What century is this?: Immigration "reformers"

My family is Irish-Catholic. Like many immigrant groups throughout our nations history Irish-Catholic's faced intense racism and discrimination. Like Hispanic immigrants today my people were accused of stealing jobs, of bringing crime and disease, and of subverting the American way of life. The rhetoric of 19th century anti-Irish nativism is, quite literally, the same rhetoric that Hispanics face today.

Congressman Tom Tancredo today illustrated that one other form of 19th century anti-immigrant bigotry is alive and well in the modern nativist movement - a strong and overt anti-Catholic sentiment:

"I suspect the Pope's immigration comments may have less to do with spreading the gospel than they do about recruiting new members of the church," Tancredo said. "This isn't preaching it is 'faith-based' marketing."

Bashing Catholic is, of course, old hat for Republicans. George W. Bush and John Aschcroft visited the notoriously bigotted Bob Jones University, whose founder was a virulent anti-Catholic. John McCain's spiritual adviser has referred to Catholicism as "The Great Whore" (watch for yourself).

Before being sucked in to the emotional pleas of today's nativists I'd just urge you to look at their rhetoric and compare it to previous nativist rhetoric from the 19th and early 20th centuries. You'll see that today's Tom Tancredo's align perfectly with the over racists of the past. Both groups try to couch their irrational hate, bigotry and racism in rhetoric that appeals emotionally to the concerns of citizens - the health and safety of the nation, the economic standing of your family. Make no mistake though, just like the nativists of the past, they are driven by an irrational and bigoted hatred. It is a campaign based on fear, not facts.

Tancredo let down the mask a little today and let his true "Id" be seen by all. It's not just about scapegoating immigrants (immigrants just like Tancredo's grandparents), it's also about attacking and demonizing the Catholic church. All in the name of a perverse fundamentalist religious world view.