Gabriela Saucedo Mercer and religious bigotry McCarthyism

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

Oh no. Someone has been spending way too much time hanging out with Rep. Trent Franks, and wants to join him in his religious bigotry McCarthyism.

CD 3 Tea-Publican candidate Gabriela Saucedo Mercer hates on "Middle Easterners." She does know "those people" includes Israeli Jews, right? Gabriela Saucedo Mercer: We don’t want Middle Easterners in U.S. | TPMMuckraker: 

In an interview with a conservative website earlier this year, Saucedo Mercer talked in depth about her views on immigration. A Mexican immigrant herself who became a U.S. citizen, she said the issue was important because people from places other than Mexico were among those coming across the border illegally.

“That includes Chinese, Middle Easterners,” she said. “If you know Middle Easterners, a lot of them, they look Mexican or they look, you know, like a lot of people in South America, dark skin, dark hair, brown eyes. And they mix. They mix in."

“And those people, their only goal in life is to, to cause harm to the United States. So why do we want them here, either legally or illegally? When they come across the border, besides the trash that they leave behind, the drug smuggling, the killings, the beheadings. I mean, you are seeing stuff. It’s a war out there.”

* * *

She has been endorsed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R), who is scheduled to attend a fundraiser for Saucedo Mercer on Sept. 12 in Tucson. She was also facing attacks from the campaign of Rep. Raul Grijalva, the Democrat she is trying to unseat.

Before the primary polls even closed, Grijalva’s campaign posted a video to YouTube highlighting Mercer’s comments. It [is] titled “The Real Gabriela Mercer – We Don’t Want Middle Easterners” and dated on Monday.

Saucedo Mercer gave the interview originally to a conservative website called Western Free Press, but it went almost unnoticed until now.

Video below the fold.

Saucedo Mercer has been a favorite in some Republican circles. On her website, she boasts of numerous endorsements, including from retired Lt. Gen. William Boykin, known for his anti-Muslim views, as well as Arizona’s Secretary of State Ken Bennett (R), who apologized for embarrassing the state earlier this year after he threatened to keep Barack Obama off the November ballot if the president couldn’t prove he was really born in the United States.

* * *

In the interview, Saucedo Mercer also commented on the religious affiliations of some of some immigrants who were crossing the border illegally. She said evidence of Muslims crossing the border were found in the desert in Arizona.

“They have found prayer rugs. They have found copies of the Quran,” she said. “So that tells you this is not just poor illegals who are trying to come to this country and find work. It’s bigger than that.”

Saucedo Mercer’s campaign did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Saucedo Mercer has also been spending way too much time hanging out with the Queen Wingnut in the Arizona legislature, Sen. Sylvia "6,000 years" Allen. Do a Google search for Hezbollah training Mexican drug cartels and see what the "internets" turn up. Here is Sylvia Allen defending her theory. Hezbollah terror threat on U.S.-Mexico border is real | Arizona Capitol Times.

So according to these Tea-Publicans: All "Middle Easterners" –> Are Muslims –> Are Islamic fundamentalists –> Are terrorists –> Who want to impose a Caliphate and Sharia law on America.

Maybe they should spend some time traveling in the "Middle East" and the wider Muslim world and actually learn something about the wide variety of nationalities, tribal sects, religion sects (including Christians!), languages and cultures, etc., instead of reducing everyone to a cartoon caricature stereotype that lives in their mind out of their own ignorance, bigotry and irrational fear.

UPDATE: Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) have issued a statement:

"This is reckless hate speech, and I call on everyone who has endorsed Gabriela Mercer to withdraw their support immediately," Rep. Grijalva said. "This is not a he-said, she-said question of interpretation. Her comments are reprehensible and deserve condemnation from every quarter. Anyone who continues to support her campaign should be asked whether they want someone with her views in Congress."

"I am disappointed in Gabriela Saucedo Mercer's decision to inject division and fear into the election in Arizona's Third District," said Rep. Keith Ellison, the first Muslim American elected to Congress. "America was founded on the fundamental belief in liberty in justice for ALL, regardless of race, religion, nationality, or background. My good friend, Congressman Raúl Grijalva, shares an inclusive vision for America and I urge voters to support him."