Abortion causes immigration

Evidently, even Republicans must know that their 700-mile fence on the Mexican border will be ineffective. Because now they're hunting about for the root causes of all that illegal immigration.

And now, a legislative committee in Missouri has found the answer: abortion.

A Republican-led legislative panel claims in a new report on illegal immigration that abortion is partly to blame because it is causing a shortage of American workers.

The report from the state House Special Committee on Immigration Reform also claims "liberal social welfare policies" have discouraged Americans from working and encouraged immigrants to cross the border illegally.

The statements about abortion, welfare policies and a recommendation to abolish income taxes in favor of sales taxes were inserted into the immigration report by the committee chairman, Rep. Ed Emery.

All six Democrats on the panel refused to sign the report. Some of them called the abortion assertion ridiculous and embarrassing.

"There's a lot of editorial comment there that I couldn't really stomach," Rep. Trent Skaggs said Monday. "To be honest, I think it's a little delusional."

All 10 Republican committee members signed the report, though one of them, Rep. Billy Pat Wright, said Monday he didn't recall it connecting abortion and illegal immigration.

Emery, who equates abortion to murder, defended the assertions.

"We hear a lot of arguments today that the reason that we can't get serious about our borders is that we are desperate for all these workers," Emery said. "You don't have to think too long. If you kill 44 million of your potential workers, it's not too surprising we would be desperate for workers."

National Right to Life estimates there have been more than 47 million abortions since the Supreme Court established a woman's right to abortion in its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. The immigration report estimates there are 80,000 fewer Missourians because of abortion, many of whom now would have been in a "highly productive age group for workers."

The abortion connection to illegal immigration was listed under the report's recommendations on federal social policies and potential state legislative actions on illegal hiring.

"Suggestions for how to stop illegal hiring varied without any simple solution," the report states. "The lack of traditional work ethic, combined with the effects of 30 years of abortion and expanding liberal social welfare policies have produced a shortage of workers and a lack of incentive for those who can work."

Here's a copy of the report. Note that among its main recommendations are that resolutions be issued urging the Congress and President to address such issues as:

-- Relationship between social policies and the shortage of willing American workers

Which we later find out means abortion, and its evil twin welfare:

Social Policies -- The committee heard testimony regarding the impact of America's social policies on the perceived lack of employable workers in labor-intensive trades such as agricultural, food and hospitality services, and certain areas of construction. Both witnesses and committee members questioned the effects of losing over 45 million Americans, including approximately 80,000 Missourians to abortion since 1973. Many of those aborted would be in their 20's and 30's today, a highly productive age group for workers. Additional testimony linked the lack of willing laborers to the entitlement and governmental welfare culture that has emerged over the last 50 years. An heretofore unheard of number of individuals and multi-generation families have developed a lifestyle of welfare dependency. The testimony was that many Americans prefer a subsistence income from the public treasury rather than earning a similar or better income as a reward for hard work. Several committee members agreed that today's difficulties in hiring lawful workers are largely the direct result of 50 years of counterproductive social policies.

Also on the committee's to-do list of resolutions:

Revision of the interpretion [sic] of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution as it is applied to citizenship by birth

Aaaiiieee!!! Not the evil anchor babies!

Kind of interesting that it only wants a different "interpretion" of the 14th Amendment, since its language is fairly explicit:

All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.

Fact is, nearly every legal scholar on the planet understands that a mere reinterpretation won't achieve the end the anti-birthright folks intend. If they want to make it so the children of illegal immigrants are barred from citizenship, they'll need to pass an outright constitutional amendment.

Note that one of the chief sponsors of legislation to eliminate birthright citizenship was none other than ... Rep. Mark Foley. Wonder if he knew about this abortion connection.

Yes, folks. Out in the Republican heartland, it looks like we're witnessing yet another manifestation of ... the right-wing Bizarro Universe.