Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont is adamantly opposed to the US Department of Homeland Security's plan to require Canadians to obtain a biometric ID card or a passport by 2008 in order to travel to the US.
"We've got an economic and cultural train wreck on the horizon," said Leahy. "I can just see a complete screw up on the border come Jan. 1, 2008. Our closest friend in this hemisphere is going to be, like, what happened? Are we pariahs?"
"It seems like almost doing something for the sake of doing something, not really to protect us."
Predictably, DHS secretary Chertoff proclaimed "9/11"! and the millennium bomber case as his justification for supporting the plan - because that's all he has.
And, Senator Leahy, we already know we're pariahs. That was made clear when we refused to support the Iraq war. But thanks for sticking up for us!
I have to add that's it more than a bit disconcerting that this ID scheme involves what the DHS is calling "PASS" cards. Shades of South Africa, anyone?
No comments:
Post a Comment