Comics and Politics: Theater of the Absurd

A politician (Commissioner Robert Vasquez of Canyon County, Idaho), clearly garnering attention he may not yet fully realize he does not want, has weighed in on the comic book "that depicts ways to enter the United States illegally but safely", according to the Associated Press.

According to the AP account:

Vasquez asked his fellow commissioners this week to seek an official disaster area designation because he fears the pamphlet, published by the Mexican government, will bring a flood of undocumented workers to the region.

"I am asking the board to vote in a declaration of an emergency that carries with it the dangers of illegal aliens crossing into the United States of America without medical inspections, bringing any number of contagious diseases, illegal drugs or other criminal intent," Vasquez said.

The commission took no immediate action on the request. Commission Chairman Matt Beebe said he doubted a comic book warranted official emergency action.

For those of you who've not heard about the initial pamphlet/firestorm, here's access to some background from a January 5, 2005 article. And even better, here's a link to the Mexican government's actual comic book.

Mexico illegal aliens seems to be a real pet peeve for this Idaho politician, seeing as back in April 2004, he sent a more than $2 million invoice "to the Mexican consulate in Salt Lake City, Utah, [which] includes demands for the payment of about $1.4 million for expenses related to the incarceration of Mexican nationals held in the Canyon County jail and $575,000 for medical services provided by the county to Mexican citizens who entered the country illegally", according to an Idaho Press-Tribune piece.