.
He was elected, then re-elected, President of the United States. Tom Tancredo is far from presidential material, pardon moi.
You're drooling over him because he mouths the same pathetic anti-Mexican anti-Mexican-illegal - simplicity you do. Nobody's electing any simpletons to the Presidency any time soon, Thank you. Tom won't cut the mustard. (But you can still love him. Some Americans love Al Gore.)
Anti Mexican?
June 5, 2007 - 04:02 ET by Cool ArrowWhy is it 'pathetic' to be 'anti-Mexico? Is it pathetic to be anti-Iran?
Seems to me both of these countries have a very real hatred for Americans.
Gore lied. Nobody fried
anti-illegal
June 5, 2007 - 05:03 ET by Pragmatic-ManYou bet I am anti-illegal, be they mexican or any other felonious immigrant. And since you are pro-illegal mexican, "Tumbler The Racist", I will remind everyone of your admitted actions to aid and abet illegal mexicans. You are a disgrace to the sanctity of our republic by showing your disdain for our national borders.
T, can't you agree this shows
June 5, 2007 - 06:03 ET by Tim GrahamT, can't you agree this shows major hostility to a conservative from Time magazine, even if you disagree with him? Or do you agree with the questioner that it is fair to assert that anyone who opposes illegal immigration hates an entire nation of people? I, for one, don't agree with Tancredo's extreme ideas of an immigration moratorium. But I can still see the importance of exposing Time's biases.
Tancredo
June 5, 2007 - 06:15 ET by Cool ArrowThe immigration issue is a two step process.
Washington admits by default they have no intent to control our borders by their refusal to address these issues separately.
"There was also James
June 5, 2007 - 02:32 ET by ckc1227"There was also James Smith of Phoenix, who asked: "I recently found out my family came from Holland without permission in the 1600s. Should we be sent back?"
Yes you should, but not for any illegality, but for being a moron. The more we can get rid of, the better. I nominate you to be the first to go.
And take time with you.
June 5, 2007 - 04:37 ET by USA4freedomAnd take time with you.
These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.
Ronald Reagan- 40th Anniversary of D-Day
Illegal agenda.
June 5, 2007 - 04:50 ET by Cool ArrowWhy can't we attract immigrants eager to be Americans rather than those yearning to turn America into the same toilet of corruption and despair they fled.
Damn, my GGGrandparents left Germany for some reason or another, (who cares? It was a new start) but when it came time to fight the Krauts, their offspring died for America.
Gore lied. Nobody fried
drowned out in the mexican rush
June 5, 2007 - 04:56 ET by Pragmatic-ManRiled, we do attract the brightest and the best. We silently rouse them from their motherlands and inspire them with dreams of freedom and prosperity, liberty and justice. But their steady trickling stream, albeit thwarted by a fundametally broken immigration system, is drowned out by the rushing river of illegal muddy mexicans with their belligerent hands grabbing for their American spoils.
Thanks, Prag.
June 5, 2007 - 05:03 ET by Cool ArrowI guess I knew this, but when you see stupid messages like "TAKE BACK TEXAS" on the bumpers of American made vehicles in our border towns, you wonder why these fools ever left the comfort of their noble country.
Gore lied. Nobody fried
comfort
June 5, 2007 - 05:13 ET by Pragmatic-ManRiled, I think you hit the nail on the head in your last line. "Comfort". That is what they came for. I remember a cousin of mine who used to come visit when we were both kids. He would put down my parents and me, eat the pantry empty, terrorize the dog, and throw rocks at the neighbor kids. But come time to go home, and he would pitch a fit like he was being drug back into hell. As an adult I came to know that his father, my uncle, was an abusive alcoholic, and his mother derided her children constantly. Kinda like how mexico treats its citizens. But no matter what, this kid was bound by love to his parents, no matter what they did to him. If the mexican government loved their citizens half as much as their citizens seems to love their nation, then they would not be swimming the Rio Grande.
A revealing insight.
June 5, 2007 - 05:37 ET by Cool ArrowHadn't thought about it like that, but the analogy is absolutely spot on. There's two ways to move up.
Most successful example of option #1 I've ever heard are the words "You're just trying to act White."
"Ah ayum in no ways tarred" Hillary Clinton
You are right. It makes no se
June 5, 2007 - 08:34 ET by SouthJersey1953You are right. It makes no sense. Why would they want Texas back? For the oil? No, Meixco has more oil than Texas. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why they want Texas. What would Texas contribute to Mexico if it bacame a Mexican state?
If they took back Texas, then they would start leaving Texas for Oklahoma.
No RINOs in '08 - Thompson/Hunter would be a good ticket; Thompson/Steele would be a great ticket
I would love it if Tancredo a
June 5, 2007 - 08:06 ET by bretzysdudeI would love it if Tancredo actually responded like that! Of course, the media would then ask, "Why are you so angry at him?"
interview question for Teddy K.
June 5, 2007 - 04:51 ET by Pragmatic-ManAn interview question for Teddy K...... when are you going to have your political mentor and brother exhumed (honorably) to straighten out his now-wrinkled and twisted suit? After all, since his tragic death, he must have rolled over in his grave a thousand times due to your nonsensical Senate floor rants.
Interview ? for Nancy Pelosi
June 5, 2007 - 04:58 ET by Cool ArrowMs Pelosi, will you be defending your choice of William Jefferson to the Homeland Security Committee?
Gore lied. Nobody fried
Bob Anthony to liberals:WHY
June 5, 2007 - 07:13 ET by BobAnthonyBob Anthony to liberals:
WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA?
Just curious....what was Tanc
June 5, 2007 - 08:35 ET by SouthJersey1953<edit> stupid question deleted - next time I will check the link before I ask :o)
Why won't Time ask Al Sharpto
June 5, 2007 - 09:21 ET by Sergeant ROCKWhy won't Time ask Al Sharpton why he 'hates' white people so much??? Or, why Jimmy Karter 'hates' the Jews so much?
I'm confused. Is the name of
June 5, 2007 - 11:14 ET by Hero SquadI'm confused. Is the name of the feature "Ten Stupid Questions"?
The "Why Do You Hate Mexicans?" question is ridiculous. They could've worded it "Do You Hate Mexicans?" which might have actually created an opportunity for a thoughtful answer to an immigration question.
Instead, they add the "why" at the begining, thereby making the false presumption from the outset that Tancredo does hate Mexicans without considering the possibility that he doesn't hate them, and now he has to explain his reasons for this supposed "hate."
Meanwhile, Ted Kennedy gets "Why are you so awesome?"-type questions.
*****
"Was it a millionaire who said 'Imagine no possessions?'" - Elvis Costello
I'm not liking a lot of wha
June 5, 2007 - 11:41 ET by steviep831I'm not liking a lot of what I'm reading here. As the son of immigrant parents, I thought I'd add my point of view here. Take it or leave it.
I would be the first to agree that we have a dire problem with illegal immigration. Something needs to be done to close the Mexican border. Next, of course, our government needs to start enforcing the laws of this country. Forget any new legislation, because they have already proven to us that they can't even enforce the laws that exist to prevent illegal immigration and find those that break the law. This new legislation is only for show. It's not meant to do anything to fix any problem we have with illegal immigration.
Having said that, not all immigrants that come to this country are felons, rapists, and low life scum. If I was from another planet and was reading this thread, that is what I would think of all immigrants. You can't group them all into a pot and call it black. And I thoroughly and whole-heartedly reject that. Are there some who cause problems, have no intention of integrating with our society and generally do not want to be American, YES! But there are so many who do want to be Americans and who do want to become part of this great country. And if they do we should have a way for them to get here as expediently as possible and without having to break their backs monetarily and physically. Once they are here they should work and pay taxes like the rest of us.
When my parents came from Cuba, they had nothing. But they worked hard and went to school and were able to make something of themselves. Now they own their own company and employ Americans. We have gone through a lot, but because this country is the land of opportunity, we have been able to do so much.
Stevie, you apparently haven'
June 5, 2007 - 12:37 ET by MikeBStevie, you apparently haven't been reading this site for very long. Poster after poster have said that as long as they get here legally, all immigrants are welcome. Every illegal immigrant is by definition a criminal. I would venture that the vast majority of them continue to commit crimes after they get here. Those crimes include, but are not limited to: tax evasion (those who work under the table), identity theft (those who illegally obtain false IDs in order to work regular jobs, driving without licenses, driving uninsured, obtaining goods, and especially services (medical care, welfare benefits, instate tuition) under false pretenses, etc. And, then there are those who do commit robberies, rapes, murders, traffic in drugs and weapons. Granted, citizens and legal immigrants also commit these crimes, and not all illegal immigrants are Mexican or even Hispanic. Those of us who want secure borders are not racists or "Mexican haters". Those of us who want immigrants to obey the law to get here, and obey the law after they get here are not racists or "Mexican haters". Nor are we xenophobes or any of the other slanders with which we have been addressed.
"A communist is someone who reads Marx. An anti-communist is someone who understands Marx." Ronald Reagan
Hey Mike,I've been a faithf
June 6, 2007 - 19:07 ET by steviep831Hey Mike,
I've been a faithful reader here at NB for quite a while. I'm not ignorant to the thoughts and views of most NBers. And by far NBers are thoughtful, considerate and sensitive to the many issues our country faces with illegal immigration.
You may not have read my post closely enough. I was very careful to state my opinions on the border issue and illegal immigrantion. "Those of us who want immigrants to obey the law to get here" includes yours truly. It was my hope that those who read my post would have understood that about me. Perhaps I was not clear.
I do agree that all illegal immigrants have broken at least one US law and I agree that many do continue to break laws in the manners you so eloquently stated; however, I reject statements like, "the vast majority." How many is that? Can you compare for me illegals vs. legals vs. citizens? Where I do see an issue is if illegals are caught; what do we do with them? Deport them back to their home country so that they can sneak back in another day? There are so many problems we face with illegal immigration that could so easily be solved by securing our borders. That in my opinion is the easy part (why we don't do it is beyond me). What we do after that gets tricky. There are already a lot of illegals in the country.
I certainly have not accused you or anyone here of being racist or xenophobic, because if I did, I would have to point a finger at myself. I would like to think I understand the consequences of unchecked illegal immigration. As I responded to Teamcheeser below: I was merely trying to defend those immigrants who came to this country legally and who made that huge decision worthwhile. It was my opinion that some were starting to lump all immigrants into a very nasty pot. After looking back through some fo the recent posts, I can admit that I may have had an itchy trigger finger.
Hopefully no hard feelings and I certainly appreciate you taking the time to respond to my post.
I agree (in part). If we enfo
June 5, 2007 - 12:41 ET by SouthJersey1953I agree (in part). If we enforce the current laws, and build a fence to stop the flow, then the problem will be solved. We do not need any new (un-enforceable) laws, and should not provide special treatment to those that BROKE THE LAW to get here.
No RINOs in '08 - Thompson/Hunter would be a good ticket; Thompson/Steele would be a great ticket
Hey S. Jersey,Thanks for resp
June 6, 2007 - 18:18 ET by steviep831Hey S. Jersey,
Thanks for responding. If you read my the second paragraph of my post, I think I said pretty much the same thing you did. So I guess you agree with me in full? ;)
Stevie, you interpret how you
June 5, 2007 - 15:47 ET by TeamcheeserStevie, you interpret how you want. Your parents, being from Cuba, didn't have to wait in line either, so maybe that is where your empathy for the illegals comes from.
Most of us welcome legal immigration, but most of us would like to see the border slammed shut to stop the flow of illegals, drugs, and terrorists. It has nothing to do with Mexicans themselves. It has everything to do with asking those Mexicans to stand in line like they are supposed to. If they truly want to immigrate to this country, that "sacrifice" should be worth it.
You are grouping us into a pot and calling it black.
Hey Teamcheeser,Thanks fo
June 6, 2007 - 18:26 ET by steviep831Hey Teamcheeser,
Thanks for the response. I don't see where in my post I grouped anyone into any pot. What I was saying is that I didn't like some of the things I was reading and merely trying to defend those immigrants who did come to this country and made that HUGE decision worthwhile. If you go back and read my post, I think you'd agree that we are on the same page as far as closing the borders to illegals. And I think we are on the same page as far as those coming into this country doing it legally. Yes, perhaps I am a little softer than most as my parents are immigrants, but I whole-heartedly believe in the rule of law, and you shouldn't be shown favor or special treatment if you've broken the laws of this country... and that includes sneaking in the US.
tancredo answers
June 5, 2007 - 11:58 ET by LionKing"Time Selects Question for Tom Tancredo: 'Why Do You Hate Mexicans?''"
I hope Tancredo answers: "I hate illegal immigration. Why do you support law-breakers?"
Here's my question to liber
June 5, 2007 - 12:31 ET by wiwfHere's my question to liberals: Why do you hate winning wars? Are you winningwarophobic?
Great response from Tancredo on this one...
June 5, 2007 - 14:00 ET by Gary HallGreat response from Tancredo on this one...