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MANCHESTER, N.H. -- At Rick Perry's campaign stop at a defense contractor this morning, all attendees -- including the press -- were requested to prove their American citizenship, a move that spurred a minor controversy ahead of the town hall meeting.
NBC News was told by an employee checking in press at Granite State Manufacturing that "only American citizens are allowed in."
The Perry campaign quickly clarified that non-US citizens were, in fact, allowed to attend the campaign stop, but would have to be accompanied at all times by a company employee, per a federal regulation on government sub-contractors.
Granite State Manufacturing facilities manager Shawn O'Hagan told reporters the rule as stated was misinterpreted by the employee, a quality assurance assistant, checking in press. "That was a mistake," he said.
Nonetheless, according to O'Hagan, NAFTA security policy requires that sub-tier government manufacturers have to send a company employee to accompany non-US citizens at all times. All visitors to the building complex are asked the same question, he said.
"It is a government policy and we do work for government," said O'Hagan. Foreigners are "allowed in but not allowed out of the lobby without an escort 100% of the time."
Earlier this year, Granite State Manufacturing hosted rival GOP candidate Jon Huntsman in a similar type of campaign event. Journalists were asked not to film certain areas that contained proprietary content. A company representative said that members attending that event were also checked for their citizenship.
After the confusion was cleared up, Perry toured Granite State Manufacturing, played with a remote controlled robot and called for voters to help him push for smaller government.
Perry brought his government-cutting message from Iowa to New Hampshire on Wednesday. A Bloomberg News poll found that Perry's been on the slide in the Granite State; 3% of Granite State voters named him as their top choice in a nominee.
Admitting a move to reduce Congressional salaries and size will not be popular in Congress, Perry said, "That's where you come in to play. I think that we travel across this country and basically for lack of a better word, browbeat the members of Congress."
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It's official. We have become what Russia and Germany has run away from. A "papers please" nation. Just exactly what proves citizenship. Does anyone carry their passport or birth certificate with them at all times. I bet 100% of us do not. I know I don't. Can anyone reading this post at this minute prove they are U.S. citizens if law enforcement comes up to you? Unless they profile for certain races, which is illegal, all of us can be thrown in jail until someone finds our paperwork.
I feel like this is a bad WWII or cold war movie. Is this what America has become? Shameful.
Were the guards at the door wearing crisply ironed brown shirts, jack boots & sporting itty bitty mustaches?
WTF?
Yep, standard GOP uniform. Boy, I should have stayed at the pool. This news is downright depressing.
Did you folks read the story or just the headline?
In your rush to be "me first" and get a piece of the red meat FR tossed you, you obviously missed the whole article.
How Pavlovian of you.
Kind of explains everything else you stand for.
What's worse than that for me is that I no longer have a copy of my long-form birth certificate, only a short-form certificate that The Donald says doesn't count. So I'm worse off than President Obama in that regard.
Of course, The Donald now says Obama's long-form certificate is a fake. And who didn't see that coming?
Exactly Houston. The 2011 version of the Know Nothing party are doing their level best to destroy the country.
White Collar Auto
"Did you folks read the story or just the headline?"
I did.
I understand the requirement as far as security proceedures go.
I do have to wonder if PERRY had to show HIS credentials, though, as it seems he is some kind of alien being of some unknown sort....
Now, whyncha bitch about THAT, y' big malcontent. C'mon, you can do it!
Maybe WCA could use a glass of prune juice. Might get rid of all the nastiness he has inside him.
DBO...
Are you serious?
My opinion is... hey... you libbies that want more government... how you like it now? If you had read the story you would realize that this was not a Perry thing... this was US government (Federal) requirement...
Sometimes you people amaze me.
(show me the clown nose, fisty!)
SickOfTheBickering
DBO...
"Are you serious?"
Yes.
Next?
"If you had read the story you would realize that this was not a Perry thing... this was US government (Federal) requirement..."
You mean it was.....*GASP*......a REGULATION? A regulation designed to ensure SECURITY of defense contractor's facilities??
Is that good? Bad??
Oh, my- now you have yourself a real dilema, huh, Sick of Whatever?
Actually, I DO carry my passport with me all the time. I fly a lot- its easier to know its always in my purse than to worry about forgetting it on my way to the airport.
Next question?
"Next question?"
Yes- I have one:
Who gives a rat's ass WHAT you carry in your purse?
I was responding to Houston, Clara. He posed the hypothetical- positing that 100% of do not carry our passports around.
You really ought to watch it- Blackberries cause a really nasty type of carpal tunnel.
Having worked at a defense contractor for many years, it is standard procedure for ALL visitors to be escorted by company employees, not just those who are not US citizens. In accordance with the DoD Industrial Security Manual, Defense contractors must also keep records of foreign visitors. Where there are classified programs, a company can't have people wandering around on their own. That said, the contractos could have handled the procedures without the press or others feeling as if they were being asked "papers, please".
Jody, Iowa
Thanks for clarifying. I think this was pre arranged to have a town hall full of friendlies who were part of the privileged info. on requirements to enter. And now you let us know that the requierment in itself is also a great big fat lie! Thanks a bunch!
I bet no one. NO ONE asked Rick Perry for his papers.
Well, isn't she special?
ROTFLMFAO!
Off to by a new laptop - I'll send you the receipt Buzz!
Do I need to start buying your monitors in bulk, there, Red??
Let me grab my last welfare check, and take the public transit on down to the goodwill store and see if THEY have any....
AnaBanana. You're welcome. Incidentally, many defense contractors are full of republican "friendlies" because the GOP doesn't like to cut spending on Defense. It isn't hard to find a room full of republicans in a defense plant.
So it had nothing to do with Rick Perry, yet your misleading headline makes it seem like Perry himself was asking for citizenship papers. Good spin Obama-lovers!!
Today's major scandal ignored by the Obama-lovers at NBC
"President John F. Kennedy’s nephew, Robert Kennedy, Jr., netted a $1.4 billion bailout for his company, BrightSource, through a loan guarantee issued by a former employee-turned Department of Energy official."
Booby, I don't believe I mentioned Gov. Perry once. If you have a problem with what news being reported on NBC, I suggest you speak with them. I was responding to THIS story about a place that was asking for proof of citizenship papers. Time for you to stop sitting on your brains.
I was not responding to you, Phinephancy.
If a response is indented, that means it is a response to the previous post. Duh.
Bob,
Good luck with that "scandal" because if that is what the bar is I'm sure the Justice Dept. would love to go through Congress and Bush's administration for his eight years and see how many of those types of "scandals" occured. GOP still grobing for anything. At least they aren't groping little boys!
Phinephancy,
How dare you discuss the news topic of this article! Booby is very upset at you . . . I'm sure that scolding ruined your day. . . NOT!
Was it not Rick Perry's town hall? Then I'd say, yes, it does have something to do with him.
Either way, there's something to be said for actually reading the articles. We know you're not very big on it but you should try more often.
Well, I'll mention Slick Rick.......
Why would he have a town hall at such a place, especially since he has said that the Arizona 'papers please' legislation WOULD NOT be right for Texas!
Are you a citizen?..........Yikes...so, you produce a...what?
You do know that it is harder for a woman to provide proof of papers? When renewing my license, due to Homeland Security rules, I had to provide my birth certificate and social security card. Sure, no problem. But, since I had married, divorced and re-married, I also had to provide marriage licenses and divorce papers. While I fortunately had access to these (I keep everything), I watched a 78 year old woman in tears. She had a birth certificate, but, after 60 years of marriage, she had no idea where her marriage license was - or how to obtain it. I think of her often when folks talk about proof of citizenship.
Um, Perry decided to have his Town Hall at a manufacturing plant- and it turned out to be a defense subcontractor. There are FEDERAL rules in place for such locations- funny, but reporters never seem to mind following those rules when OBAMA is at defense subcontractor plants.
I wonder why. . .
"I wonder why. . ."
Because they know he carries a fake birth certificate AND a fake passport in his purse.
phinephancy-
...Laws do not favor women on so many levels..but of course the lawmakers are men!
Homeland Security?.......over-reach, over-kill, much!
...You see, he FLYS a lot.
It was easier to get my passport than renew my driver's license. And at the DMV, they said the requirements were set down by Homeland.
phine,
Do you live in Florida? Reason why I'm asking is that if her name didn't change, she didn't have to have her marriage certificate for renewal.
Real ID Act of 2005.
I have to agree the title of this story was unnecessarily provocative. The headline certainly caught my attention with a "you gotta be kidding" reaction that faded away as I read the story. Such security procedures are common for all kinds of government - contract facilities. No big deal.
Perhaps a better header would have been - "Perry Chooses a Really Dumb Place to Conduct a Town Meeting."
Dumb is as dumb does!
I wonder does he understand that a government sub -contractor means that those are NOT private sector jobs!
Ah, but therein lies the rub.....government money (contracts) for private companies.........
The Government does indeed create jobs!
Paul, as a matter of fact I do live in Florida. Since my last name changed (as did hers) due to marriage, a woman has to show her marriage license. At least that is what St. Johns county said.
chilled,
Many private-sector companies have government contracts to purchase their products and/ or services. Though the government buys from them, the government does not run them - therefore, they are indeed private. In that some or all of their sales are to the government you can make the argument these are not private sector jobs, I suppose. But the jobs themselves are subject to the "rules" of the private, not public, sector.
My basis for calling the chosen venue dumb is that a Town Hall Meeting implies open access to everyone. Granite State Manufacturing is no town hall!
Phinephancy this is not just the DMV. When my father passed away, every insurance claim, Pension, etc.... needed to see my father's death certificate, their marriage license, and a host of other documents as well. Good practice to organize your documents.
So what's everybody think of Robert Reich qoute that Obama is "A GUTLESS LEADER"
Looks like another progressive disenchanted with President 1%.
"Looks like another progressive disenchanted with President 1%."
We can afford one here and there. Can YOUR side??
one here and there????
How about naming some congressmen or senators that have this failures back?
Can you tell me who was out there pushing his job's bill, fighting the good fight?
Sorry to say but Obama seems to be all by himself these days (except for fiesty and friends).
Obama's biggest problem is he was raised by women and taught to be rational and non-confrontational. He fights only when he is sure he will win, and doesn't seem to understand that you have to fight even harder when you think you will lose. If he thinks he will lose he wants to compromise, that's too bad.
If you fight hard even when you are likely to lose, at least your opponent will suffer whatever pain you can inflict on him, and they will be a lot more careful about picking a fight the next time!
Obama never acts irrational, he should, he would be a better negotiator if he was unpredictable. Irrationality is intimadating!
No matter what you say at the end of the day the people will take a hard look at the Radical Right and realize that President Obama is the best choice to be the President.
After all the Radical Rights main goal from the start has been to block and punch the American People, in order to make the President fail, and make him a one term President.
I've also heard Robert Reich praise President Obama; can't say I've ever heard him call him a "gutless leader" but Reich gets testy and one thing about liberals, if they have an opinion about something, they speak up unlike the GOP who first gets their speaking instructions from their masters so as to all use the same words.
So an unpredictable and irrational leader makes that person a better negotiator? That's a new one. Irrational and unpredictable is more likely to produce awful decisions and the likes of dictators and unnecessary wars in Iraq. Thanks, but no thanks.
It's also a new one to say women raised him to be rational and nonconfrontational. Anyone here ever sat in a meeting with President Obama? I recall GOPers after meetings complaining that President Obama was demanding, not nice, got mad and left the room.
Job1,
My comment is not meant as a criticism of Obama, rather as analysis, he is what he is. He excels in many arenas and will go down as a wise President precisely because he does not fall into the right wing's various traps. He does not have to fight every battle presented to him. They think he does.
Personally I think the right wing is comprised today of mealy mouthed petty little ideological midgets with no vision, no solutions, and no ideas that will work. Mr. Obama is frequently right when he ignores them and their bizarre and idiotic attempts to engage him.
Jody, Irrational and unpredictable characteristics can be a very effective tactic if used as a tactic, I am not recommending them as the basis for decision making.
I grew up on the streets of Detroit, I was taught to box at a young age for my own survival, and I had to fight almost everyday, win or lose. Mr. Obama grew up in a soft environment by comparison, he never learned, nor did he have to learn the hard lesons I was taught by my surrounding. I had a good father as my example and as my encouragement. I am sorry that Mr. Obama did not have that, he would be a more effective leader if he had. Its not about being nice or being mean, its about garnering respect and radiating it to others from a backbone of strenght.
James, thank you for the clarification of both your comments. I admit they were a bit confusing or at least they seemed counter intuitive to my thinking but I understand where you were coming from now. Good points. Again, thanks for the clarification. I do think, though, that President Obama's mixed racial background taught him lessons as well.
This is standard proceedure at certain Defense Contractor locations. One of our sub contractors was a lady from England (a saleswoman for a elevator co.) she was not allowed into a DOE building to bid work.
I know that's true. I have been inside a defense plant to repair machinery, I had to go through all kinds of security, was searched and be accompanied by a employee at all times.
I know it's true because I worked for a defense contractor for 21 years. Most require that ALL visitors are escorted by employees not just foreign nationals. It also has to do with industrial espionage; firms like to keep their classified secrets protected as well as their state-of-the-art technology underwraps.
I think everyone should pay attention to SC, because someone other than Mitt will win Iowa, Mitt will win NH, and after SC, the final winner will be determined, de facto, as most but the two Iowa and NH winners drop out, and the SC winner ultimately wins the nom.
Hey, no matter how this story gets spun, Rick Perry is a freaking dog.
Never, never, never has a person been asked to show papers to attend a town hall. These whack job candidates still remind me of the dictators who have been overthrown.
This is America and someone has to remember that.
I guess you didn't see the part of the EMPLOYEE saying that, not Perry's people? I'm thinking NO.
This was held at a DEFENSE CONTRACTOR. If you know anything about manufacturing, you know there is always such security in defense plants.
Employees have to obtain special government clearance; wear secure ID badges and have special keys/cards to enter each building that verifies who enters each building at any given time.
Duh...
Well said, Willing.Sniper. I worked for a defense contractor; that is exactly how it works for certain labs, departments and in some cases, entire buildings.
The headline of this article and the knee jerk reaction by some of the posters here tells me why we are all guilty of being misinformed or mislead at some time or another. Journalists today on both sides are out to drive an agenda. Most people stop at the headline or blurbs of information in the instant media environment and never do any research.
ksw, good points. In this instance, it is understandable and also easy to assume the worse when AZ, AL have passed "papers, please" laws, plus the anti-immigrant chatter that comes from the right and the occasional reported GOP townhall where anyone who wasn't a republican was not allowed into the meeting.
I work for a company that is bound by ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations,) which would require such an escort. The country-of-origin discrimination comes from the law itself.
This isn't a Perry campaign scandal. It is routine behavior where military (or potentially military) technology is manufactured. If you disapprove, your beef is not with Perry...it is with the US Congress who passed those laws.
-B
(Not a Perry Supporter)