underthemountainbunker:

Palin says France’s message to America with the Statue of Liberty was “Don’t blow it.”

The Snowbilly’s thoughts on the meaning of the Statue of Liberty (via Bob Cesca):

This:

“This Statue of Liberty was gifted to us by foreign leaders, really as a warning to us, it was a warning to us to stay unique and to stay exceptional from other countries. Certainly not to go down the path of other countries that adopted socialist policies,” Palin said to cheers from the crowd.

And this:

“Lady Liberty is the symbol of unity and friendship we have with other freedom-loving nations. It’s also a “warning” of sorts, as France encouraged us to keep democracy alive as the recipient of this gift… basically telling us not to blow it. Thank you for this reminder, France!”

The Snowbilly’s thoughts on Ellis Island and immigration (via Digby):

PALIN: The immigrants of the past, they had to literally and figuratively stand in line and follow rules to become U.S. citizens. I’d like to see that continue. And unfortunately, the DREAM Act kind of usurps that-the system that is a legal system to make sure that immigrants who want to be here legally, working hard, producing and supplying revenue and resources for their families, that they’re able to do that right and legally. Unfortunately, the DREAM Act doesn’t accomplish that.

You know what the rules were?

Today, over 100 million Americans – one third of the population – can trace their ancestry to the immigrants who first arrived in America at Ellis Island before dispersing to points all over the country.

Generally, those immigrants who were approved spent from two to five hours at Ellis Island. Arrivals were asked 29 questions including name, occupation, and the amount of money carried. Those with visible health problems or diseases were sent home or held in the island’s hospital facilities for long periods of time.

What’s the DREAM Act giving away, you might wonder, with the historically heavy burden of 29 questions and two to five hours processing at Ellis Island upon arrival from other countries?

This bill would provide conditional permanent residency to certain illegal and deportable alien students who graduate from US high schools, who are of good moral character, arrived in the U.S. legally or illegally as minors, and have been in the country continuously for at least five years prior to the bill’s enactment. If they were to complete two years in the military or two years at a four year institution of higher learning, the students would obtain temporary residency for a six year period.

TOO EASY! Palin’s right — the DREAM Act is like giving away our country. We should go back to the 29 questions and the five hour processing time.

So the French are warning us not to adopt socialist policies? I really hope she runs with the idea of France being our capitalist/free market mentors. I’m sure it will go over really well with her base, who were eating “freedom fries” and pouring French wine in the gutter a few years back and who think the minimum wage and EPA are socialist programs.

For fun, I googled French government benefits and found this lovely PDF of the French Social Safety Net outlining their universal healthcare, paid maternity leave, pensions, paid sick leave, and child care to name a few. If Obama said that the France was warning us.. Yada yada.. I can just imagine the backlash.