Billionaire Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s political advocacy firm FWD.us is publicly driving for a proposal to grant amnesty to illegal alien DREAMers who enlist in the U.S. military with a pair of new attack ads against Rep. Steve King (R-IA).
Zuckerberg’s shop’s backing of such a policy idea comes a few weeks after Breitbart News first exposed a quiet effort by Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) to insert the immigration proposal into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Since the behind-closed-doors effort became public, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor has emerged as a top proponent.
“I am Alejandro Morales,” a young illegal alien says in the first of two new Zuckerberg military amnesty ads. “I was seven months old and my family moved straight to Chicago. America is the only country I’ve ever known.”
Zuckerberg’s group displays a patriotic photograph of American troops raising a flag with text on screen describing Morales and his parents as “undocumented immigrants” while Morales speaks.
“In senior year of high school, I was promoted to City Corps Staff Commander,” Morales continues, now speaking directly into the screen while holding up one of his medals. “I held the rank of Cadet Brigadier General. I was head of Chicago JROTC. I want to be a U.S. Citizen. I want to be a marine. I’m going to be a marine because I care. I care about this country. I care about those around me. I care about my family, my neighbors. I do want to give back. I believe 100 percent in what this country stands for. Let me earn it. Let me serve. I just want an opportunity. I just want a chance.”
WATCH FWD.US ‘SERVICE’ AD AGAINST STEVE KING, FOR AMNESTY VIA MILITARY:
At that point, Zuckerberg’s operation begins juxtaposing quotes from Rep. King–a strident opponent of amnesty in any form–via text on the screen while Morales keeps speaking. “Citizenship must be precious, not handed out like candy,” King said in one quote for which Zuckerberg attacked him.
“I want to show everyone out there that I am American and I will honorably serve this country wearing a marine corps uniform,” Morales continues as a separate quote from King, from the story in which Breitbart News first exposed the secretive amnesty push, appears on screen: “We’re not going to take your oath into the military, but we’re going to take your deposition and have a bus for you to Tijuana.”
The ad wraps with a message from Zuckerberg’s team: “Don’t let Congressman Steve King speak for you.”
The ad, titled “Service,” is one of two new ads from the billionaire’s lobbyists attacking King and pushing the proposal.
The second one, titled “King,” starts with footage of American troops with a narrator reading: “America has the most respected military in the world because of the strength of character of our soldiers.”
“Instead of supporting our military, Steve King–a Republican member of Congress–insults the brave soldiers who are immigrants and those who would proudly serve,” the narrator continues while images of an American flag and photos of King fly across the screen, along with cue cards for viewers that state: “Hundreds of thousands of immigrants have served in our nation’s armed forces and DREAMers, undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children want to serve.”
“Instead of supporting immigrants who want to serve, he’d deport them,” the narrator continues while on screen ad viewers see a quote from King. “Steve King’s attacks on American soldiers and the military is wrong. Tell Steve King his comments weaken our military.”
On screen at that point, Zuckerberg’s operation places text that directs viewers to contact King and inform him “that his hateful comments weaken our military, not make it stronger.”
WATCH FWD.US ‘KING’ AD AGAINST STEVE KING, FOR AMNESTY VIA MILITARY:
Zuckerberg’s group’s attempt to attack King for his comments to Breitbart News come weeks after Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, in her capacity as DNC chairwoman, pushed to frame his comments as controversial, an effort that largely fell flat.
The new Zuckerberg ads come also as President Barack Obama met late Friday morning with top officials from the American Legion–a 2.4 million member strong veterans’ group–which came out forcefully against any effort to use the NDAA bill to pass controversial immigration policies.
Speaker John Boehner, according to new report late Thursday, has promised donors he is “hellbent” on passing amnesty in 2014. The NDAA effort is the latest push to get immigration legislation across the finish line–and top immigration hawks are worried that House passage of the language could open up broad negotiations on a comprehensive bill.
Mark Krikorian, the executive director of anti-amnesty think tank Center for Immigration Studies, recently said the effort seems to be a “Trojan Horse” for more comprehensive amnesty. “Harry Reid hasn’t even sent the Gang of Eight bill to the House, because he knows it would be struck down on procedural grounds alone – it raises revenue and only bills that start in the House can do that,” Krikorian said at the time. “By including an amnesty provision – however small – in the defense bill, the House leadership would create the opportunity for Reid to insert the Senate bill and send it to the House. It would become a Trojan Horse for amnesty.”