more immigration walkback by Giuliani

Will Bunch is not happy that Giuliani is using his town as a campaign prop:

Rudy Giuliani is finally going to talk about something besides 9/11 (actually, that's a guess, and we'll probably be proven wrong), and he's coming to 2008-election-ignored Philadelphia to do it. On a day when social conservatives and the far right are increasingly worried that the former New York mayor is too liberal on their cultural issues, Giuliani will visit Geno's in South Philly, all so he can order a cheesesteak in front of a sign that says: "This is America -- When Ordering, Speak English."

Immediately below the sign, it says "Management Reserves the Right to Refuse Service."

Just a coincidence, owner Joey Vento will tell you.

. . .

Once upon a time, in the mid-1990s, when he was the mayor of one of the most liberal cities in America, Giuliani fought with the federal government on behalf of immigrants, including the undocumented, while seeking public funds to help immigrants win citizenship and defending the right of police and hospital workers not to ask immigration status. Her even said: "I believe the anti-immigration movement in America is one of our most serious public problems."

But that was before 9/11 GOP primary strategy changed everything.

Now, Giuliani's political ads are playing a radically different tune, featuring his words that "if anybody becomes a citizen, we should make certain that they can read English, write English and speak English, because this is an English speaking country." Oddly enough, what Giuliani said already is, in essence, a requirement of citizenship, but the facts aren't as important as the candidate's tone and emphasis, that the anti-immigration movement is no longer "one of our most serious public problems" -- not with so many votes at stake (or in tonight's case..."at steak"?)

Geno's owner Joey Vento should trademark his phrase for use by American tourists around the world:

"This is France -- When Ordering, Speak English."

"This is Mexico -- When Ordering, Speak English."

"This is Italy -- When Ordering, Speak English."

Etc.