Thread by @SimonWDC

1/Want to address some of the pushback I've gotten about my thread yesterday detailing Bernie's sordid anti-immigrant past, his common cause w/racists like Lou Dobbs and Steve King.

https://twitter.com/SimonWDC/status/1232405576107397125

2/So, first, I recommend the two @Vox analyses below. They address some of the mindless talking points being spread in response to my thread.

vox.com/2016/2/12/1098…

vox.com/policy-and-pol…

@vox 3/From 2005 on I worked closely with a vast bi-partisan coalition to pass immigration reform. We got it through a GOP Senate in 2006, but it was killed by House Rs. In 2007 thought we could get it through a Dem Senate but GOPers who supported it in 2006 walked. It was tragic.

@vox 4/So I was there, on the ground, in the rooms, etc.

First talking point - there was broad opposition to the bill in the immigration community. Simply false. Almost every immigration group in the country supported the bill, as did Senate/House Dem leaders. See @vox.

@vox 5/Second talking point - a bill authored by Ted Kennedy and the Dem Senate somehow contained provisions similar to slavery. Seriously, wtf people? As @vox explains, that program was not the same program Bernie used as his excuse to come out against the bill. It is irrelevant.

@vox 6/The choice we had was this - to get 11-12m undocumented immigrants legalized we had to accept a GOP guest worker provision of a few hundred thousand a year. To me getting legalization for 11m was worth the trade off. Bernie disagreed and worked against the bill.

@vox 7/Finally listen to Bernie in the Lou Dobbs interview, and consider why Steve King viewed him as a fellow traveler. Bernie was arguing against immigration writ large not just guest worker provision - a guest worker provision which could have been improved in future Congresses.

@vox 8/The guest worker figleaf was BS at the time of this debate and is still a BS figleaf all these years later.

In an economy of 130m plus workers a small guest worker program was insignificant; it wasn't slavery; could be fixed later; was worth legalizing the 11m.

@vox 9/Like his admission he was really wrong for many years on the gun issue, Bernie was really wrong on immigration too. He helped kill our best chance at legalization in last 15 years. He earned the trust of racists.

Stop gaslighting - Bernie blew it, and should own up to it.

@vox 10/Here are two senior Harry Reid staffers confirming the details in the thread and Bernie's role in helping kill CIR back in 2007.

https://twitter.com/jamespmanley/status/1232766861739208704